Search Results for: transport

Harmonising architecture and illumination for energy efficient lighting and aesthetic brilliance

Harmonising architecture and illumination for energy efficient lighting and aesthetic brilliance

Zumtobel and its sister brand Thorn, both lighting brands of the Zumtobel Group collaborated with 5plus architects, MZA consultants, Ardmac main contractor, Emtec sub-contractor, and Rexel wholesaler to implement an energy-efficient lighting scheme at the iconic 100 Barbirolli SquareZumtobel and its sister brand Thorn, both lighting brands of the Zumtobel Group collaborated with 5plus architects, MZA consultants, Ardmac main contractor, Emtec sub-contractor, and Rexel wholesaler to implement an energy-efficient lighting scheme at the iconic 100 Barbirolli Square in Manchester. The Group’s innovative lighting solutions successfully met the brief, providing a warm and inviting atmosphere throughout the building. More →

People are worried about the impact of new tech, but many feel confident it will benefit them

People are worried about the impact of new tech, but many feel confident it will benefit them

With over a third (36 percent) of workers concerned about the impact of technological changes and what this might mean for them, a new report from Virgin Media O2 Business claims that many people believe new tech will offer them a better work-life balance. According to the report, the pandemic accelerated remote and hybrid work, mostly benefitting desk-based workers. Meanwhile, deskless workers like teachers, nurses and engineers saw limited long-term change despite many organisations comprising both types of workers. More →

Generative AI will hollow out many middle class roles over the next decade

Generative AI will hollow out many middle class roles over the next decade

Generative AI will have a much greater impact on white collar roles than blue collar ones over the next 10 years, according to a new report from PearsonGenerative AI will have a much greater impact on white collar roles than blue collar ones over the next 10 years, according to a new report from Pearson. In at least ten white collar roles, more than 35 percent of tasks could be done by AI, with medical secretaries (41 percent) predicted to be the most impacted. Conversely, every of one of the top 10 least impacted are classed as blue collar, revealing launderers, dry cleaners and pressers (0 percent) as the UK’s most AI-proof job. More →

Massive investment programme needed to facilitate carbon neutral future, WEF report claims

Massive investment programme needed to facilitate carbon neutral future, WEF report claims

To facilitate the transition to a more sustainable and carbon-neutral future, $13.5 trillion in investments will be needed by 2050, particularly in the production, energy and transport sectorsTo facilitate the transition to a more sustainable and carbon-neutral future, $13.5 trillion in investments will be needed by 2050, particularly in the production, energy and transport sectors, according to a new World Economic Forum report. The Net-Zero Industry Tracker 2023, published in collaboration with Accenture, takes stock of progress towards net-zero emissions for eight industries – steel, cement, aluminium, ammonia, excluding other chemicals, oil and gas, aviation, shipping and trucking – which depend on fossil fuels for 90 percent of their energy demand and pose some of the most technological and capital-intensive decarbonization challenges. More →

Arper launches first sustainability report

Arper launches first sustainability report

Arper, global design brand that envisions products for the way we live, publishes its first Sustainability Report, which serves as a comprehensive overview of the company’s sustainability effortsArper, global design brand that envisions products for the way we live, publishes its first Sustainability Report, which serves as a comprehensive overview of the company’s sustainability efforts for the year 2022, outlining their commitment to responsible business practices.? The report summarizes Arper’s commitment towards people and the Planet and highlights the company’s continuous search for sustainable innovation processes and the implementation of responsible business practices. More →

The office needs to take on the characteristics of the city. Despina Katsikakis IN conversation

The office needs to take on the characteristics of the city. Despina Katsikakis IN conversation

Despina Katsikakis, the new President of the BCO has been shaping the way we think about offices for four decades

One of the unintended consequences of the era of online meetings is a chance to gain an insight into people’s actual lives. So it is that as Despina Katsikakis and I are talking, she spots my whippet Luna wandering into shot in the background and lets out an exclamation. She too has a whippet by her feet. And as a result, this abnormal, formal situation becomes a lot more normal and relaxed.   More →

Remote and hybrid working may have significant impact on carbon footprint

Remote and hybrid working may have significant impact on carbon footprint

Fully remote workers can have a 54 percent lower carbon footprint compared with fully in-office workers and hybrid working also helps to cut emissionsFully remote workers can have a 54 percent lower carbon footprint compared with fully in-office workers, and all forms of remote and hybrid working have the potential to cut emissions, according to a new study from researcher at Cornell University and sponsored by Microsoft. The authors conclude that lifestyle choices and work arrangements playing an essential role in determining the environmental benefits of remote and hybrid work. More →

Half of firms won’t meet 2030 decarbonisation target, report claims

Half of firms won’t meet 2030 decarbonisation target, report claims

Fewer than 50% of organizations expect to meet decarbonisation targets by 2030, study reveals A new report from Siemens Infrastructure claims that there is limited agreement amongst businesses on how best to progress towards a decarbonised and resource-efficient world and under half expect to meet their net zero targets based on current thinking. According to the Transition Monitor 2023: The Great Divide on The Path to Net Zero report, whilst more than half of those surveyed believe the infrastructure transition is accelerating in their region, a quarter of senior executives said that progress on decarbonisation is “too slow”, while 29 percent believe progress is “coordinated”, and 31 percent describe it as “on target”. More →

What the office of the future will really look like is the office of today

What the office of the future will really look like is the office of today

If you set aside the Jetson-y outside views, the office of the future is very like the office of the presentIt’s a banality to point out that futurism is nowism plus either a robot butler or blasted landscape. So, I was taken with a press release we had last week from Studio Alliance which shows an AI’s depiction of the office of the future at various points over the next quarter of a century. What is most striking to me, if you set aside the Jetson-y outside views, is how much like the office of the present each is. More →

Half of working parents are using annual leave to cover summer childcare commitments

Half of working parents are using annual leave to cover summer childcare commitments

A new poll from IWG claims to highlight the challenges faced by working parents in managing childcare commitments during the summer holidaysA new poll from IWG claims to highlight the challenges faced by working parents in managing childcare commitments during the summer holidays. The survey of more than 1,000 working parents, suggests that almost two thirds (62 percent) find arranging childcare for the school summer holidays to be a significant source of stress. Consequently, over half (55 percent) use their annual leave to meet childcare responsibilities, whilst over 1 in 10 (12 percent) use their entire annual leave entitlement in the process. More →

To boost productivity in the UK, we need to think big and different

To boost productivity in the UK, we need to think big and different

olicymakers, businesses, and society must recognise the importance of productivity and collaborate to implement the necessary reforms and initiatives to unlock the country's full economic potentialThe decline in UK productivity since the Great Recession of 2008/2009 has been a matter of concern for business leaders, policymakers, and economists alike. Despite hopes that the pandemic would act as a catalyst for transformation and boost productivity, recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the UK still lags behind several other G7 economies. More →

Bolder strategy needed to boost productivity and economic growth

Bolder strategy needed to boost productivity and economic growth

The Government’s plan to transform the UK into a science and technology superpower will fail to boost living standards unless it’s linked to a broader industrial strategy aimed at raising productivity across all sectors of the economy.The Government’s plan to transform the UK into a science and technology superpower will fail to boost living standards unless it’s linked to a broader industrial strategy aimed at raising productivity across all sectors of the economy. This is the central conclusion of a new CIPD discussion paper, An industrial strategy for the everyday economy, which says a bolder vision for economic growth, looking across all sectors and areas of the economy, is needed considering the multiple challenges facing the UK. More →