NEWS & ANALYSIS FMJ.CO.UK
ASSOCIATION NEWS
PAUL BAGUST, RICS GLOBAL PROPERTY STANDARDS DIRECTOR
ON CLIMATE CHANGE: OUR IMPACT, OUR RESPONSIBILITY
A JOURNEY TO SELF-FULFILMENT
8 SEPTEMBER 2019
With all the talk
around climate
change, how seriously
are we as individuals in
the built environment,
considering our impact,
and can we do more?
Buildings consume
over one third of energy
worldwide, with this figure increasing in developed
markets. At the same time, about one third of
global carbon emissions can be traced back to
buildings.
It could be argued therefore that professionals,
organisations and professional bodies
involved in the built environment
have a responsibility, an
ethical and moral obligation
and a vested interest to
understand what they can
do to help reduce carbon
emissions and mitigate
the acceleration of climate
change.
But is this greater than an
ethical issue, if our businesses
do not adapt and fast? What
consequences are there on our
business and the wider economy?
According to a global RICS survey of Commercial
and Construction Market professionals there has
been an increase in the number of investors taking
interest in energy e icient buildings over the past
two years in the UK, but we still lag behind the
likes of China and Hong Kong.
The biggest challenge when it comes to climate
change will always be where responsibility lies. Is
it for Government to dictate? Should our CEOs be
taking the lead or is it for us all to challenge the
norm and find our own way to do our bit?
We can’t deny, already there are great things
happening and advances are being made. The
RICS professional Standard, Procurement in
Facilities Management, which is currently under
consultation until 15 September,
provides RICS members and
regulated firms with guidance
and tools to ensure they
can provide compliant FM
procurement, including
guidance on responsible
business.
As more investors’ focus
moves towards e iciency
and carbon neutrality,
the FM sector will need
to become more agile. FM
professionals need to consider how
other sectors adapt to climate change
and work collaboratively to ensure buildings work
for the client, investor and user. Whilst extreme
weather will not directly impact FM, the knock-on
e ect of shorter working hours for builders in the
summer because of extreme heat will ultimately
change the way we work. But how agile can FM be
and how can we adapt whilst fulfilling business
objectives and financial targets?
Looking into new innovative processes and ways
of thinking to tackle climate change across the
built environment sector will be the focus at this
year’s Harris Debate.
Lead by Alastair Mant of UK Green Building
Council, this year’s debate will explore the
potential opportunities to manage and meet the
challenges of climate change. A panel debate,
chaired by Lord Bichard KCB, will then discuss
the outlook and predictions of climate change;
our professional and ethical obligations; whole
life assessment of operational embodied carbon
emissions and the impact of legislative and
financial business cycles.
The Harris Debate, held in recognition of RICS
Past President Jonathan Harris CBE will take
place at RICS HQ, Parliament Square, London on
Wednesday 30 October from 18.30-20.00 and will
be live streamed. Find out more and register at
www.rics.org/harrisdebate
When we feel
that we make
a di erence,
we’re happy. Not
just IWFM or the
workplace and facilities
management profession,
but everyone. A er all,
isn’t that why many of us
chose this profession in the first place, or choose
to stay? That’s why we’re taking steps to enable
our members, the wider profession and the next
generation to pursue fulfilling careers.
But what exactly are we doing to attract that new
generation to the profession?
There are a variety of tools we’re introducing, but
most prominently our Career of Choice Hub. This
content hub, developed in collaboration with Class
of Your Own (COYO), is the new driving force behind
our engagement with budding workplace and
facilities management professionals, starting back
at the start by inspiring 11 to 14-year-olds.
Our Career of Choice initiative elaborates on the
work we did for World FM Day this year, which saw
IWFM volunteers visit schools to give years seven to
nine a feel for what it is to be a facilities manager,
by looking at and applying sustainability principles
to their school.
Not only does our new initiative help to bring the
next generation along with us, but it also gives us
an opportunity to take stock of the di erence we
make and to communicate that to our profession’s
future people. As part of the initiative, we are
calling on volunteers to commit to making a
di erence in our profession.
How can you help? By volunteering to visit
schools, to deliver not only a presentation about
the profession, but also to lead an activity day
through the lens of sustainability – so students can
see what it’s all about and improve their learning
environment. We have a Volunteer Pack to help
facilitate this.
Collaborating with our rich community of
volunteers, who have been doing fantastic work
with the Institute since its conception, we now
have a clear path to make workplace and facilities
management a career of choice for the next
generation, which will see the skills gap we are
currently facing – as reflected again in this year’s
Market Outlook report – reduce, if not disappear
entirely.
We will continue to develop our Career of Choice
Hub, adding more resources for students, parents,
teachers and volunteers. We also hope to look at
extending the learning to other age groups in the
future.
Will you join us on our journey? Will you commit
to an even more fulfilling career?
Visit www.iwfm.org.uk/career-of-choice to
discover more and contact myfuture@iwfm.org.uk
to request your Volunteer Pack.
FM professionals need
to consider how other
sectors adapt to climate
change and work collaboratively
to ensure buildings work
for the client, investor
and user.”
Sofi e Hooper, Head of Policy IWFM
/harrisdebate
/career-of-choice
link
