Search Results for: one public sector

We need to seize the chance to make our buildings far more intelligent

We need to seize the chance to make our buildings far more intelligent

Even before the pandemic, statistics were making the case for workplaces to be made up of more intelligent buildings. This includes the fact that offices generally operate at around 55-60 percent utilisation, and as we return to the office are currently at 45 percent utilisation. From presenteeism to absenteeism and many other factors in between, workplaces have seldom been utilised by entire workforces at the same time. However, the prevailing approach has been for firms to drive an office setup with one-to-one desking – a seat for every employee, even though five in 10 would not be in at any one time. More →

Levelling up agenda failing to address city imbalances

Levelling up agenda failing to address city imbalances

The UK’s smaller towns and cities are expected to show stronger economic growth than those that are larger and more metropolitan and there is an increased focus from the public on wellbeing, the environment and income distribution, according to PwC’s annual Good Growth for Cities report. Areas such as Bournemouth, Exeter and Plymouth, are expected to see the strongest gross value added (GVA) growth rates for 2021 and 2022, with cities in the North and Midlands continuing to lag behind despite the Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda. More →

New flooring design from IVC explores the principles of architectural geometry

New flooring design from IVC explores the principles of architectural geometry

Contour flooring design from IVCThe new Contour carpet tile collection from IVC Commercial applies the principles of architectural geometry to carpet tile flooring design in two styles to mix and match with other collections. In Perspective, biomorphic principles express the structural integrity of honeycomb, while View is a design of intersecting lines that explores geometrical projection. More →

The opportunities and challenges of new technologies for AML

The opportunities and challenges of new technologies for AML

AMLBack in 2021 the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) put out a paper on the opportunities and challenges that new technologies are bringing to Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) efforts. If you are unaware of who the FATF is it may be worth your while to investigate farther into it. For now, though, let it be known that they are an independent inter-governmental body that defines the rules and procedures that need to be in place to prevent these two criminal activities. More →

Net zero climate pledges of major companies hide their true intentions

Net zero climate pledges of major companies hide their true intentions

net zero climate pledge failThe headline climate pledges of 25 of the world’s largest companies in reality only commit to reduce their emissions by 40 percent on average, not 100 percent as suggested by their “net zero” and “carbon neutral” claims, according to a new analysis. These are the findings of the Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor released today, conducted by NewClimate Institute in collaboration with Carbon Market Watch. It evaluates 25 major companies – operating across different sectors and geographies – to determine the transparency and integrity of their headline climate pledges. More →

People want employers to open up about environmental impact

People want employers to open up about environmental impact

environmental impactResearch from?PLAY, a product development studio, suggests that more than three-quarters of people (77 percent) want the company they work for to be more transparent about their environmental impact. More →

Government publishes Net Zero guidance for buildings

Government publishes Net Zero guidance for buildings

net zeroA new guide to decarbonising public sector buildings and creating a net zero public estate has been launched by the Cabinet Office. The authors of The Net Zero Estate Playbook claims it will ensure consistent approaches, such as using solar panels, LED lighting and greener building materials, are applied across public buildings as they help decarbonise Britain’s largest property portfolio. More →

Flexible working currently contributes £37bn to the UK economy

Flexible working currently contributes £37bn to the UK economy

economyNew research, ‘Flexonomics: The economic and fiscal logic of flexible working’, highlights the economic benefits of flexible working to the UK economy. Flexonomics builds on our long-standing support of the Flex Appeal campaign by Anna Whitehouse, aka Mother Pukka, and follows the publication of our “Forever Flex: Making flexible working work beyond a crisis” report, published last year. More →

Time to stop playing around with the issue of workplace sustainability

Time to stop playing around with the issue of workplace sustainability

workplace sustainabilityThe  so-called green agenda, sustainability and climate change have finally hit centre stage. Various announcements are being made by UK Government and numerous high profile figures are crying a call to action to implement carbon reduction plans now. Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman William Russell, stated at the Annual Lord Mayor Gresham Lecture early in 2021: “Climate change is a bigger threat to the world than COVID-19.” He called on the financial and professional services sector to take urgent action to tackle climate change and ensure sustainability is at the heart of every financial decision. More →

Institute Of Neurodiversity ION launches simultaneously in UK, Europe and Australia

Institute Of Neurodiversity ION launches simultaneously in UK, Europe and Australia

The Institute Of Neurodiversity ION has announced the public launch of their UK chapter, a single organisation giving a voice in the world to all neurodiverse groups. ION’s purpose is to influence for an equal, inclusive world in which neurodivergent individuals are well understood, represented, and valued equally to all other people. More →

Employers expect ‘hard-to-fill’ vacancies to increase in the next six months

Employers expect ‘hard-to-fill’ vacancies to increase in the next six months

vacanciesAlmost half (47 percent) of employers report having vacancies that are hard-to-fill, and more than one in four (27 percent) expect the number of vacancies that are difficult to fill to increase in the next six months. This is a key finding of the latest quarterly CIPD Labour Market Outlook (LMO) which surveyed more than 1,000 employers across all sectors of the economy. Employers were surveyed about their hiring, pay and redundancy intentions for the last quarter of 2021 in September, just as the furlough scheme was ending. More →

Air quality concerns hindering return to five-day office week

Air quality concerns hindering return to five-day office week

officeBusinesses whose personnel are resistant to resuming full-time office working should address the issue of workplace air quality. A survey of UK office workers claims that 80 percent would feel more positive about a return to a five-day office week if action was taken to measure and improve the quality of air in their workplace. More →