Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a standardized tool (ISO 14040) used to evaluate the environmental impacts of products and processes across their entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal or recycling. It has become particularly important in the context of engineering materials, where sustainability considerations are critical. Despite challenges such as data quality limitations, variations in system boundary definitions, and methodological inconsistencies, LCA remains an essential tool for assessing and improving product sustainability. This work presents a foundational overview of LCA principles and describes a systematic, step-by-step procedure for its effective application. Additionally, this article revisits the fundamental concepts of carbon footprint (CF) analysis as a complementary tool for quantifying greenhouse gas emissions associated with products and activities. CF analysis underscores the necessity of adopting low-carbon materials and manufacturing processes to minimize embodied energy and reduce environmental emissions. Low-carbon materials are characterized by attributes such as being lightweight, recyclable, renewable, bio-based, locally sourced, and safe for public health. Their development balances the reduction of raw material and resource consumption during production, with increasing product performance, recyclability, and service life, reflecting a cradle-to-cradle, circular economy approach. The integration of LCA and CF methodologies provides an integral framework for assessing environmental performance and supports decision-making processes aligned with global sustainability targets.

The COVID-19 lockdown in New Zealand forced tertiary education providers to rapidly transition to online teaching with minimal preparation time. Synchronous online classes were delivered using platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Moodle. This study explores the post-COVID-19 online learning experience of construction students, focusing on both the perceived effectiveness of online learning and students' overall experiences. It captures insights from students enrolled in the New Zealand Diploma in Construction and the Bachelor of Construction at a selected tertiary institution. Data were gathered through an online questionnaire (103 respondents) and a focus group interview with selected students (8 participants). Respondents highlighted several benefits of online learning, including the convenience of staying at home (69%), continuous access to online materials (69%), flexibility to learn at their own pace (64%), and the comfort of their surroundings (54%). However, challenges were identified, with the most common being a lack of interaction with peers (70%) and technical difficulties with IT equipment (54%). While no significant difference was found between face-to-face and online learning in terms of increasing knowledge (P = 0.46), students rated online learning as less effective for skill development (P < 0.001) and social competencies (P < 0.001). Students also reported being less engaged in online classes compared to traditional settings (P < 0.001). Despite these challenges, 73% of students found the online experience enjoyable. The study concludes that while students adapted to online learning and became more autonomous, they still valued face-to-face learning for skill development and social interaction. The findings suggest that a blended learning approach, combining online and in-person elements, could be a beneficial post-pandemic strategy to enhance student autonomy, motivation, and engagement.

Sustainable procurement (SP) has become a critical mechanism for improving environmental, social, and economic performance in the construction sector, thereby contributing to achieve UN-SDG goals (SGD12). However, SP implementation within construction SMEs is rarely examined in existing studies, indicating a significant gap in the literature. This study addresses this gap through a systematic literature review of 47 peer reviewed articles. The review applies inductive and deductive content analysis to identify the most prominent SP implementation strategies that help SMEs to foster sustainability. The findings reveal a total of 12 implementation strategies. Among them stakeholder collaboration, awareness and knowledge enhancement, and top management support are the strategies most frequently highlighted in the literature, while project specific measures and the use of project power structures remain underexamined. The study contributes to theory by articulating the strategies in practicing sustainability tailored to construction SMEs context and to practice by identifying actionable recommendations for addressing financial and capability constraints. SMEs and policy makers in construction can use this set if implementation strategies to promote sustainable practices and researchers are presented with enhanced opportunities on contributing to the body of knowledge systematically and effectively.

The construction sector has a substantial impact on the environment, primarily due to its excessive resource and energy consumption, along with significant waste production. Construction accounts for a third of the world's total waste and around 40% of global CO2 emissions. The phases of material production, construction, the facility's useful life, and endof-life components have been widely studied for their role in environmental pollution. Whilst minimising waste holds the highest priority in construction waste management, understanding the sources of construction waste can support effective reduction strategies. This paper aims to explore the relationship between the origins of construction and demolition waste (CDW), lean practices, construction productivity, and the associated environmental impacts. A quantitative research method was adopted, using a survey questionnaire to identify correlations between CDW origins, construction productivity, and environmental impacts. Findings revealed that 62% of CDW origins have a greater impact on the environment than on productivity. Additionally, eight specific CDW origins showed statistically significant relationships with the tested environmental variables. These insights can promote evidence-based decision-making by construction practitioners in developing effective strategies for waste minimisation.