Search Results for: climate change

A safe and healthy working environment is now a human right

A safe and healthy working environment is now a human right

healthy working environmentA landmark decision was made recently in the long history of efforts to protect people from injury and illness at work. At a hybrid conference held by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, for those attending in person, delegates voted in favour of a resolution to make the principle of a safe and healthy work environment a human right. That’s correct; we managed to reach the third decade of the 21st century without a safe workplace being a fundamental right of us all. (more…)

ESG: only a third of people think their workplace has a positive impact on society and the environment

ESG: only a third of people think their workplace has a positive impact on society and the environment

ESGAccording to a poll from YuLife and YouGov, just over a third (39 percent) of people think their place of work has some sort of positive impact on society and the planet. This is in spite of the many announcements from organisations about how ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance) can boost employee engagement and help them stand out from their competitors. With many businesses having upped their ESG investment in recent years,  the new YuLife-YouGov report claims to shed light on what UK working adults want and expect from their workplaces, equipping businesses with vital insights into how to focus their ESG programmes most effectively. (more…)

BCO Conference challenges the office sector to up its game

BCO Conference challenges the office sector to up its game

BCO ConferenceRegarded as one of the property sector’s leading events, the BCO Annual Conference saw key players from all parts of the office industry flock to Manchester – the vibrant, modern cosmopolitan powerhouse that is celebrated around the world for being the UK’s most competitive, economically productive, liveable and vibrant region. In her keynote, Joanne Roney, chief executive of Manchester City Council, said that the most demanding, challenging and important priority is climate change, closely followed by making a positive difference to the lives of the people who live and work in the city. (more…)

RICS review promises greater focus on public interest

RICS review promises greater focus on public interest

RICS logoLord Michael Bichard has published the Bichard RICS Review into the Institution’s Purpose, Governance and Strategy, which RICS Governing Council commissioned last December. The review was a key recommendation of Alison Levitt QC’s critical report into historic issues at RICS, which was published last September. RICS Governing Council said it ‘strongly endorses’ the report and recommendations, which were informed by a global stakeholder consultation process, and will now commence work on their practical implementation. Lord Bichard states in his report that the future success of the organisation “will require nothing less than a transformation of the Institution carried out at pace” and described the need for change as “urgent” and “unarguable”. (more…)

Is hybrid working the final cure for workplace woes or the beginning of something better?

Is hybrid working the final cure for workplace woes or the beginning of something better?

hybrid workingThis year’s World Workplace Europe saw 2022 hailed as the year of the worker. A worthwhile focus considering negative emotions are on the rise, with more depression, anxiety and loneliness plaguing society despite the claimed benefits of hybrid working. The pandemic robbed us of many things. It restricted our freedom for two years and forced us to live, love and work in a way that felt a little less human. But at least there was a sense of unity, working together for the common good, a mask-muffled cry of “all for one and one for all” as people considered how their actions would and could impact others. (more…)

NeoCon announces full programme of dynamic events

NeoCon announces full programme of dynamic events

NeoCon FrameryWith more than 400 companies showcasing thousands of new products, programming from the industry’s top thought leaders, and more, the 2022 edition of NeoCon (June 13-15) will be jam-packed with innovation and opportunities to experience the future of commercial interior design first hand. A hub for community and connecting within the industry, this year’s NeoCon will offer a wealth of engaging installations, as well as on-site activations and events that will provide invaluable moments to gather together, learn from each other, and share ideas. (more…)

Nature based solutions have the potential to transform cities and buildings

Nature based solutions have the potential to transform cities and buildings

nature based solutionsThe UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has launched a new framework to help organisations and planners to recognise the significant value and benefit of nature-based solutions across urban developments. The report claims to reveal the scale of positive outcomes which Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) can deliver, as well as the wide range of stakeholders who can benefit from their implementation across cities and urban areas. (more…)

Five new companies join Urban Land Institute net zero carbon goal

Five new companies join Urban Land Institute net zero carbon goal

net zero carbon urban land instituteThe Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Greenprint Center for Building Performance announced today that five more of its real estate members have aligned to ULI Greenprint’s net zero carbon operations goal. These real estate leaders join the 25 ULI Greenprint members that have already adopted this goal to reduce the carbon emissions of their collective portfolio under operational control to net zero by the year 2050. (more…)

British Council for Offices honours the North’s best workplaces at annual Regional Awards

British Council for Offices honours the North’s best workplaces at annual Regional Awards

Six workplaces across the North of England and Northern Ireland have been recognised at the annual British Council for Offices (BCO) Regional Awards today. The Northern BCO Awards dinner returned in-person to the Kimpton Clocktower in Manchester, recognising the North’s highest quality developments and setting the standard for excellence in the office sector across the UK. (more…)

Remote work one of the emergency measures that could cut energy use, says IEA

Remote work one of the emergency measures that could cut energy use, says IEA

remote workIn the face of the emerging global energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, practical actions by governments and citizens in advanced economies and beyond can achieve significant reductions in oil demand in a matter of months, reducing the risk of a major supply crunch, according to new analysis released by the International Energy Agency. These efforts, including the uptake of remote work, would reduce the pain being felt by consumers around the world, lessen the economic damage, shrink Russia’s hydrocarbon revenues, and help move oil demand towards a more sustainable pathway, the IEA claims.

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Working from home fuels concerns for energy consumption

Working from home fuels concerns for energy consumption

working from home and the environmentBack in February 2020, consulting firm WSP UK published some interesting research that revealed those working from home during the summer saved around 400kg of carbon emissions, the equivalent of 5 percent of a typical British commuter’s annual carbon footprint. The catch was that it was just a seasonal benefit. If an average employee worked at home all year round, they would produce 2.5 tonnes of carbon per year – around 80 percent more than an office worker. This is because, during the winter, most heating systems in Britain heat the whole house, which produces far more carbon emissions than would be produced from the commute.   (more…)

Urban and real estate recovery driven by talent and innovation focused firms

Urban and real estate recovery driven by talent and innovation focused firms

real estate recoveryInnovation-oriented industries and talent concentration are driving urban and real estate recovery, with notable hot spots in parts of the US, Europe and Asia, according to JLL’s new report, Innovation Geographies (registration). The authors claim that cities that perform best on these measures will be best positioned for economic growth post-pandemic, demonstrating a strong link between innovation, talent ecosystems and real estate performance. (more…)