The British Standards Institution (BSI) has published new guidance to assist the construction industry in choosing sustainable concrete alternatives and accelerating progress towards net zero targets. The guidance recommends and demonstrates the potential of lower-carbon technologies and provides advice on assessing appropriate alternative binder systems that can be used as lower-carbon concrete alternatives. It has been designed to help engineers and designers to specify and construct using low-carbon technologies by providing relevant background, recommendations, explanations, guidance, and suggestions.

The British Standards Institution (BSI) has published a new standard, Retrofit Assessment for Domestic Dwellings – Code of Practice (BS 40104:2025). The standard establishes a comprehensive methodology for assessing domestic properties before retrofit works, covering context and condition assessments, ventilation and occupancy evaluations, and energy performance analysis. It introduces competency requirements for professionals conducting assessments and sets out requirements for significance assessment, reporting, and lodgement to ensure thorough documentation and compliance. The standard uses a seven-stage, risk-based whole-house approach intended to balance energy efficiency with occupant well-being and heritage conservation where applicable. The framework aims to standardise processes across the retrofit sector, addressing nearly 19 million UK homes requiring energy efficiency upgrades, and aligns with government efforts to reduce carbon impact while supporting housing supply objectives.

The British Standards Institution (BSI) has published BS 9792:2025 ‘Fire Risk Assessment – Housing – Code of Practice’, a revised standard intended to support professionals such as fire risk assessors and housing providers in conducting and recording fire risk assessments in residential buildings. It aims to help determine proportionate measures to protect both occupants and those nearby from fire hazards. The new standard replaces PAS 79-2:2020, introducing an updated pro forma for documenting fire risk assessments and revised guidance for individuals with specific evacuation needs. It applies to houses in multiple occupation, blocks of flats, specialised housing and student accommodation. BS 9792:2025 aligns with current legislation and complements related standards, including PAS 9980 (external wall fire risk appraisals) and the forthcoming BS 8674 (competence for fire risk assessors).

The British Standards Institution (BSI) has announced the release of two new nature market standards: the BSI Flex 702 v2.0 for biodiversity benefits and BSI Flex 704 v2.0 for nutrient benefits. Supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and devolved administrations, these standards build on overarching principles issued in March 2025 and provide frameworks for the design, verification and trading of nature credits. Additionally, a third standard on community engagement (BSI Flex 705 v1.0) is now open for consultation until 19 May 2026.

A British Standards Institution (BSI) report entitled ‘Lifting the second glass ceiling’ has found a sharp decline in women’s confidence about their prospects at work globally, compared with 2023.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published its response to complaints about its actions in relation to the British Steel Pension Scheme (BSPS). The FCA has also announced that it has cancelled the permissions of KBFS Financial Limited, preventing the firm from providing any financial services. The FCA says KBFS failed to engage with it in an open and co-operative way, and also failed to pay redress awarded to former members of the BSPS by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has announced plans to revise its approach to Building Assessment Certificates (BACs) for occupied higher-risk buildings (HRBs), introducing a more proportionate, intelligence-led and risk-based assessment model. The proposed changes follow concerns arising from the implementation of the BAC regime, including lengthy assessment processing times, a high rate of application refusals and difficulties experienced by some duty holders in demonstrating compliance with fire and structural safety requirements. Under the proposed approach, BSR intends to initially focus on organisations responsible for multiple HRBs, undertake sample interventions based on risk or intelligence relating to buildings, organisations or duty holders, allow smaller volunteer-run resident management companies additional time to prepare evidence and provide support to applicants whose applications are being assessed or were previously refused. BSR also intends to simplify assessment criteria, develop clearer technical guidance and explore options for reassessing previously refused applications. It has emphasised that the legal duties of principal accountable persons (PAPs) and accountable persons (APs) under the Building Safety Act 2022 remain unchanged.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has announced that it has become a standalone organisation as of 27 January 2026, moving from the Health and Safety Executive to an arm’s‑length body under the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. This development supports the government’s plan to establish a single construction regulator, identified as a key recommendation of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. BSR intends to continue working to promote competence and higher standards in the built environment and to encourage the culture change required to support the delivery of more safe homes and the remediation of unsafe buildings. The transition is accompanied by an operational reset in its role as the building control authority for higher‑risk buildings. BSR reports that efficiency measures and its Innovation Unit are contributing to improved operational delivery through combining regulatory experience with industry knowledge to target guidance and education effectively. Commenting on the move, Acting Chief Executive Officer of BSR, Charlie Pugsley, said the transition signals a broader responsibility beyond high-rise buildings, with a focus on improving operational delivery and driving competence, regulatory guidance and safety standards across buildings in England.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has held its second industry conference. Key topics discussed at the event included: industry accountability and ownership in delivering safe buildings; BSR’s firm but fair approach to enforcement, the critical role of building control professionals in raising standards; and, a need for continued collaboration between industry, regulators and residents. The Health and Safety Executive has also said that the conference sessions and materials will be available online in due course.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has launched a consultation proposing changes to England's statutory fire safety guidance in Approved Document B. The proposed amends seek to: (1) clarify and update the guidance within Approved Document B; (2) consolidate guidance for designing building work on existing buildings; (3) introduce a threshold to exclude the guidance when combustible structural elements are used; (4) revise the guidance on external wall systems and balconies and review the ban on combustible materials in and on external walls; (5) recommend evacuation lifts in residential buildings above 18 metres and clarify non-residential guidance; (6) update terminology on 'sheltered housing' to 'specialised housing' with minimum Category LD1 alarm provisions; (7) update roof guidance with provisions for incorporating photovoltaic panels and (8) increase the fire resistance rating of open-sided car parks. The consultation will run until 17 June 2026.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has announced the introduction of the external remediation improvement plan to increase the speed of essential higher-risk building (HRB) safety works across England. The plan introduces several measures, including: (1) a new external remediation multidisciplinary team (MDT), building on the success of BSR’s Innovation Unit by streamlining communication and processing through dedicated account managers; (2) a recruitment drive to expand regulatory lead capacity, reducing average caseloads from around 25 to approximately 10, benefiting both applicants and BSR processes; (3) the use of ‘approval with requirements’, to enable projects to start safely and resolve technical issues and (4) new external remediation guidance to assist the industry address challenges in the building control process for existing buildings.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has published its building control approval application data for higher-risk buildings (HRBs), covering the period December 2025 to February 2026. The data sets out national and London figures across new build, remediation and legacy categories, alongside key performance indicators.