How will the new Labour Government impact the workplace and wider built environment?

CHARTERED INSTITUTION OF BUILDING SERVICES ENGINEERS (CIBSE’S) VIEW
DAVID STEVENS,
VICE PRESIDENT CIBSE

As the new Parliament begins its term, we anticipate several key changes that could significantly impact the facilities management sector and the wider built environment. The government’s focus on tightening employment and health and safety legislation, promoting a green energy agenda, and addressing sustainability are all promising steps towards a more resilient and sustainable future.

One of the most critical areas for the FM sector is the push towards zero carbon buildings. The government’s commitment to this agenda aligns with CIBSE’s long-standing advocacy for sustainable building practices and energy efficiency. Zero carbon buildings are not just an environmental imperative but also a significant opportunity for the FM sector to lead by example. Facilities managers are uniquely positioned to drive this transformation through the adoption of advanced energy management systems, renewable energy sources, and innovative building technologies.

A well-informed FM sector is crucial to achieving the zero-carbon goal. With continuous professional development and a deep understanding of the latest sustainability practices, facilities managers can implement strategies that reduce carbon footprints, enhance energy efficiency, and improve indoor environmental quality. This not only contributes to national climate targets but also creates healthier and more productive environments for building occupants.

Moreover, the anticipated tightening of employment and health and safety legislation underscores the importance of robust FM practices. Ensuring compliance with these regulations will require FM professionals to be vigilant and proactive, integrating safety and well-being into the core operations of building management.

In promoting a green energy agenda, the government’s policies can stimulate investment in renewable energy infrastructure and energy-efficient technologies. The FM sector can leverage these advancements to optimise building performance, reduce operational costs and support the transition to a low-carbon economy.

In conclusion, the change of administration presents both challenges and opportunities for the FM sector and the wider built environment. By prioritising safety, embracing green energy, focusing on sustainability, leveraging technology, ensuring supply chain resilience and investing in skills development, the FM sector can navigate these changes effectively. These efforts will not only align with the new government’s agenda but also contribute to a more resilient, sustainable and high-performing built environment for the future.

CIBSE is committed to supporting our members through this transition, providing the resources, training, and guidance needed to navigate these changes effectively and to continue leading the way in sustainable building management.

CHARTERED INSTITUTION OF WASTES MANAGEMENT VIEW
LEE MARSHALL,
DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION AND TECHNICAL SERVICES, CIWM

Firstly, CIWM would like to welcome the new Government and ministers into their posts and offer them our full support in delivering a shared commitment to reduce waste by moving to a zero waste economy.

CIWM feels that the passing of time, together with an increased focus on climate change and the circular economy, means the current Resources and Waste Strategy (R&WS) has become outdated and a new set of policies are therefore required.

There are, however, some elements of the current strategy that we believe should be prioritised and delivered without further delay while a new policy framework is being developed. These include Simpler Recycling; Carrier, Broker and Dealer reforms; Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging; and Digital waste tracking.

A new Resource Resilience Strategy should have two primary objectives: delivering a circular economy and helping the UK achieve net zero. To do this, it must get to the heart of what is needed to drive better product stewardship, for example widespread carbon taxation, relaxation of VAT on reuse, more work on product standardisation. It must also be better aligned with other policies and strategies such as manufacturing, energy construction and clean-tech whilst ensuring it maintains a focus on consumption rather than production.

Although the new Resources Resilience Strategy should be applicable to all major resources and waste streams, CIWM believes the following three are deserving of this additional attention:

• Food (not food waste, but food): food production and consumption are responsible for around 30 per cent of global carbon emissions, so if the new Strategy is to contribute to achieving the UK’s net zero target, it must prioritise food.
• Textiles: the clothing and textiles sector is carbon and water intensive, and the growth of fast fashion is leading to increasing volumes of textile waste.
• Plastic: plastics are increasingly ubiquitous, but they are largely manufactured from fossil fuels and create ever larger volumes of waste, including microplastics, whose negative impacts on human and animal health are only starting to be understood.

As a starting point for a new Resource Resilience Strategy (along with a higher-level Circular Economy Plan), CIWM has identified nine policy measures which should be prioritised for inclusion in the new strategy. They are briefly summarised below:

1. Implement the relevant existing Resources and Waste Strategy policies.
2. Create a cross-government resource resilience task force.
3. Focus on green skills.
4. Introduce targeted strong extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regimes for several key product types.
5. Introduce targets across the top half of the waste hierarchy.
6. Regulating for the new reality.
7. Price raw materials so that prices include negative environmental externalities.
8. Introduce targeted economic instruments.
9. Strengthen eco-design and waste prevention.

CIWM is therefore calling for Government to commit to a new strategy – a Resource Resilience Strategy – which continues to drive forward the best elements of the existing R&WS, but integrates further policy asks into an updated narrative reflecting the key strategic and political drivers of action in this area in 2024 and beyond.