In the latest edition of Building Engineering Services, the industry magazine for Ireland, Director General Sue Arundale talks about the tricky trade-off, between achieving a more sustainable built environment on the one hand and maintaining competitivity in the European sector on the other. Legislation helps to push us towards climate goals, amongst other objectives, but too much regulation or too heavy a burden carries the risk of our sector being unable to compete with, for example, US consulting engineering firms, who benefit from incentives and – in any case – work in a country that has a different, more “risk-rewarding” culture. Her article also looks ahead to the US elections. It was written before more recent developments, which potentially change the outlook.