How crucial is retrofitting to meeting net zero targets? How can the scale and speed required be best achieved? Here are some of the things we learned during our recent webinar.

Are we entering the golden era of crop science? Can agritech solve our sustainable food problem, increase productivity and help farming withstand hostile and extreme weather? Here are five things we learned from our recent webinar.

City stakeholders have always used data and information about people and activity to help make decisions to boost economic growth, productivity, welfare and health. How are new technologies, innovation and approaches being used to improve social good?

The Middle East construction industry weathered the COVID pandemic well, but persistent causes of disputes proved troublesome. How can the construction industry create a healthier contracting environment?

Climate change is fast becoming a key strategic objective for cities. But how can cities transition from aspiration to action and overcome the challenges of achieving net zero? Here are five things we learned during our recent webinar.

Far from homogenous, Africa is a vast and diverse continent. Though some cities make strikingly outsized economic contributions, African cities are often overlooked en bloc. How can Africa’s urban centres realise their undoubted promise?

In this webinar in partnership with ESRI, the panel discuss how integration is especially critical for large and complex infrastructure programmes and projects.

The world is striving to resume normal service following the depths of the COVID-19 crisis. What measures can the industry take when operating in these uncertain times? How can it move away from damaging and divisive practices?

The twin-crises of climate change and biodiversity loss are becoming more widely recognised as two sides of the same challenge. How can countries balance development with safeguarding the natural habitat?

In this webinar in partnership with ASITE, the panel discuss that unstructured documentation acts as a drag on productivity and efficiency. New ways of processing data, such as the higher dimensions of BIM, provide numerous advantages to a documentation-heavy construction industry. Improvements in cost benchmarking, completion time, and ESG performance are some of the benefits digitalisation bring

To achieve net zero in the built environment, it is essential that embodied carbon is reduced. But as many low carbon materials are still far from widely available, taking consistent action now seems both costly and infeasible. How should we think about lowering embodied carbon in construction, what are the complexities and what strategies exist to reduce it right now?

In this European webinar, the panel discuss the inspiration from the success of the EU Emission Trading Scheme for the manufacturing and energy sectors, Fit-for-55 is a new legislative package proposed by the European Commission to reduce carbon emissions from fuel use in transport and buildings.

The technology exists, and politicians seem to be heeding societal pressure. So, what is needed to accelerate the decarbonisation drive? We recap the main points from our recent webinar.

In this webinar a panel of global experts and local leaders in sustainability and the circular economy will discuss the possibilities and promise of this exciting agenda. With awareness of the need to embed circular economy principles growing around the world, this webinar will equip you with the insights you need to play your part in delivering a sustainable future.

Watch the webinar now

To mark the release of the Drees and Sommer RICS European Facilities Management Provider Report 2021 this webinar will look at the future of the FM industry in the age of digitalisation.

Launched to great fanfare in 2017, Sidewalk Labs Toronto Waterfront was supposed to mark a new era of intelligent and sustainable design. Three years on, the project was prematurely shut down. How can the Sidewalk Labs misadventure inform smart city strategies and solutions globally? We share five lessons.

Intelligent cities upskill workforces, create new businesses and use new technology to drive forward the sustainability and resilience agenda. Is this the future of smart, sustainable urbanisation?

Five things we learned from our recent webinar.

Our most recent European WBEF webinar took place on the eve of the EU's "FitFor55" launch. The initiative targets a 55% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, and forms just one part of a much larger suite of continent-wide sustainability legislation. But questions remain as to whether these legal frameworks adequately support the bloc's decarbonisation ambitions.

Urban climate adaptation isn't just about finding new solutions for new problems. In many cities, the biggest threat posed by planetary warming is the exacerbation of age-old risks and inequities.

Sustainable, ESG compliant procurement can reduce organisational carbon footprints, encourage sustainability in the value chain and reduce costs. Isn't it time that it became mainstream practice?

The quarterly RICS Global Commercial Property Monitor charts sentiment across the sector. Here we analyse the findings of the Q1 2021 survey. After the difficulties of the last year, are expectations on the rebound?

100 days into his Presidency and Joe Biden has re-joined the Paris Agreement and pledged to halve carbon emissions by 2030. The mood music coming from the Oval Office has been encouraging; is this early momentum sustainable?

Real estate investment priorities are changing in America. After 100 days of Joe Biden's presidency, what has changed, what are the tailwinds encouraging investment and what headwinds are still to come?

President Joe Biden has committed to making infrastructure renewal the bedrock of sustainable growth in America. What is the scale of the challenge and is his administration equal to it?

Panellists on our recent WBEF webinar were unanimous in their belief that public transport will recover. Post-pandemic, mass transit networks may look and feel different, but many of the changes will be for the better.

Big pharma was able to do in ten months what most had predicted would take five years. What where the factors which led to this extraordinary leap in project efficiency, how can benchmarking play a role, and what lessons are there for the construction industry?

During a recent WBEF webinar, we partnered with HKA to look at disputes in the Middle East construction sector. Here’s a flavour of what we learned.

Is the industry primed for a ConTech breakthrough? What will the post-COVID-19 international client look like? You asked us during our recent webinar covering the results of the most recent RICS Global Construction Monitor. Here, two of our expert panellists respond.

Will increased demand for data centres negatively impact jobs creation? What does the future hold for out of town shopping centres? Is the global economy primed to bounce back in the second half of 2021? You asked us during our recent webinar covering the results of the most recent RICS Global Commercial Property Monitor. Here, two of our expert panellists respond.

Can investors really be expected to prioritise social, ethical and environmental concerns in the midst of this economic crisis? Are financial returns really the best means of measuring the value of assets in our more climate-conscious age? And why would anyone invest in office space at the dawn of a new era of dispersed and remote working? During our recent webinar Driving ESG in real estate , you asked us. Here, two expert panellists respond.

At this time of unprecedented fiscal distress, the world's most powerful economies must put infrastructure at the heart of their inclusive, sustainable and resilient recovery plans.

A month-by-month look back at what has got the WBEF community thinking this year.

HKA's CRUX Insights report has laid bare the staggering cost of conflict and delays in the global construction sector. The world is looking to the industry to help kickstart the global economic recovery in 2021, but is the industry equipped to deliver? Here's a look back at what we learned during last week's webinar.

What can be learned from the world's most walkable, runnable and cyclable cities?

Which markets have displayed resilience through the traumas of the year so far? Will the crisis see rents tied to tenant cashflows moving forward? And are there any reasons for cheer in the retail sector? Our expert panellists answer your questions.

In 2016, a Business Insider Intelligence report predicted that, by 2020, there would be 10 million autonomous vehicles on the world's roads. As the year draws to a close, that figure looks wildly inaccurate. Why has progress stalled?

The EU Renovation Wave is an ambitious programme aiming to double the rate at which the bloc's existing building stock is renovated. It promises to cut emissions, boost the COVID-19 recovery, create jobs and reduce energy poverty. Without cross-sector collaboration, these promises may remain unfulfilled.

77% of WBEF community members believe that governments should prioritise infrastructure as a means of stimulating economies hard hit by the COVID-19 crisis. But significant barriers remain to the delivery of much needed projects – across the developed and developing world. Here’s what we learned from our recent webinar.

A common data standard could go a long way to improving the productivity, efficiency and profitability of the construction industry. The case for such a standard is commercial, environmental, ethical and, perhaps most importantly, in the public interest.

What does inclusive regeneration look like? How can local communities be empowered to lead on the renewal of their home neighbourhoods? And what are the giveaway signs that regeneration has mutated into gentrification? Here are the key points from our recent webinar.

Across the world, cities of all sizes are wrestling with the climate emergency, affordability concerns, liveability shortfalls and public health issues. Those prepared to continuously innovate will be best placed to succeed.

Social distancing has inspired various changes to our daily lives. Some have been behavioural, some technology based and others relate to our use of space. But, by their nature, most of these measures are temporary and based on an assumption that the pandemic will be short-lived. But what if that assumption were to prove incorrect?

Heritage buildings are monuments to the richness and diversity of history, and constitute vital cultural assets. As the need to reduce carbon emissions across the built environment intensifies, professionals must strike a delicate balance between conservation and environmentalism. Last month, we brought together four expert practitioners from across the world to discuss the challenge.

Embedding a social value offer into infrastructure delivery can be challenging, but these case studies show that it is possible. Today, a royal garden, a world heritage site and two sports stadia.

The RICS Global Commercial Property Monitor is leading indicator of conditions in the sector around the world. Following our webinar on the findings of the Q2 surveys, RICS Chief Economist Simon Rubinsohn took the time to answer some additional questions submitted by attendees.

The RICS Global Construction Monitor is leading indicator of conditions in the sector around the world. Following our webinars on the findings of the Q2 surveys, RICS Senior Economist Sean Ellison took the time to answer some additional questions submitted by attendees.

How can the global food supply chain be futureproofed against geopolitical shocks and extreme natural events? Can production processes be optimised for higher productivity and lower emissions? And how might technology provide a solution?

Countless businesses have already embarked on a phased return to the office, with many others readying to follow suit. While fears of a second wave of Covid-19 infections persist, thoroughly safety assured workplaces, and clearly communicated employee safety measures will be key to any successful transition. The effective and imaginative use of data and technology will be centrally important.

In this year of severe disruptions, the liveability of cities has taken on added importance. The lessons learned from this annus horribilis could make cities more resilient.

Roughly one-quarter of the world’s population lives in informal settlements. Are slums, shanties and favelas an inevitable by-product of urbanisation?

The impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on international travel is well explored. Airports will not emerge unchanged from the disruption.

Earlier this month, WBEF joined Marie Lam-Frendo, CEO of Global Infrastructure Hub, to discuss the central role of infrastructure in global economic recovery efforts.

According to the European Parliament, overtourism happens when "the impact of tourism exceeds physical, ecological, social, economic, psychological, and/or political capacity thresholds" in a place. Last week, Prof. Claire Colomb and Dr Edward Kung joined a WBEF webinar to explain what that means and how it manifests.

The urge to reboot the global economy as lockdown conditions ease can't distract us from those challenges that pre-existed the pandemic. The drive towards a digital-ready, environmentally responsible construction sector must continue in our new normal.

The challenges facing the construction industry are myriad. Flat productivity, failures to recruit and retain talent, and poor collaboration throughout the supply chain have hamstrung the sector for a generation. Each is, in some way, a reflection of a larger problem: failure to fully embrace the potential of digitalisation.

Last month, over 300 people joined our webinar, sponsored by PwC, on the future financial impact of climate change. Here, our expert panel answers some of those questions submitted by attendees that they were unable to cover during the session.

The Covid-19 crisis has asked huge questions of the FM profession. The industry has responded admirably.

The greatest effect of the pandemic may be the acceleration of trends already apparent in the logistics sector.

Across Europe, the residential property sector has demonstrated resilience through the early stages of lockdown. The crisis may even present the opportunity to extend housing supply and inspire new design norms better adapted for future pandemic events.

Although it’s still too early to make confident predictions, we are seeing some early indicators of how the post-Covid-19 investment landscape will look.

Near-term prospects for the construction sector are challenging, but the Covid-19 pandemic may bring about a sustained period of modernisation. 

Last week, we ran a series of webinars on the findings of the RICS Global Commercial Property Monitor. Due to time constraints, we were unable to field all questions submitted by attendees. Here, RICS economists Simon Rubinsohn and Sean Ellison address a selection of those that went unanswered.

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, the high street was in distress: structural and social shifts have combined to drive increasing volumes of sales online. Will the pandemic compound existing challenges, or could it provide the sector with an unlikely lifeline?

The fast-moving nature of the Covid-19 outbreak means many short-term conclusions rapidly become outdated. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t devise long-term preventative strategies.

Experts from WBEF Premier Partners Colliers International ponder how China might lead Asia Pacific – and then the world – out of the economic crisis.

Those hoping for a V-shaped recession may be disappointed.

Cities must leverage their influence to ensure water, the most precious of all resources, is used responsibly and shared equitably.

Previous understanding of clusters as hubs for enabling companies to increase productivity has evolved. Recasting the modern city as a type of cluster could be key to unlocking the potential of the global economy.

Across the developed world, mainstream housing stock is failing the needs of ageing populations. As life expectancies continue to increase, the so too must accessibility and mobility standards.

Green bonds are rapidly growing in popularity around the world. Over US$ 230bn worth of bonds were issued globally during 2019 and issuance is expected to reach record levels in 2020. While they have the potential to transform the way green projects are valued and financed, the absence of a common language on what qualifies as “green” is a crucial hinderance.

With better understanding, regulation and analysis, geospatial data can drive economic and sustainability gains across the built and natural environment.

According to Global Infrastructure Hub estimates, the shortfall in projected funding for vital infrastructure projects will reach US$15 trillion by 2040. This gap cannot be bridged without the commitment of private capital.