Search Results for: sustain

Siemens and Skyway collaborate to develop infrastructure to pave way for Vertiports

Siemens and Skyway collaborate to develop infrastructure to pave way for Vertiports

Siemens and Skyway have reached an agreement to work together to determine the electrical and digital infrastructure needed to support vertiportsSiemens and Skyway have reached an agreement to work together to determine the electrical and digital infrastructure needed to support vertiport operations. Vertiports are hubs for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicles such as air taxis and drones. The scope of collaboration involves both companies researching energy demands of vertiports and developing sustainable electrical supply, standard charging processes, and a “system of systems” to support aircraft operations. Innovation around vertiport infrastructure will be critical to the future scalability of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) flight operations. (more…)

The business case for the retrofit of existing buildings keeps getting stronger

The business case for the retrofit of existing buildings keeps getting stronger

The news last year that the M&S flagship Orchard House store on Oxford Street in London was to be demolished to make way for a new mixed-use development of shops, offices, restaurants and a gym sparked a very British sort of debate about the pros and cons of retrofit and refurbishmentThe news last year that the M&S flagship Orchard House store on Oxford Street in London was to be demolished to make way for a new mixed-use development of shops, offices, restaurants and a gym sparked a very British sort of debate about the pros and cons of retrofit and refurbishment. This is M&S after all. It may not be the cultural touchstone it once was but it remains an institution. But the debate was also about some things you might expect right now, including the ongoing deterioration of Oxford Street, the loss of a landmark building (and an art deco one at that) and the suitability of the ten-storey, mixed-use development that was to replace it. (more…)

Firms failing to embed net zero into operations

Firms failing to embed net zero into operations

While 85 percent of companies now have net-zero strategies, the majority are failing to incorporate them into daily business operations.A survey [registration] of 300 managers at organisations in industrial sectors across the U.K., U.S. and Germany by ESG consulting firm Sphera, claims that while 85 percent of companies now have net zero strategies, the majority are failing to incorporate them into daily business operations. Only 41 percent of operations managers have seen sustainability strategies produce significant changes in daily practices, and 32 percent say their firms do not align with science-based emissions targets.   (more…)

Herman Miller extends use of ocean-bound plastic with Sayl chair 

Herman Miller extends use of ocean-bound plastic with Sayl chair 

The Sayl Chair, designed by esteemed Swiss Designer Yves Béhar will now include up to 1.36 kg (3 pounds) of mismanaged plastic wasteHerman Miller is continuing to increase the use of ocean-bound plastic within the modern furniture maker’s portfolio. The Sayl Chair, designed by esteemed Swiss Designer Yves Béhar will now include up to 1.36 kg (3 pounds) of mismanaged plastic waste found near waterways. This change builds upon the momentum created by the introduction of ocean-plastic in the iconic Aeron Chair in 2021 and will divert 95 metric tons*, the equivalent of approximately 9.6 million plastic water bottles, from the ocean annually. (more…)

TOG opens what it claims is Central London’s tallest mass timber office building

TOG opens what it claims is Central London’s tallest mass timber office building

Flexible office provider TOG has announced the opening of its first project built from the ground upFlexible office provider TOG has announced the opening of its first project built from the ground up – The Black & White Building, located in Shoreditch. The firm claims that The Black & White Building is Central London’s tallest mass timber office, standing at 17.8 metres high and covering 38,315 sq ft. The workspace has been built using renewable materials and innovative construction methods, which TOG claims results in embodied carbon creation being reduced by 37 percent compared with a concrete structure of the same size. (more…)

How businesses can support employee wellbeing over a difficult festive period

How businesses can support employee wellbeing over a difficult festive period

Wellbeing at ChristmasWhen we think about the festive period, the financial pressures that Christmas brings, amid rising energy bills and not having enough to eat shouldn’t be first and foremost on our minds. With thirty million people employed by businesses in the UK, that is a huge number of employees who could benefit if employers acted now to support them and their wellbeing. This winter has been extremely challenging for many people across the UK. And for the first time since 2009, the UK is in recession. (more…)

Flokk brand Connection opens new state of the art manufacturing facility and offices in the UK

Flokk brand Connection opens new state of the art manufacturing facility and offices in the UK

Staff gather outside the new Connection facility, a part of the Flokk GroupConnection, the latest brand to join European office furniture giant Flokk group have opened a bespoke designed and built manufacturing facility, housing warehouses and offices in Mirfield, Yorkshire. Attending the opening were Lars Røiri, CEO of Flokk and René Sitter, Senior Vice President, Central Europe, as well as key stakeholders to celebrate with the Connection team. (more…)

Getting past the uncertainty of GDP to find something better

Getting past the uncertainty of GDP to find something better

Epicenter Coworking Space in Stockholm, where Sweden has an economic model that deals with the uncertainty of GDP as a focusThe other night, my fourteen-year-old daughter was revising for her Economics exam, and we discussed the Swedish Economic Model and its relevance in our own age of uncertainty. According to the International Monetary Fund, Sweden’s national debt to GDP ratio has fallen chiefly since 1995. We proceeded to discuss the term Gross National Product (GDP). GDP measures the monetary value of final goods and services produced in a country in a given period of time over three months or a year. (more…)

Flexible working now key to success, say majority of businesses

Flexible working now key to success, say majority of businesses

A woman enjoys flexible working in her homeFour in five (80 percent) UK businesses believe that flexible working arrangements are critical to their future success, a new poll from DocuSign claims. Offering employees the flexibility of where and when they work is seen as a competitive advantage by 75 percent of businesses while the large majority (82 percent) consider it essential in attracting and retaining the right talent and meeting the demands of the future workforce. (more…)

BW showcases new Design and Build service

BW showcases new Design and Build service

BW design and Build serviceBW: Workplace Experts has added to its expertise in fit out with a new design and build (D&B) service. BW Design and Build extends the company’s service portfolio, encompassing a pool of resources that are now able to design and deliver from within. This forms part of the firm’s commitment to ongoing and dynamic investment in supporting future client relationships. It is also in line with BW’s three layers: Innovation, Diversity and Net Zero, launched last year as part of its Purpose Report. (more…)

Digital transformation projects rarely meet aims and expectations

Digital transformation projects rarely meet aims and expectations

A graphic of a man's head to illustrate the nature of digital transformation for workersNew research published by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) claims that while 94 percent of companies have big aspirations to deliver substantial and rapid impact from digital transformation, and companies plan to increase investment in digital transformation in spite of global economic headwinds, the majority of these projects fail to achieve their objectives. (more…)

KI Postura+ chair reaches first milestone on journey towards 100 percent recycled content

KI Postura+ chair reaches first milestone on journey towards 100 percent recycled content

KI has confirmed that Postura+ will begin its transition to a product for the circular economy, with all one-piece chairs manufactured from December 2022 set to contain at least 30 percent recycled polypropylene. Following over 3 years of trials and testing, this achievement sets an important milestone on KI’s journey towards taking a leading position in the circular economy. Over the coming years, KI will work towards increasing this percentage to future milestones 50, 80 and ultimately 100 percent, bringing all standard colours into line with the increasingly popular Jet Black chairs which are already made with 100 percent recycled content. (more…)