Search Results for: sustainability

FMs must overcome engagement barriers to sustainability implementation

by • Environment, Facilities management, News

Engagement still barrier to successful sustainability implementation

There is overwhelming support for sustainability to be embedded into business operations, but still some challenges in its successful delivery, according to the 7th annual Sustainability in Facilities Management survey from the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM).  Of the top five barriers to implementation success, three related to engagement; engagement overall, amongst senior management and middle management. The report also found that many FMs are not targeting the areas of highest priority relating to behaviours or processes which have the highest impact, but tend to focus on technologies. More →

New Construction Strategy focuses on sustainability and efficiency

by • Environment, Facilities management, News, Property, Public Sector

New Construction strategy focuses on sustainability and efficiency

An industrial strategy for construction – ‘Construction 2025’ is being launched by the Coalition Government today which aims to tap into the considerable growth opportunities predicted for the global construction market. The strategy has been developed in partnership with the new Construction Leadership Council, jointly chaired by Business Secretary Vince Cable and Sir David Higgins, Chief Executive of Network Rail, formed to help oversee the delivery of the action plan and its strategic priorities. The strategy’s vision to 2025 includes ambitions for a 50 per cent 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. More →

Net-Zero buildings top measure of sustainability success

by • Architecture, Environment, News, Property, Workplace design

the Crystal

Net-zero commercial buildings, i.e. those that produce at least as much energy as they consume should be the long-term aim of corporate energy strategies, says a CoreNet Global statement. “Smart and responsible energy policies and practices reduce corporate carbon footprints and greenhouse gas emissions, (and) we encourage our members’ companies to drive energy efficiency to optimal levels with net-zero buildings as a top measure of long-term success.” The global real estate association calls on governments around the world to incentivise building owners, investors and occupiers who proactively reduce their carbon footprints. More →

MIT survey shows link between sustainability and profitability

by • Environment, Knowledge

money-grows-on-treesA report published today by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan Management Review and The Boston Consulting Group has found that more than half of companies see a rise in profits when they embrace a more sustainable business model. In addition to the link between sustainability and profitability, the number of companies reporting a profit from their sustainability efforts rose 23 percent last year, to 37 percent of the total, according to the report entitled The Innovation Bottom Line. The survey of 2,600 managers and executives around the world, also found that nearly half of respondents said their companies had changed their business model as a result of sustainability opportunities.  More →

Slow progress on sustainable buildings, RICS report claims

Slow progress on sustainable buildings, RICS report claims

by • News

While demand for sustainable buildings and investment remains steady, particularly in regions such as Europe, significant gaps persist in terms of skills, knowledge, and financial incentivesThe latest sustainability report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) highlights the continued challenge of embedding sustainable practices within the built environment, despite some signs of progress. While demand for sustainable buildings and investment remains steady, particularly in regions such as Europe, significant gaps persist in terms of skills, knowledge, and financial incentives. More →

That conversation about hybrid working? Same as it ever was

That conversation about hybrid working? Same as it ever was

by • Comment, Facilities management, Flexible working, Property

The term hybrid working may only have been in widespread use for a few years, but the ideas behind it stretch back decadesRecently I wrote a short article based on a 1993 Architects’ Journal interview with IBM’s then design manager of property, Peter Wingrave. It reminded me how discussions about new ways of working – now including that neologism hybrid working – have been a constant throughout my career. In that interview, Wingrave is quoted as saying: “I think there are interesting times ahead for offices. We are already seeing the slow breakdown of the traditional office which people come to in the morning and leave at night…We would like our offices to catch the social spirit of an old gentleman’s club; you just pop in when you need to. You get more out of people that way… we’re lucky if our marketing areas are ever 40 per cent occupied … It’s crazy to build, run, heat, light and decorate a building as if people were there when 60 per cent of the time you know they are not”. More →

Why does colour psychology make so much difference to us?

Why does colour psychology make so much difference to us?

by • Features, Wellbeing, Workplace design

In 2013, two Australian academics set out to discover the answer to a deceptively simple question. Why is there such a thing as colour psychology, but not shape, line or texture psychology? The answers they come up with are complex, arcane and wide-ranging but they manage to sum them up to some extent in the conclusion to the paper they published. “No other visual attribute shares such diverse representations”, they wrote. “Study into shape, line, and texture hardly competes. For this reason, there are no proportion-shape-line-texture prediction agencies, and chromotherapy is not challenged by proportion-shape-line-texture therapies. Colour remains special and, given its rich and complex heritage, is likely to remain so.” More →

How commercial property owners can boost revenues and occupancy in light of the Autumn Budget

How commercial property owners can boost revenues and occupancy in light of the Autumn Budget

by • Comment, Facilities management, Property, Workplace design

The Autumn Budget is anticipated to introduce a series of tax increases that could directly impact commercial property ownersThe Autumn Budget is anticipated to introduce a series of tax increases that could directly impact commercial property owners, including changes to capital gains tax (CGT), national insurance contributions, and business rates. These changes could have a ripple effect across the property market, influencing both investment decisions and tenant demand. These are the key areas of concern for commercial property owners. More →

Want sustainable buildings? Invest strategically in smart technology

Want sustainable buildings? Invest strategically in smart technology

by • Environment, News, Property

Strategic investment, innovative technology, and collaboration are essential for achieving sustainable buildingsStrategic investment, innovative technology, and collaboration are essential for achieving sustainability and value goals in the real estate sector, according to a new report from Colliers. The  report Realising ESG Performance: The Value-Driven Transformation of Europe’s Built Environment [registration] claims to provide insights into how the real estate industry can embrace sustainable buildings and comply with regulatory demands while creating long-term value. More →

Bosses are too cocky when it comes to modern risks to their businesses

Bosses are too cocky when it comes to modern risks to their businesses

by • Business, News

CEOs face sleepwalking into reputational disaster through over-confidence which masks inadequate crisis planning to mitigate modern day risksCEOs face sleepwalking into reputational disaster through a concerning over-confidence which masks inadequate crisis planning to mitigate modern day risks, according to a new report [registration] from PHA Group. The survey questioned 150 CEOs across the UK’s £240bn professional services sector on confidence and planning in navigating business critical issues. Examining issues from workforce management and whistleblowing to climate change and regulation, CEOs from law firms, insurance, finance and accounting, consultancy and recruitment conveyed confidence but also revealed a lack of investment and planning. More →

UK’s best workplaces honoured at BCO Awards. And the winner isn’t an office

UK’s best workplaces honoured at BCO Awards. And the winner isn’t an office

by • Company news, News, Property, Workplace design

The BCO has announced what it says is a list of the UK's best workplaces this year, with eight projects receiving accolades at its National AwardsThe British Council for Offices (BCO) has announced what it says are the UK’s most exceptional workplaces this year, with eight projects receiving accolades at its National Awards. The TTP Campus, a life sciences facility in Cambridgeshire, was the standout winner, claiming both the Best of the Best and Corporate Workplace awards. The awards, held at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London, celebrate excellence in office design, operation, sustainability, and community engagement. The event, attended by over 1,200 industry leaders and featuring guest speaker Clare Balding, highlighted the best workplaces that inspire creativity and positively impact local communities. More →

Accessible and inclusive design should be a priority for the property market

Accessible and inclusive design should be a priority for the property market

by • News, Property, Workplace design

The joint report, Inclusive Spaces and Places: A collaborative approach to inclusive design, highlights the urgent need for inclusive design in the built environmentGrosvenor and The Crown Estate have launched a new report that aims to shed light on the challenges faced by people with physical and hidden disabilities when accessing and working within buildings and public spaces across the UK. The joint report, Inclusive Spaces and Places: A collaborative approach to inclusive design, highlights the urgent need for inclusive design in the built environment, emphasising the barriers that prevent millions from fully engaging with public and commercial spaces as well as the potential societal and economic losses this results in. More →

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