FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
The Supply Chain Sustainability School, a multi-award-winning initiative which represents a common approach to addressing sustainability within supply chains, has released its 2023 Impact Report.
The report surveyed over one thousand of its members across the country to get their thoughts on what is important to their organisation and supply chain, plus offered insights into how the School has continued to positively impact organisations and supply chains, through its free practical learning and support.
The past few years have been challenging for the built environment industry; the pandemic made for a very unsure time, closely followed by the global economic downturn putting pressures on the industry with material shortages and steep rises in costs. However, sustainability remains firmly at the top of the agenda worldwide, meaning more opportunities for the School to continue to grow and widen its impact.
Reflecting this, the Supply Chain Sustainability School’s engagement figures are up significantly, with 24,160 (+44 per cent) individuals from 5,503 companies (+30 per cent) actively learning through the School. This has driven a 35 per cent increase in resource views compared to the previous year. At the same time, quality ratings for the training received by the members remain very high, with 95 per cent rating the training as good or excellent.
Shaun McCarthy OBE, Chair of the Supply Chain Sustainability School, commented: “It’s been another brilliant year for the School and we are thrilled to have over 24,000 individuals training through our learning platform. However, we recognise that there is still a way to go to achieve our vision of an industry where everyone will have the skills and knowledge to deliver a sustainable future. To achieve mass impact, technology will be a key focus moving forward. It is our hope that this additional technological investment and expertise will not only support the School’s growth, but ensure it is armed for arising opportunities so we can continue to provide membership with accessible and credible learning.”
Organisations are becoming increasingly interested in understanding sustainability and embedding more sustainable practices. Many members have identified the School as a powerful tool to help them do this. Almost three-quarters of members (73 per cent) reported that the School has helped them to better understand their organisation’s sustainability impacts. The School has also helped 65 per cent of members improve their understanding of modern slavery, and 54 per cent to increase their understanding of Fairness, Inclusion and Respect.
Members also shared how the School has helped them to improve their sustainability impacts. This includes reductions in carbon emissions (52 per cent of members) and total waste (50 per cent), as well as increased community engagement (57 per cent) and apprentice numbers (50 per cent).
The School is part-funded by CITB and industry Partners, with over 190 Partners leading the direction of the School. Working in collaboration, Partners share knowledge and free resources to inspire the UK built environment to drive positive change.
To sign up as a FREE member this Spring to benefit from over 400 training sessions, tailored assessments with action plans and a library of over 3,300 online resources, click here.
Are you confident that your contractors and suppliers meet ethical labour standards and human rights obligations?
For many FM services, managing multiple third parties in the supply chain can be a complex challenge. And, in a sector that relies heavily on migrant workers and 65 per cent of FM services facing difficulties in sourcing workers (Q4 2022 RICS survey), exposure to exploitation and modern slavery is a very real risk. With the UK one of the biggest destinations in Europe for trafficking of workers, you need full visibility of the people you work with, so you can minimise your risks and identify which part of your supply chain is most vulnerable.
FMJ, in partnership with Alcumus, is pleased to bring together a panel of experts to discuss how to create an ethical supply chain in FM.
Taking place at 11am on Wednesday 21st of June, the webinar will discuss:
- The regulations to be aware of that are aimed at preventing human right abuses.
- How to gain greater visibility of modern slavery compliance in the supply chain by having a robust verification process in place.
- Steps to creating a compliant, ethical supply chain.
To register for the webinar click here.
