Responsible Business Real Estate Report. New RICS report encourages employers to operate smarter, green businesses. RICS has launched a new ‘Responsible Business in Real Estate Report’ with recommendations for real estate firms to develop and implement responsible business practices, to improve their business culture, reduce their environmental impact and attract and retain the brightest talent.
The insightful report highlights the key ‘drivers’ for responsible business – including culture, people and technology – with recommendations centred around improving diversity and collaboration; well-being and employment; community and supplier engagement; and environmental protection.
Paul Bagust, RICS Global Property Standards Director said: “The responsible management of technology, people and culture is key to addressing sector challenges – including climate change – and reputational risks that businesses are facing in today’s rapidly changing markets.
This report highlights how firms are adapting to, and taking advantage of these challenges, with the recommendations providing a framework for them to develop and implement a highly effective responsible business strategy.”
Capturing the views of 35 organisations globally*, the RICS Responsible Business Report also includes a series of unique case studies highlighting the forward-thinking firms that are leading the way in terms of managing and operating responsible and sustainable businesses.
As part of these, Sodexo discuss how they have set targets for staff to take part in diversity training, and even linked renumeration pay to diversity targets.
A case study from John Lewis demonstrates how its democratic network of elected councils, committees and forums enables its partners to participate in decision-making, challenge management on performance and ensure everyone is operating to the same culture.
Meanwhile, a case study from CBRE highlights the benefits they are reaping from using Pulse Suite; a cloud-based, data-driven property management platform to help building owners enhance productivity, increase transparency and decrease management oversight.
The publication of the RICS Responsible Business Report compliments the organisation’s work to help built environment firms reduce their operational impact on the environment by adopting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
In addition to this approach, other recommended solutions to reduce a company’s operational impact – and help improve climate change – include introducing higher recycling rates and reducing energy, transport and water use, where possible. Increased resource efficiency, including the provision of plants within buildings to increase oxygen and the absorption of chemicals in the air, is also recommended.
Paul Bagust, RICS Global Property Director, said: “The recommendations and global insights uncovered in this report not only highlight the need for firms to create a more forward-thinking responsible company, from which they will reap the benefits, but it will also encourage them to measure their business performance.”
To complement the report, RICS is developing best practice guidance to further support real estate firms in making transformational change towards responsible business practices.
About RICS
As a globally recognised professional body, everything we do is designed to effect positive change in the built and natural environments.
Through our respected global standards, leading professional progression and our trusted data and insight, we promote and enforce the highest professional standards in the development and management of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure. Our work with others provides a foundation for confident markets, pioneers better places to live and work and is a force for positive social impact.
With over 134,000 highly qualified trainees and professionals, and offices in every significant financial market, we are ideally placed to influence policy and embed our standards within local marketplaces in order to protect consumers and businesses. In doing so, we can innovate and progress the development of spaces and places so they are fit for future generations, in addition to the challenges faced in the present.