Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Culture Change

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Culture Change

The Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Culture Change Steering Group

The Construction Leadership Council’s vision is for an inclusive, representative, welcoming built environment sector that is a career of choice for all as the best way to contribute to a stronger economy and sustainable future.

The role of its Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Culture Change (EDI) Steering Group is to define a strategic way forward to deliver this vision, with a specific goal of bringing the sector together for a ‘one voice’ approach towards strategic and consolidated action.

The Group is composed of specialist umbrella organisations driving equity, diversity and inclusion in the built environment sector:

The goal is to address under-representation and to remove barriers to access, recruitment, retention and progression by raising the industry’s standards of EDI knowledge, behaviours and practice, ultimately developing and promoting an inclusive culture and enabling an increase in the number of people from diverse and under-represented backgrounds entering and sustaining in construction and built environment careers.

The Steering Group is supported and informed by a wider Community of EDI Practitioners to communicate progress and to facilitate consultation via quarterly online meetings. The aims of the Community are to promote best practice, ensure a more consistent approach, reduce duplication of effort, and identify opportunities for collaborative working. 

The Steering Group’s 2026 action plan covers enhancing EDI data collection, developing associated business intelligence, promoting and sharing cross-sector good practice guidance, and contributing to consultation. Objectives for 2026 also include:

  • Provision of support to the FIR Programme at the Supply Chain Sustainability School, specifically to:
    • Grow and enhance cross-sector EDI data collection via the annual Diversity survey.
    • Grow the resources available, to include a specific focus on Menopause, Digital and Physical Accessibility and Inappropriate Behaviour (sexual harassment).
    • Widely communicate the status of the FIR Programme as the single EDI portal for the sector.

  • Provision of support to the Equitable Safety Initiative, specifically to:

    • Support and influence the CLC HS&WB workstream to recognise that safety is experienced uniquely by everyone.

  • Addressing Problematic behaviour and strengthening codes of conduct. Support the B.E. Inclusive partnership’s initiatives to promote inclusive culture in the built environment by:

    • Vocally championing as an exemplar the B.E. Inclusive initiatives to define standards of behaviour required in the sector and to develop a platform of training resources to ensure an understanding of the required standards, plus share the guidance on addressing problematic behaviour.

  •  Securing sustainable funding for the CLC EDI workstream to continue.

To access Equity, Diversity and Inclusion resources via the FIR Programme at the Supply Chain Sustainability School, please use this link:

For more information about the work we are doing, please contact clc.edi.contact@gmail.com