Sustainability Survey 2023: Do WFMs have a big enough stake in energy and carbon plans?

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IWFM is proud to release the Sustainability Survey Report 2023, based on the insight of 620 workplace and facilities management (WFM) professionals surveyed last year. The comprehensive report finds that the sector’s professionals are insufficiently involved in organisations’ plans around energy efficiency and carbon reduction, suggesting that plans are flawed from their inception.

Our research found that one in three WFMs were ordinary stakeholders at best when drawing up energy efficiency and carbon reduction plans, with some not being involved at all. Meanwhile just 13% of WFMs led the entire process of developing plans.

The report also examines the current investment processes within organisations when it comes to energy efficiency and carbon reduction to understand why funding isn’t flowing as it should into new equipment and workplace improvements. It finds that the most common way for organisations to assess these investments is on their individual investment merits, but that they are imposing unrealistic return expectations, with an astonishing 43% expecting investments to meet or exceed normal ROI.

‘Many of these decarbonisation investments will make no returns or negative returns based on current investment models, but still need to be done,’ explains Kam Singh, a Director of Carbon Solutions at EMCOR Group (UK) and a member of our Sustainability SIG.

With extensive original research findings, interpretation and commentary from the experts at IWFM’s SIG and powerful recommendations that will drive real change, the Sustainability Survey Report 2023 is essential reading for organisations looking to the future. Following the report’s launch, an associated ‘Navigating turbulent times’ webinar will take place on Wednesday 28 February to discuss the findings in more detail. Click here to register for the webinar.

IWFM is committed to sustainability and identifying the best ways for the sector to get there and will continue to emphasise this importance in future research. You can access our sustainability courses by clicking here. We have prioritised the topic of sustainability in its ‘Get moving on sustainability: our campaign for change’ initiative, seeking to upskill and reskill the sector’s professionals so that they can effectively execute sustainability strategies and prepare for future developments. 

Access the report here