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Welcome to InTheNews – covering all the FM news you may have missed over the week:
In the Spring Budget delivered today (15 March), Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced that the Government will maintain the Energy Price guarantee for a further three months.
The Government has also extended the Climate Change Agreement (CCA) scheme until March 2027, which gives eligible businesses access to reduced tax rates if they meet negotiated energy efficiency or emission reduction targets.
Simon McWhirter, Director of External Affairs & Deputy Chief Executive at UKGBC said: “We welcome the Government’s Energy Efficiency Taskforce and £600 million extension of energy-saving tax relief, but this falls short of the scale of investment needed. Energy efficiency remains a key missing piece of the green economy puzzle.”
Mark Caskey, Managing Director, Mitie Projects, Mitie, said: “It’s disappointing that net zero initiatives were not prioritised in the Chancellor’s budget statement given the role energy efficiency, solar technology, and EV transition must play in achieving a net zero Britain by 2050.”
Research shows that businesses around the world remain concerned about the impacts of energy security and prices, which could be a catalyst for a range of environmental, social and economic ripple effects.
According to ABB Electrification’s Energy Insights survey of 2,300 leaders from small and large businesses across a range of sectors, 92 percent of respondents feel that the continuing instability of energy is threatening their profitability and competitiveness.
The key impacts on businesses due to rising energy costs in the last year include lower profit margins (34 percent) and cuts to spending in some areas (34 percent), leading to a shift away from investment in R&D and other business growth initiatives.
Morten Wierod, President, ABB Electrification, said: “Businesses say they need to insulate themselves from energy prices and insecurity and are re-evaluating current and future spending plans. Taking action to mitigate this is a clear priority, but this doesn’t have to be a catalyst for potential workforce or environmental impacts.
FIS has launched a revised Client Guide to Office Fit-Out and Refurbishment to promote best practice in the fit-out process and to take account of new working practices post-pandemic, the Building Safety Act and advances in sustainability.
First published in 2017, this updated guide is aimed at clients, contractors and architects involved in fit-out projects in a changing world. For clients, creating or adapting an office fit-out that can suit businesses in an environment where hybrid working has become the norm can prove daunting.
IS CEO Iain McIlwee said: “The guide to office fit-out and refurbishment was developed in 2017 by FIS but since then we have seen many changes in the market including the passing of the Building Safety Act which places new emphasis on safety and digitisation of construction data to fulfil the golden thread of information.
“The updated and revised guide will consider these significant changes whilst at the same time assist clients with the task of fitting out or refurbishing their offices and to promote best practice in the fit-out process.”
You can find out more on news.fmbusinessdaily.com
