The Useful Simple Trust (UST) is proud to share our 2023 Impact Report. This year we are focusing on the theme of ‘circularity’, showcasing how our work to create regenerative and circular buildings, strategies, and places is really delivering impact on the ground. 

The Construction sector is the biggest consumer of raw materials and generator of waste, responsible for 62% of waste and 50% of material use in the UK. The worsening climate and biodiversity crises require accelerated action and systemic change. Industry practice is far from aligned with carbon budgets under the Paris Agreement, and research we recently carried out with the Institution of Civil Engineers highlighted the unseen impacts on biodiversity of our industry’s extractive processes.  

The key principles of a circular economy: eliminating waste and pollution, circulating products and materials at their highest value, and regenerating nature, offer one pathway to transitioning our built environment. We work in collaboration with clients and professional teams who have a shared ambition to refurbish, retrofit and repurpose existing buildings, extend the life of built assets, design out waste, and use materials with the lowest possible environmental footprint.

This Report presents some of the achievements we are most proud to share with you. Read it in full here.