COVER STORY
RICS' Goal: Making Buildings Perform for People Worldwide By Debra Hazel
R
and best practices.”
eal estate, like politics, may be local — but there are a number of issues that have become a global
That was one factor behind the creation of
concern, including sustainability,
IBOS, which was intended to support organi-
supply and labor issues and returning people
zations in attracting people back to the work-
to the office after COVID-19.
place, by delivering confidence for end-users that the building they’re in is supporting
Ann Gray, CEO of Gray Real Estate Advisors,
their wellness, and benchmarking success
now serves as president of RICS (formerly
against driving down the commercial sector’s
the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors),
carbon footprint.
which recently launched the International The standard, which is supported by com-
Building Operation Standard (IBOS), a new, data-based approach to measuring and man-
Ann Gray
mercial and public sector organizations as well as service providers and existing certi-
aging how buildings perform for people, especially in a new era when flexibility is key. It
“You can start to measure the impact you’re
fications such as Well and Wired, is the first
builds upon traditional building performance
having on carbon before you put a shovel
of its kind globally to deliver a consistent
assessments to include user experience to
in the ground,” she said. “These are huge
approach to help organizations assess and
satisfy the needs of occupiers, investors, ad-
trends and they’re not going away.”
improve their building’s performance in such a broad way, RICS said. It will provide data on
visors and end-users. In fact, she observed, climate change is
buildings with people at the center of future
“There’s a real recognition now that sus-
posing an existential threat to the survival of
decision-making and help embed ESG into
tainable investing has a higher return,” Gray
entire nations.
real estate strategy.
majority of people in our profession are con-
“One of the things that excites me is what’s
Many organizations already monitor their
sidering sustainability when they participate
growing out of COP 26 [the 2021 United Na-
properties’ performance, including how
in a project. That’s a positive trend. The data
tions Climate Change Conference]. It started
sustainable a building is. But according to
is there.”
as governments getting together to discuss
respondents to the RICS Global Commercial
fighting emissions and climate with some
Property Monitor, only 79% of America’s re-
That’s why RICS is among 50 professional
kind of consistency,” she said. “What’s really
spondents believed that there are currently
organizations worldwide that have a created
emerged from that is a body of shared global
techniques and practices in place to measure
carbon standard for embedded and emitting
thinking about how we tackle these issues.
the environmental impact of buildings. Those
carbon, she said.
It’s thrilling to see that sharing of knowledge
that are in place need further development.
said. “All of our surveys are showing that a
46 MANN REPORT | JUNE & JULY 2022
