| The future is green |
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| Written by Alison Nicholson and Quentin Leiper, July 2005 | |
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Sustainability and corporate social responsibility are becoming increasingly important to everyone involved in FM. But what do the terms actually mean, how do they inter-relate and what are their implications for FM providers and their clients?
The global debate on sustainable construction has been ongoing for many years now, but sustainability goes much further than just the construction phase. Buildings, once completed and in operation, go on to account for a full 50 per cent of total CO2 produced in the UK. The simple fact is that sustainable buildings cost less to run, having lower maintenance and energy costs designed in from the outset. But what does "sustainability" actually mean? The most widely used description of sustainable development is the Bruntland definition, which has been adopted by the Government: "...development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". Bruntland's definition of sustainable development is about achieving a balance in the opportunities presented by economic growth and progress, and the pressure on FM providers is to protect natural resources and promote social equality. Sustainable development is about minimising the negative impacts and, where possible, improving and enhancing our environment to ensure a better quality of life for everyone - now and for generations to come. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is recognised as the business response to delivering sustainable development. The DTI's definition of CSR includes economic, social and environmental aspects, covering such areas as: equal opportunities, compliance with laws and regulations, customer loyalty, staff motivation, reputation, responsibility, and health and safety. The DTI identifies that CSR is about three things:
Early adoptersIn order to achieve sustainability within properties, a combined sustainable approach by designer, contractor and FM operator is required. Some of the early adopters amongst contractors were the first to feel the increasing media scrutiny the industry was receiving in the early 1990s following protests over a number of controversial road construction projects.In order to raise the profile of environmental concerns surrounding the projects, environmental pressure groups initiated direct action on sites. Some protesters also bought shares in construction companies to enable them to attend annual general meetings and pose probing environmental questions to senior board members. This direct approach highlighted that concerns about building activities were at the forefront of stakeholder perception and therefore could genuinely affect an organisation's 'licence to operate'. By seeing this link at its early stages, some FM businesses began to investigate the feasibility of sustainable development within their service offerings, and the mid-1990s saw a number of the major FM companies start to assess and respond to the environmental impacts of their operations. Sustainability is an interchangeable term, with each person often seeming to have their own definition. The development and publication of an environmental policy was an early and significant step as it provided a corporate definition and direction. Within Carillion, the policy was followed by the appointment of an independent advisory panel comprising six experts in environmental matters and corporate governance. The panel provided strategic guidance, and helped the company to develop and implement environmental management systems and set environmental objectives and targets. These first steps led to the formation of an environmental strategy, based on the Government's four headline objectives for sustainable development, namely:
Clients expect moreAs FM service offerings become more sophisticated, clients are beginning to recognise the benefits of sustainability and expect higher standards; this is also apparent in the supply chain where organisations are waking up to a better way of working. There is more than enough sustainability knowledge in the marketplace to help organisations become more innovative, save costs and deliver a better product for their customers. Organisations that do not adopt a sustainable approach will find it increasingly difficult to attract employees, clients and suppliers.Once client organisations recognise the business benefits of adopting a more sustainable approach, they can seek help from the FM provider to develop their strategies and action plans to enable them to realise the full benefits for all stakeholders. It is important that all members of an organisation have the opportunity to help deliver a better product, in a more sustainable way, to the benefit of all. This requires a change in culture for most organisations and the recognition that personal ethics and standards can, and should, be applied to the workplace. Motivating staff to question and change their working practices is crucial to the success of a sustainability programme (and of any change programme!). For a sustainability strategy to be effective, it has to be well-communicated both within the FM provider and the client organisation using a full range of marketing methods, ensuring all deliver a consistent message. This can include the production of newsletters, regular features in the company magazine, the integration of sustainability into training courses and induction programmes, the development of an e-learning tool, and workshops held for the supply chain, designers and other key groups. Principles into practiceSustainability is not a stand-alone product - it is a way of working, and this is starting to be recognised by industry through the FTSE4Good index, which encompasses companies that meet globally-recognised corporate responsibility standards. Included are Johnson Controls, Mitie and Capita Group. As well as advocating sustainable designs to clients, these major players are able to provide a wide range of sustainability services to their FM customers including alternative transportation planning, combined heat and power, energy and sustainability audits, natural ventilation, facilitator/ stakeholder consultation, land remediation, lifecycle costing, noise mapping and value engineering. The ability to offer these specialist services at the appropriate time in the project or operational cycle is a useful added value element, especially so when the initiatives are jointly developed. About the authors |
