UK’s Supply Chain Sustainability School to offer support for facilities management
by Carol Miller, MHI VP of Marketing and Communications
The Supply Chain Sustainability School is expanding its service to offer support and training to suppliers and contractors in the facilities management (FM) sector.
The service will launch in January 2015 and attempt to replicate the success of the collaboration it has fostered in the construction sector to raise sustainability standards. It has the backing of major FM service providers Carillion, BAM, Skanska, Kier, Vinci, Cofely UK, Interserve and EMCOR UK.
“The Supply Chain School has already delivered an immense step forward for sustainability in the construction sector. Now we want to help consolidate this by supporting FM, which plays such a central role in the sustainable management of assets throughout their lifetime,” said Ian Heptonstall, director of Action Sustainability, the school’s host.
The school, which won the overall prize at the CIPS Supply Management Awards in 2013, is developing infrastructure to allow collaboration between FM providers, similar to the process it enabled in the construction industry, in order to develop a ‘go to’ sustainability resource for suppliers in the sector.
“Environmental, social and economic responsibilities have become key to any balanced, long-term growth, but the demands on the FM services supply chain are complex, dynamic and pressurized,” said David Picton chair of the school’s FM leadership group and chief sustainability officer at Carillion.
“The school will offer a free support resource – built upon responsive, innovative and sustainable best practice – to help that supply chain meet the requirements of clients, managing agents, occupiers, users, regulators, other stakeholders and their wider communities.”
Amber Ritson, CPO at Cofely, added: The expansion of this award-winning initiative signifies a positive step towards a sustainable supply chain geared to meeting the requirements of clients across the industry.”
The Supply Chain Sustainability School provides resources in a wide range of formats including e-learning, case studies and training workshops. All resources aim to increase your knowledge and competence in 10 key sustainability themes:
–sustainable construction
–sustainable procurement
–environmental management
–materials
–climate change
–waste
–water
–biodiversity
–ethical business
–economy & community
–health & safety
The Supply Chain Sustainability School has more than 5,000 members with 15 of the UK’s top 20 construction contractors involved. Click here to learn more.
