Construction Leadership Council announces its new strategy

The Construction Leadership Council, of which ECA is a leading member, has published its new strategy and priorities for the next three years.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the CLC has become increasingly visible as the leading voice for the sector, working in partnership with Government. It has supported companies through the crisis and responded to key short-term challenges while setting a plan for transformational change.

In June, following a public competition, Mark Reynolds (Mace Group Chairman and CEO) took over as the CLC’s new Industry Co-Chair, supported by Richard Robinson (Atkins CEO, UK and Europe) as the new Deputy Co-Chair.

The announcement of today’s strategy sees an invitation from the CLC, to the whole industry to get involved to drive the delivery of its priorities. The CLC will focus its efforts on four long-term ambitions for transformational change, aiming to boost productivity and create a more resilient industry – one that has the capability and capacity to deliver future growth:

Net Zero and Biodiversity
Next Generation Delivery
Building Safety
People and Skills

It will also recognise more immediate challenges with focussed work on:

Mitigating impacts of inflation
Confidence in the forward pipeline to invest
Managing delivery risks
Business sustainability & insolvency

The CLC will shortly be appointing a new board to provide strategic direction to the Council and ensure CLC, Government and Industry are set up for delivery. The CLC Task Force, which drove forward the CLC’s work in response to Covid-19, will now be formalised as the CLC Council, acting as the engine room of the CLC’s day-to-day work.

CLC Co-Chair Mark Reynolds said: “The last two years have been momentous for the construction industry, and the CLC has helped to guide and support the sector through a very complex time, saving countless jobs and still delivering the homes and infrastructure our communities need.

“We now want to build on that success to enable a new era for delivery, strengthening collaboration across construction and speaking to Government with a single voice.

“We must work together to overcome the challenges we face and leverage the opportunities available. I’d encourage everyone across the sector to step forward and engage with the new strategy.”

CLC Deputy Co-Chair Richard Robinson said: “The CLC’s work during the Covid-19 pandemic was critical to keeping construction open and heralded new levels of collaboration across the industry.

“We now want to build on these foundations – and the momentum gained over the last couple of years – working in partnership with the sector to deliver on our key priorities.”

In the coming weeks, the CLC will be recruiting industry sponsors and young ambassadors to sit within its new structure. The industry sponsors will enable the CLC to increase its engagement with senior business leaders across the sector, working in partnership to leverage and effect greater change.

The young ambassadors will be young professionals currently in the sector, at an earlier stage in their careers, acting as a voice for their peers across the sector, and supporting the CLC’s succession planning.