Sustainability

Making informed decisions to mitigate negative environmental impact

With the built environment estimated to be responsible for around 40% of global carbon emissions, RICS is championing sustainable practices across the built and natural environment. We are also empowering professionals to embed sustainability considerations into the way they work and better measure environmental impacts.

RICS sustainability report 2022

The 2022 RICS sustainability report highlights the increasing need for sustainable strategies across the built environment to meet net zero commitments. It provides a global benchmark for issues of climate, carbon and sustainability practice, reflecting the sentiment of around 4000 real estate and construction professionals from across over 30 countries.

RICS sustainability report 2022 infographic

Download the report

RICS Sustainability Report 2022

RICS President-elect, Ann Gray

Initiatives
Latest insights
RICS & the UN global compact
COP 26

Initiatives

ICMS 3

A world first for cost and carbon management in construction from concept to completion and beyond.

Race to zero: Decarbonising the built environment

Built Environment Carbon Database

A group of industry bodies including RICS have collaborated to develop the Built Environment Carbon Database (BECD) for the UK, envisioned to become the main source of carbon estimating and benchmarking for the UK construction sector

IBOS

IBOS is a data-led, people-centric, holistic standard benchmarking framework. It allows an asset to demonstrate its performance according to five defined and connected data pillars

International Land Measurement Standard

ILMS is an international principle-based standard for land and property information. Its adoption will reduce risk in land and real property surveying and promote better land governance, robust conveyancing, secure lending and land registration.

Responsible Business Framework

Professionals working within the natural and built environment have a responsibility to the planet, to support and generate social value in their communities, and to be transparent in the way they deliver their services and report their performance.

Sustainability and ESG in commercial property valuation and strategic advice, 3rd Edition

This global guidance note provides a practical framework for delivering on sustainability and ESG investigation, and reporting requirements in professional valuation advice.

Sustainability report 2021

The World Built Environment Forum Sustainability Report 2021 may well be the largest such exercise ever commissioned

Latest insights

Decarbonising UK real estate report

With buildings producing around 25% of all UK emissions, RICS is calling for urgent action from Government to address gaps and meet ambitious climate targets.

RICS joins launch of EU Policy Roadmap for climate neutral buildings

The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) has today (24 May 2022) launched a bold new policy plan for the European Union to accelerate progress on decarbonising buildings and construction, one of the most heavily emitting sectors in the world.

What are organisations adopting to support the transition towards net zero?

As the need to engage with climate change and sustainable living becomes more and more urgent, the built-environment sector is seeking ways to support the transition towards net zero.

RICS joins coalition to develop net zero verification standard

With no viable path to net zero being achieved without tackling emissions in the built environment, RICS has joined a coalition of built environment and real estate bodies to develop a comprehensive and consistent approach to defining and verifying buildings as net zero.

New agreement to boost sustainable construction management in Singapore

A new agreement between the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Trade and Industry Association (Singapore) (TIAS) will boost efforts to work more sustainably and drive carbon emissions down across the island.

The effects of data on sustainability, ESG, net zero and operational costs

How does the new RICS International Building Operation Standard (IBOS) support asset owners and occupiers to drive building performance and comply with legislation and other industry standards?

RICS hosts inaugural Green Home Festival in Scotland

RICS last week hosted the first ever Green Home Festival, which saw 250 delegates sign up for five days of in-person and online events on sustainability and decarbonisation.

Cost of living causing consumers to think again about retrofitting

RICS and YouGov survey shows homes therefore less likely to be able to cope with climate impacts or to mitigate rising energy costs

RICS & the UN global compact

The built environment plays a pivotal role in managing and mitigating climate risk, especially with construction, operation and decommissioning of buildings being carbon-intensive practices. As a participant of the UN Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, RICS is committed to its Ten Principles and the wider UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), driving awareness and action to address the world’s most pressing environmental and social challenges in the land, construction, real estate and infrastructure sectors.

Our latest Communication on Engagement report for the UN Global Compact highlights the key projects that represent some of the actions RICS has taken to drive a more sustainable future in the built and natural environment.

Download the Report

COP 26

COP26 provides the opportunity to drive lasting change in decarbonising the sector. Chartered surveyors play a pivotal role in addressing the challenges of climate change by providing the data to drive decarbonisation across the whole lifecycle of the built environment.