FEATURE


WHY SUSTAINABILITY IS NOW MANAGEMENT – THE TRIPLE


A shift from short-term maintenance focussed FM – towards a more long-term environmental focus.


government is driving change. At the same time, consumers and organisations are increasingly including sustainability in their buying decisions. The triple bottom line highlights the social, environmental and economical benefits of adopting a sustainable approach to FM. Increasingly recognizing this, organisations are changing their values, whether by leading change, or by reacting to meet their obligations and one of the areas that this responsibility is being focused within is the FM function.


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FM is traditionally tasked with providing an estate and services fit for purpose, this is still generally true, however the role is also evolving to incorporate a new environmental and sustainability focus. In order to meet this challenge there is a need to understand the technical issues involved, which can mean significant training opportunities and the development of more sustainability focussed FM Consultancies. In recognising the growing awareness


ustainability and, more widely, corporate social responsibility (CSR), are now significant factors when determining global business strategy. The


of sustainability, presented to us by the media, government policies and events, FM Consultancies and FM Account Managers within corporations are increasingly providing a more sustainable business approach to FM. This article explores the benefits that this approach can make to the triple bottom line, from financial gain to new business opportunities; the very concept of sustainability is changing the values of an organisation.


Coined in 1994 by John Elkington, the triple bottom line, takes into account ecological and social performance in addition to financial performance. The corporate world quickly saw that the value of reporting and adopting green performance led to establishing a competitive edge in the market place.


HUGE SAVINGS EXIST IN OWNING AND OPERATING HIGH


PERFORMANCE GREEN BUILDINGS. A report from MTW Research in January 2010 highlighted that the FM market was becoming increasingly price sensitive and characterised by closer relationships between suppliers and contractors, as greater efficiencies and


lower procurement costs are sought. The evidence of growing interest in sustainability is impressive. A survey of 1,000 CEOs from 43 countries by PricewaterhouseCoopers indicated that 79% of these CEOs believe that sustainability is vital to the profitability of any company. The reason for increased interest is clear. Sustainable practices are profitable because they can reduce risk, make business and consumers more efficient, and advance them technologically while reducing environmental and social concerns. Across Europe, governments are focused on carbon reduction. For example


France is planning to reduce its CO2 emissions by 75 percent, as laid out in the Energy Act 2005, and Germany has set a reduction target of 40 percent by 2020 with the Emissions Ordinum (emissions trading scheme) coming into force in 2012. The latest Cancun Climate Change Summit also resulted in global agreement that deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are required. In addition, the new ISO 26000 standard comes at a time when businesses are being judged on anything from their e-waste disposal and safety standards to their carbon emissions. Its very development highlights the increasingly important role that sustainability plays within the FM industry. Dominique Gangneux, a Partner at ERM, a leading global provider of environmental, health and safety, risk, and social consulting services comments on the effects that ISO26000 could have on businesses: “ISO 26000 brings three key benefits to the field of sustainability. It confirms the meaning of many concepts and terms; it establishes bridges between the multitudes of existing standards; and it will raise awareness of many more organisations around the world on the meaning and value of good sustainability performance”.


It is clear that sustainability and environmental considerations are playing a bigger role in outsourcing decisions says Andy Eastwood, Johnson Controls’ Director of Facilities Management for EMEA. Looking at the economic reasons for the move to sustainable FM – large cost savings can be made by establishing a robust and effective energy management policy. For example, The


48| SUSTAINABLE FM | DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011


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