Sustainability survey summary report 2016

Report

 

IWFM's (previously BIFM) annual Sustainability Survey, the longest running of its kind in the UK, looks at the way the facilities management profession is adapting and tackling the increasing demand for sustainable business. It explores the key drivers behind the sustainability agenda, who is leading it within an organisation, what issues are covered, how it is measured and reported, as well as understanding the latest issues affecting everyday practice. 

2016 was survey’s 10th year. It provides a unique insight into the trends supporting the changes and the future direction not only of BIFM and the wider FM sector, but also in providing an indication on how businesses are responding overall to the broadening subject of sustainability. The Survey originated through a partnership with the University of Reading to help develop and build a body of work that helped FM professionals understand the impacts on their organisation and find both insights and examples. This work has developed into Good Practice Guides and other publications, which sees sustainability as a cross cutting theme in many of BIFM’s activities.

For the 10th Anniversary survey we decided when analysing the data to look at how sustainability would develop over the next decade, and what this will mean for the profession. This involved reviewing some of the historic data that is available from 2007 to look at the trends and responses from the FM sector over the last 10 years.

Three focal areas: Empowerment, Procurement and Skills were identified from the survey results and a review of the historic data. Key areas of each of these aspects were highlighted for review at three workshops and through further discussions helped to provide more detail on the effects in our sector.