July 21, 2021
Search Results for: economy
July 20, 2021
Firms don’t use artificial intelligence much, so the current hype is tripe
by Wim Naudé • Features, Technology
Many governments are increasingly approaching artificial intelligence with an almost religious zeal. By 2018 at least 22 countries around the world, and also the EU, had launched grand national strategies for making AI part of their business development, while many more had announced ethical frameworks for how it should be allowed to develop. The EU documents more than 290 AI policy initiatives in individual EU member states between 2016 and 2020. More →
July 19, 2021
European Commission adopts ambitious Green Deal to cut greenhouse gas emissions
by Neil Franklin • Environment, News
The European Commission adopted a package of proposals to make the EU’s climate, energy, land use, transport and taxation policies fit for reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. The Commission claims that achieving these emission reductions in the next decade is crucial to Europe becoming the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050 and making the European Green Deal a reality. More →
July 14, 2021
Shaping London’s future: Mayor’s Resilience Fund Winners Announced
by Jayne Smith • Cities, News
The Mayor of London, in partnership with Nesta Challenges, has announced the winners of the Mayor’s Resilience Fund, a £1 million innovation programme set up to support London’s businesses and community groups to emerge stronger from COVID-19 and to ensure the capital is prepared for future disruptive challenges. More →
July 5, 2021
Resilience is a key determinant of employee performance, claims report
by Jayne Smith • Business, News, Working culture
A new report from MHR International claims differences in employee performance within UK and Ireland organisations are often based on their level of workforce resilience. Gaps in performance in competitiveness, productivity and other important capabilities exist between organisations with highest and lowest levels of resilience. Despite almost all HR professionals surveyed (93 percent) agreeing that workforce resilience is a priority. More →
July 1, 2021
Half a million employees could be made to return to the office before they’re ready
by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Working lives
More than a half a million UK employees could be made to return to their normal workplaces before they are comfortable doing so, according to new research from Benenden Health. More →
July 1, 2021
SAP partners with The Carbon Community on new scientific forestry research to drive climate change efficiency
by Freddie Steele • Company news, Environment
SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) has announced it is investing in scientific forestry research with The Carbon Community to enhance nature-based solutions to climate change, and improve the efficiency of carbon removal from the atmosphere. This research reaffirms SAP’s commitment to helping organisations operate sustainably by ensuring these processes are having the greatest impact on the planet. More →
June 30, 2021
Employees consider leaving jobs if health and sustainability expectations go unmet
by Jayne Smith • Environment, Flexible working, News, Wellbeing
Returning to the office is causing a growing rift between workers and managers according to a new report from NEXT Energy Technologies, Inc. The report claims most employees (74 percent) are willing to leave their jobs if existential issues like health and sustainability are not adequately addressed in the workplace. More →
June 22, 2021
The office sector needs to face up to its landfill issue
by Joanna Knight • Comment, Environment, JK, Workplace design
Over the past ten years, reuse of furniture and furnishings has been extremely limited. Most redundant assets have been discarded to landfill. It’s a brutal fact that it is the easy and less expensive option. Many products sent for recycling often end up in landfill or incineration and so still contributing to carbon emissions. As offices plan for new ways of working, will the surplus products go the same route? More →
June 21, 2021
HR should play a more strategic role in business resilience
by Jeanette Wheeler • Comment, Flexible working, Technology, Workplace
Almost every organisation now knows it must become more resilient as the economy emerges from the pandemic. As well as coping with crises and global events, organisations must excel in the face of the many less high-profile disruptions that hit an organisation – from supply chain bottlenecks to shifts in demand and sudden skills shortages. HR departments have a major role to play in this but to do so successfully requires a change of mindset, taking a step back from traditional administrative functions and reviewing the entire business as if they were an outsider. More →
June 21, 2021
Design Social North will reinvigorate the creative workplace sector in the North of England
by Freddie Steele • Company news, Events, Workplace design
Design Social North is the new event bringing the design community and creative businesses back together in the North of England. The organisers have created DesignFestivalNorth, a 3-day showcase of leading design brands and companies, presented in a series of events taking place this July in showrooms across Manchester, and a dedicated ‘design hub’ located at Impossible in the City Centre. It takes place from Tuesday 13th-Thursday 15th July 2021. More →
June 25, 2021
Trees can’t solve the climate change problem. That’s our job
by Scott Petersen • Comment, Environment, Facilities management