SUSTAINABILITY
THE CHALLENGES FOR RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS
Graham Moxon, Senior Sustainability Manager at ABM UK & Ireland, explores the five challenges all facilities solutions providers are facing, or will face shortly, on their journey to responsible business.
As guardians of the world’s built environment, the facilities management industry is in a position to make a material difference to creating spaces that are not only safe, clean and efficient, but sustainable as well. Responsible management of the buildings in which we live, work and play can go a long way to reducing the impact which we, as a species, have on the natural world.
While making choices that are better for the planet and the communities in which they operate has always been the right thing to do, it’s often the case that real change needs to be incentivised. In my opinion, we are now at that all important tipping point; where customers need us, the facilities solutions providers, to aid them in their endeavours to do better, not only in carbon management but supporting the wider sustainability and social value challenges.
A large percentage of tenders are now judged on the added Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) credentials service providers can bring to the table. Contracts can be lost or won on this point and those with the answers on sustainability will find themselves winning more often than not.
While it’s true that the appetite for sustainable thinking is now significant, there are still a vast number of challenges for the industry to overcome. As I have been exploring how to amplify the good work already done in my new role at ABM, it is clear to me that there are five specific challenges all facilities solutions providers are facing or will face shortly on their journey to responsible business.
The cost trade-off The saying goes that ‘you get what you pay for’. Quite often, the sustainable option is not the cheapest one and, in any market, convincing customers to pay more is not always easy. Customers are becoming more willing to spend in this area; but for those where more persuasion might be needed, it’s worth considering the real value of the recommendation. What is the return on investment either in the short or long term and how does that align with your customer’s ESG objectives? The value needs to justify the cost; and taking this approach will help to prioritise effectively on behalf of customers.
The big (world) picture Facilities solutions providers are now something of a conduit for deeper education and understanding of the bigger picture when it comes to running the built environment responsibly. They are key in identifying the major opportunities, quick wins and how the gains are
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calculated. By working with customers on the bigger picture – we not only give them the reassurance of our competence and position as a trusted advisor but we are more likely to make that critical impact, in line with or over and above the contractual agreement.
The complexities of community
engagement Building relationships with community groups on a contact-by-contract basis is a perilous approach to community engagement. Managing different charity partners across each contract soon becomes too difficult to manage. Facilities solutions providers should look to more meaningful engagement which aligns with the corporate strategic focus on social impact. Often this can be bolstered by working with organisations like Business in the Community or similar, who can partner with you on an approach that is manageable and more impactful.
Regulatory compliance All industries are facing mounting pressure to comply to an increasing number of regulations. From the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive(CSRD), the challenge here is keeping up and staying compliant. And the pressure is not just coming from the regulators: Demand from customers to demonstrate relevant accreditation is high and new contracts can be awarded on this basis.
For larger organisations this is the purview of people like myself and my team; an internal group of experts to guide the organisation safely through what can often feel like a gauntlet. However, here in lies the next challenge…
Available expertise The ESG industry is not mature, and the expertise in it is still growing. Choosing the right expertise to guide your business is essential; but for many smaller companies, this means relying on the consultation of external agencies. There are excellent consultancies out there but be aware that it takes commitment from within the organisation to deliver what external advisors are suggesting.
While the challenges which the FM industry faces appear to be numerous; they also represent a huge step forward and an even bigger opportunity to make the facilities solutions business, a responsible one. For what we do and our purpose, true value is ensuring the communities we serve can thrive.
www.abm.co.uk twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
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