SFMI Publishes Guide to Sustainable Facilities Management

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• SFMI Publishes Guide to Sustainable Facilities Management

19 August 2020

The document provides a written guide for how a leading sustainable FM should be managing in 2020 /21.

Acclaro Advisory, who established the Sustainable Facilities Management Index (SFMI), breaks sustainability down into three sections in the guide: environmental, social and governance issues. These are further broken down into 23 individual sub-criteria.

For each of the 23 criteria, how the topic affects the role of FM is explained, along with management tips. It also lists what other criteria of sustainability it might interlink with.

The intention of the guide is to help facilities managers assess their own sustainability credentials according to set criteria. The aim is to equip FM providers with the internal framework to manage sustainability themselves, whilst implementing it into their service provision so they can have a greater impact with their clients and add value to the service.

 

"Beginners can gain a basic understanding of the sustainability issues that are affecting them and their customers, while the advanced can see what the SFMI are looking for in leaders when we score businesses.”

–Chris Havers

Principal Consultant ,SFMI

Chris Havers from the SFMI commented: “The SFMI wants to raise awareness of sustainability and how FM providers can integrate it into their every management, operation and services. 

“This guidance is an informative breakdown that gives companies an insight into your sustainability roadmap and scoring system. It can be used by companies across all levels of abilities. Beginners can gain a basic understanding of the sustainability issues that are affecting them and their customers, while the advanced can see what the SFMI are looking for in leaders when we score businesses.”

 

Environmental, Social and Governance 

 

The document supposes that the immediate environmental impacts of an FM provider may not be as large as an oil and gas company, or a mining operation, but FM has a role in managing the impact of their clients. For example, the non-domestic buildings (commercial and public buildings) contributes approximately 25 per cent of UK carbon emissions from the built environment, therefore FM has a role in managing this.

In terms of social impact, the FM industry employs a significant level of people from different skill levels and many at living wage. It has the opportunity to provide social value and mobilise under-represented communities which can increase its value as a responsible business, while increasing its talent pool that can help to future proof it. Social sustainability incorporates people-centric issues from wellbeing of staff and public to developing employees and helping to mobilise society, to improving the communities that organisations operate within.

Sustainable governance implements sustainability into the corporate strategy across the business, sets and manages goals, manages reporting, strengthens relationships with stakeholders and ensures overall accountability of the organisation.

The SFMI states that leading from the top of the organisation is key, but to do so, a company must understand the risks and opportunities associated with becoming a sustainable FM. Once these are understood and communicated, the board can drive the strategy, integrate frameworks across operations and contracts, and provide finance to develop the company approach.

Picture: A photograph of a wind farm

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 19 August 2020

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