NEWS & ANALYSIS FMJ.CO.UK
ASSOCIATION NEWS
A YouGov poll, commissioned by RICS,
revealed that 62 per cent of real estate
and construction workers do not feel that
environmental sustainability is at the centre of
their employer’s decision-making. The survey
also found that 34 per cent of workers feel their
employer is not doing enough to reduce its
environmental impact, with 22 per cent unsure
if their employer is doing enough. Yet from
devastating bushfires to major earthquakes, it’s
clear it is imperative for us all to join in acting
now to avoid further catastrophe.
RICS is therefore urging property and
construction firms to make 2020 the year they
commit to going ‘green’ and combating the
climate crisis. In October 2019, RICS launched
the Value the Planet campaign and committed
to forming a climate change expert panel as we
take steps to implement the UN’s sustainable
development goals.
Value the Planet aims to encourage firms of all
sizes in the built environment sector to reduce
IWFM AWARDS ARE TWENTY: IT’S TIME TO
ACKNOWLEDGE FM’S REAL IMPACT!
8 FEBRUARY 2020
their operational impact on the environment, and
to consider the longer-term sustainability of their
business decision-making on society by adopting
the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs)
that provide a model for addressing the most
important economic, social and environmental
challenges of our time.
RICS has also launched a Responsible Business
Report filled with solutions for companies to
operate in a greener capacity, regardless of the
firm’s size. This includes introducing higher
recycling rates and reducing energy, transport and
water use where possible.
The survey results are an honest analysis of what
needs to be done in order to tackle the climate
crisis. A truly collaborative approach is needed,
from not just firms but the industry bodies too.
That’s why RICS is calling on everyone to make a
change this year. With a new decade beginning,
the stakes have never been so high and it’s
imperative for us all to act now, collaboratively.
You can support us in our commitment to
reduce the built environment’s carbon footprint
in a number of ways. Join us on Twitter and
tweet us using the hashtag #RICSResolutions
with your green resolution for 2020. You can get
in touch and share a case study with us on what
you or your firm are doing this year to go green.
You can even submit an entry to the RICS Social
Impact Awards for 2020, where we’re celebrating
the industry’s positive and transformational
contribution to society by way of human, social
and environmental impact. What have you got to
lose? Visit www.rics.org/uk/training-events/ricsawards/
call-for-entries/ for more information on
the awards.
If you’re yet to make a change or need a bit
more inspiration on where to start, you can also
download our sustainable business toolkit with
just a click of a button online. Even the smallest
step can make the biggest di erence to the planet.
For more information on RICS’ free ‘Value the
Planet’ tools and resources, visit
http://www.rics.org/valuetheplanet
In the last week of January, we launched the
twentieth edition of our renowned Awards. So
much has changed in the two decades since
the BIFM Awards first appeared in 2001, when a
state of the art mobile device was a 2G phone,
the World Trade Centre’s Twin Towers were still
standing and Prime Minister Blair’s PFI initiative
was set to be our public sector saviour.
Yet, a quick scan of the 12 categories we had
that year might suggest that little has changed:
customer service, check; innovation, check; new
technology; check; environmental impact, check.
Each one a vital area where facilities management
has been giving businesses the edge for decades.
Take a closer look and you’ll see quite a bit has
changed. Back then the category list was more
focused on the hard stu - the real estate, the fitout.
We seemed to take more pride in applauding
our PPPs than our people projects. Back then the
provenance of the ‘people experience’ lay with
human resources, with the FM’s role confined to the
asset and the estate. Not anymore.
The evolution of the facilities profession over
the last two decades can be distinctly traced in the
development of our Awards categories: Workplace
Experience (whether in an o ice, a hospital or even
a space station); Collaboration; Wellbeing; People
Development. This is a profession so much about
people that we now choose to focus on the human
aspect in our contract and procurement practice
with the Social Value award.
Of course, technology, innovation and core
facilities management remain cornerstones
of our profession, which is why two of our five
new categories for 2020 are Product of the Year
and Asset Excellence, the latter re-introduced to
underline this core aspect of the job.
So this year we celebrate being twenty with a new
look Awards: a new name; five new categories; and
streamlined entry guidance.
We talk about our profession’s impact year in, year
out, but this year we have put it in lights. For 2020
we’ve rebranded as the IWFM Impact Awards to
give the maximum emphasis on what these awards
represent: the powerful impact our profession has
on organisations, economies and society - more
than anything, the di erence our professionals
make every day to the workplaces they serve.
I calculate that our Awards has celebrated over
250 outstanding projects and teams since 2001. My
hunch is that they are the tip of the iceberg. Please
do not allow your achievements, innovations and
ideas to go unnoticed; get your entries together and
help us to keep celebrating the fantastic talent in
our diverse industry.
Entries close at midday on Monday 4 May, giving
plenty of time to read through the 15 categories and
choose the best option(s) for you, your team or your
organisation.
To enter and find out more, please visit:
www.iwfmawards.org
VALUE THE PLANET
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/valuetheplanet
/www.iwfmawards.org
