The RICS Podcast

Guests Gary Strong, Andrew Thomas, and David Savage discuss the impact of secondary legislation on the building industry. Topics include Gateway 2 & 3, Safety Cases, the Golden Thread, Remediation Orders, and the effect on the Fire Safety Order 2005.

What challenges are faced by women of colour in the construction industry? That’s the question this episode of Building the Future is exploring. Sybil Taunton, Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at RICS, speaks to Ally Reid MRICS, Europe Real Estate Associate Director at QNB Capital. During their conversation, they cover topics such as the gender pay gap and why it’s exacerbated for people from different backgrounds, as well as how the industry can address the balance of representation.  “You can’t change what you don’t measure,” says Reid. “That’s what you build a strategy from. If we’re silent and we continue to try to improve the situation by building more awareness of it but not targeting our measures, then I fear that we’re not going to make the progress we want to make.”  They also look at the opportunities presented by mentoring, the importance of allyship within a company and why the average RICS membership is 29 years for men but only 16 for women. 

While the need for carbon reduction is clear, the route to creating a built environment that better serves this need is constantly being refined.Through their work at Introba UK and Related Argent respectively, Clara Bagenal George and David Partridge are contributing to the RICS whole life carbon assessment (WLCA) standard and the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard.Clara and David join RICS’ Charlotte Neal on the podcast this week to discuss the formation of these standards, and personal journeys implementing positive steps to reduce carbon in their own activities.This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:How BECD and the Whole Life Carbon Assessment methodology work together in tandemWhy the Net Zero Carbon Building Standard is so essential for the industryDavid and Clara’s personal pursuits for more carbon conscious lifestylesTrying to overcome reliance on third parties to make your own positive changes

The provision of sick pay and support for workers in ill health is a key issue in the Safe Sick Pay campaign’s push to reduce health inequality.In a recent report for the campaign, WPI Economics highlighted the reality of Statutory Sick Pay and the positive benefits of reform - Laura Osborne joins us on The RICS Podcast to share more on the campaign, the report, and how industry attitudes towards sick pay are changing for the better.This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:Why qualitative information was so key in understanding the impact of insufficient sick pay provisionsChanging attitudes towards illness in the workplace post-CovidRecommendations from WPI Economics’ latest report for the Safe Sick Pay campaignHow the campaign considers the implications for SMEs and smaller companiesLinks & References:https://wpieconomics.com/publications/ssp-reform/https://www.instituteofhealthequity.org/resources-reports/working-well-delivering-better-health-outcomes-for-hidden-workers

It’s said that buildings amount to 40% of carbon emissions in cities, which demonstrates the need for change in both commercial and residential offerings to improve energy efficiency.Working to achieve this at BAM is Sarah Joliffe, who joins Stephen Lorimer on this WBEF episode of The RICS Podcast to discuss how the retrofit and ongoing design of flexible buildings is contributing to a more efficient, less carbonised world.This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:BAM’s role in building sustainability for buildings of the futureThe split between commercial and residential buildings seeking carbon reductionApproaching buildings and flexible energy use with useful dataHow minimum energy efficiency standards are currently driving investmentPotential barriers to adjacent building owners working together to achieve efficiency targets

The Landlord & Tenant Act is a longstanding piece of legislation currently in the process of reform, and with a consultation coming soon it’s an ideal time to get involved.With an extensive legal background and expertise in Alternative Dispute Resolution, RICS’ Martin Burns joins Dominic Collyer on The RICS Podcast this week to discuss the reforms, benefits of particular ADR methods, the relative underuse of the PACT process, and much more.This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:What the consultation on the Landlord and Tenant Act will considerPros and cons of various methods of Alternative Dispute ResolutionThe PACT process for lease renewal disputesHow to get involved with the upcoming consultation

The built environment’s benefits to its occupants extend far beyond the mere structure, taking into account the decisions that help them lead healthier lives daily.Ekkist’s Managing Director, Olga Turner Baker, joins us on The RICS Podcast to discuss the increasing awareness of healthy buildings, the benefits of diversity in teams thinking about healthy buildings, and how we articulate their benefits to those early in the profession.This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:What do we mean by health & wellbeing, and a ‘healthy building’Articulating the benefits of healthy buildingsHow we reflect the need for health and wellbeing early in the routes into the surveying professionValuation of healthy buildings, and how standards may need to evolve

When undertaking valuation, the hopes and likelihood for a legal claim made against your work are low, which means that claims can come as a shock to many professionals.Naomi Park is the Legal Director at DAC Beachcroft LLP and is well placed to offer her experience and expertise in preventing these issues arising, and pragmatic steps to take if a claim is made against you.NOTE: This podcast is created on a general basis for information only, and doesn’t constitute professional or legal advice. No liability is accepted to users or any third parties in respect to the use of the content, or any errors or inaccuracies. Professional advice should always be obtained before applying any information from this podcast to particular circumstances.This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:Factors to consider when taking on workAddressing queries once a valuation report has been sent overSetting out liability limitationConsidering the scope of follow-up questions, and whether they constitute new workSteps to take if a claim is made

Chris Skidmore MP is the former chairman of the UK government’s Net Zero Review. In June 2019 he signed net zero pledges into law, which include a target to end the UK’s contribution to global warming by 2050. In the latest episode of the Modus podcast Building the Future, Luay Al-Khatib, Director of Knowledge and Practice at RICS, asks Skidmore what his objectives are for the upcoming COP28 conference in Dubai. They also discuss whether the UK is still a leading nation on tackling climate change and how politicians balance short-term targets against long-term environmental goals.  “If we’re going to make net zero by 2050, we’ve got to reduce our emissions by 68% come 2030,” says Skidmore. “The easiest way we can do that is knowing what we can do now, which is to get on with the job of decarbonising our buildings. Having a deadline does give you an impetus to work at speed.” “Around 90% of global GDP has now signed up in some form to a net zero target. It’s because it has an end date that is manageable and has a landing pathway and it recognises that it’s not making the perfect the enemy of the good.” Skidmore also highlights the Inflation Reduction Act in the US and how it will affect decarbonisation, as well as how he felt when he signed net zero into UK law and why the UK is well-placed to meet climate change targets. “We have a wealth of academic and industry expertise that has demonstrated you can decarbonise and not de-industrialise, you can have clean growth,” he says. “Regardless of who is in government, that is going to continue.”

Fire safety is a global issue with far-reaching impacts, which extend beyond the initial damage that most would consider from undesired fires.In this WBEF episode of The RICS Podcast, Meacham Associates Managing Partner Brian Meacham takes us through the impacts of sustainable construction, major challenges in setting fire safety standards, and how the industry can make consumers aware of their fire safety choices.This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:Current global attitudes towards sustainability in fire safetyThe impacts of the drive for more sustainable constructionOvercoming major challenges in setting fire safety standardsThe need for a more joined-up approach to embedding fire safety industry-wideMaking consumers aware of their fire safety choices