Update from Justin Young, RICS CEO - September 2023

We had a busy and productive month in August, making strong progress on our transformation journey to better serve the public advantage and support members in everything RICS does. Members and staff are working together to deliver initiatives vital to this purpose, and I thank everyone for their commitment to professionalism as we move forward together.

Leading on sustainability

Following many months of hard and diligent work, RICS was granted observer status by the United Nations for this year's COP28 to be held in Dubai during November and December. RICS’ participation in this influential policy-making forum will further embed our profession's unique perspective and expertise at the centre of global efforts to decarbonise the built and natural environment. This is vital, given the contribution of our sector to carbon output and demand for materials.

Besides representing RICS at COP28, we will also publish members’ decarbonisation case studies ahead of the gathering, as well as announcing the winners of the RICS Student Competition centred on the same theme. Contributions to these initiatives from all concerned have been truly inspiring, and I congratulate all members, staff, partners and entrants who have helped us reach this point. You are showing the positive impact we can all make, and I look forward to continuing to work with you to address this important issue.

In a similar vein, I am pleased to say that the Whole Life Carbon Assessment (WLCA) professional standard 2nd Edition is in the final stage of preparation for launch later this month. This highly anticipated standard will give professionals, investors and other stakeholders greater visibility of the carbon cost of different design choices, in extending beyond the existing WLCA to cover the entire lifecycle of all built assets and infrastructure. This marks a major step forward in the drive to build a net zero future for construction, and I am grateful to contributors for the over 1,300 responses we received from across our profession and beyond, via the public consultation. Your input is enabling a world-leading standard for built environment carbon measurement.

Professional Group Panel developments

Elsewhere, recruitment for Professional Group Panel (PGP) Chairs continues, with a recent update from Simon Rawlinson, RICS Board Member, and Chair of RICS Knowledge and Practice Committee (KPC) outlining progress and the way ahead. As a reminder, PGPs will be responsible for overseeing the advancement of knowledge and professional practice in their area of focus. This will include developing the provision of advice and information, training and professional development materials and the sharing of best practice and training and development opportunities for members.

In addition to duties to their own PGPs, the six PGP Chairs will serve on the KPC, ensuring that diversity of expertise and perspectives from across the profession’s many disciplines inform the implementation and development of technical standards. As a body they will provide input to the Standards and Regulation Board, remaining accountable and reporting to the RICS Board. Chair appointments are expected to be confirmed this month, with advertisement for PGP panel members also expected in September, so please email PGP@rics.org to find out more about the appointment process and the opportunities available.

Supporting the next generation

Finally, I want to focus on an issue that is critical to our profession’s long-term resilience and relevance: attracting and enabling the next generation of chartered surveyors. In an increasingly competitive global marketplace for talent, it’s essential that we nurture the ambitions of prospective RICS professionals, in equal measure inspiring and opening to them the practical pathways necessary for achieving a fulfilling future in surveying. Thanks to the concerted efforts of members and RICS’ own recent engagement activity, since last year we have already seen an excellent 28% increase in candidates for the Autumn / Winter APC, demonstrating the enduring popularity of a surveying career.

However bringing this demand to fruition relies to a great extent on the dedication of our committed assessor community. RICS is deeply grateful to these experienced professionals who generously give their time and knowledge to enable APCs to take place. To meet this year’s growing demand, we need everyone in the trained pool of assessors to confirm their availability to carry out assessments in the coming session. If you are an assessor and have not yet provided your availability, please do so by 8 September so that we can give all candidates the best experience possible on their journey towards professional status.

In closing I would also like to highlight to members a new campaign that is about to begin, aimed at showcasing the benefits of a career in surveying to 16-18 year olds. I am sure you will agree from your own experience that there are so many opportunities across our profession, to learn, to grow, to make a difference, and to explore what makes the world work. As such we will be spreading this message working with influencer partners on TikTok – where research tells us this audience invests significant time and attention – to inspire them to take their first steps with us.

This is just one part of the great engagement work that RICS staff and many members already undertake, from working with universities, colleges and schools, sharing stories on social media, to speaking with people in their networks. While I recognise some of us may not currently be active on TikTok, please look out for the campaign and share the message that surveying is where exciting, expansive futures are built.