Skanska CEO and President Mike Putnam joined the new Construction Leadership Council, a long-term partnership between government and the construction industry tasked with leading the UK's industrial strategy for construction to 2025.

Speaking at the Government Construction Summit, Business Minister Michael Fallon unveiled the strategy – 'Construction 2025' – which sets out how government and industry will ensure the UK continues to thrive in the face of increasing global competition.

The strategy includes an action plan of ten joint commitments to ensure industry is best placed to achieve its ambitions by 2025.

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The strategy follows the announcement last week of how the government intends to allocate over £100bn of public investment to infrastructure projects to 2020.

The strategy outlines joint ambitions for a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the built environment, and an equal reduction in the trade gap between total exports and total imports for construction products and materials by 2025.

The plans to help achieve these ambitions will be led by the Green Construction Board, co-chaired by Mike Putnam and Michael Fallon.

Mr Putnam said: "It is a very positive step to see government and the construction industry working closely together like this to promote the UK's construction sector and help secure a productive future.

"The focus on green construction is very important to Skanska, as we continue to advocate greener ways of thinking across our projects and our business.

"I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this new initiative."

(CD/JP)