Protecting people and planet
Protecting people and planet
Protecting people and planet
Protecting people and planet
Protecting people and planet
Protecting people and planet
Lucion Group
23rd July, 2019
The challenge for warehouse developers is to build warehouses that not only satisfy all of the traditional logistics requirements, whilst being sustainable, but also to create developments that attract and retain staff ensuring a long-term effective operation for occupiers and investors. As the links between Environmental and Social matters rise rapidly up the agenda, notably around air pollution, we can demonstrate that sustainability measures bring social benefit by identifying and highlighting the social benefits of renewable energy and electric vehicles as they directly improve air quality, but can warehousing really make a true social impact? Can warehousing developments provide their own style of ‘place-making’? City centre developments have focussed on this for some time, with a range of fantastic regeneration stories demonstrating true social value. The challenge is tougher for warehousing, but the potential social impacts are at least as significant.The challenge is to create developments that attract and retain staff ensuring a long-term effective operation for occupiers and investors..
Warehousing employs a wide demographic, from technical expertise in robotics engineers, right through to unskilled temporary workers on challenging shift patterns. The consumer expectation of on-line retail demands high quality zero mistake rapid delivery and a workforce capable of delivering that is essential. How can warehouse developers assist occupiers in keeping people, healthy, committed and alert? Can warehouse working environments make even the most routine jobs into ‘good’ jobs? The industry is saying yes, they can. Warehousing developments are including high quality outside space and a range of wellbeing facilities and there is a lot more that can be done. Access to routine health services is a challenge for busy shift workers and warehousing developers are starting to see themselves as facilitators of access to essential public services. This has a clear social value as well as a frank commercial edge: healthy workers have better attendance records, less records of presenteeism and better staff retention. Increasing bio-diversity is one area that has political focus. Developments need to demonstrate net gain in biodiversity. Many high quality warehouse developments include planting of native species and creation of habitats. Encouraging even basic interaction with the natural environment, through introducing access for workers and the public, encouraging education and engaging people in maintenance of biodiversity features opens up a range of positive social and environmental benefits. ESG opportunities cannot and should not be ignored in the existing built environment either. Whilst new build offers the opportunity to design ESG initiatives in to the master planning process, the vast majority of existing industrial and logistics stock is older and dates from a time when ESG was still a pipe dream. In such situations the challenge is to determine what is available to improve environmental and social credentials. Improvements to bio-diversity to enhance local eco-systems with social interaction between landowners, tenants and local nature trusts creates the potential for improvements, whilst such improvements have a positive impact on the wellbeing of site users. Education of tenants and interaction with local schools can also bring about improved environmental and social standing.Can warehouse working environments make even the most routine jobs into ‘good’ jobs? The industry is saying yes, they can...
Delta-Simons is advising clients to review their portfolio and their operations to identify where they can make the most impact. Using recognised frameworks such as the UN SDGs (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals) and benchmarks such as GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark) as a guide, it is possible to target the areas where a developer, or a development, can have the most direct impact. Where appropriate, wellbeing accreditations such as WELL and Fitwell, alongside established environmental benchmarks such as BREEAM and LEED can demonstrate the success of developments too. Ultimately, however, in a world where the public move is shifting towards expecting corporations to demonstrate their ESG credentials, the goal has to be that warehouse developments are seen as positive contributors to ESG, on a local, national and international scale, addressing social issues at home alongside tackling global environmental challenges. Developers that achieve that will find an easier planning process, occupier retention and investor confidence. We mustn’t forget that being sustainable means something that continues and everyone wants their business to continue. The workforce is key to a sustainable warehouse and tackling Social challenges is at the heart of quality warehouse development. Read BDC Magazine Gazeley Special article. See our social sustainability services. Related article: Social value in new developments is no longer a mythical conceptDelta-Simons is advising clients to review their portfolio and their operations to identify where they can make the most impact...
Don’t miss a beat - get the latest insights and updates from Lucion straight to your inbox.