Update from Justin Young, RICS CEO – November 2025

This month I have news of two significant streams of work, intended to accelerate progress on issues that cut to the core of our profession and its impact on society: skills and sustainability. These two challenges are inextricably linked. We cannot achieve our climate goals without addressing critical skills gaps, which play a significant role in limiting our profession's capacity to deliver sustainable development.

Today RICS is launching the 2025 Sustainability Report, our flagship exploration of trends and sentiment around global sustainable practices. It was informed by feedback from 3,500 built and natural environment professionals in 36 countries.

This year’s report illuminates a range of concerns and action points for our profession.  It is the belief of professionals that high costs are the primary barrier to the adoption of sustainable practices, closely followed by a lack of skills, training and knowledge.

46% of construction professionals report not measuring embodied carbon, underscoring the increasing gap between climate commitments and practice.​ Without mandatory whole-life carbon assessment and reporting, stronger policy intervention and accelerated skills development, the momentum behind sustainable development risks stalling.

One of the takeaways for me from this, is that a skills and knowledge gap in sustainable building practices is affecting professionals and their work.

This directly correlates with the findings of our first Surveying skills report, published last month. Based on insight provided by surveyors across the globe, the report confirms that the skills shortage in the profession is a real and pressing problem, with contributing factors including an ageing profession, challenges in attracting new entrants, and rising demands. The shortage is impacting cost, capacity and innovation in our profession.

Armed with data from the Surveying skills report, RICS has committed to facilitating more impactful collaboration across industry, academia, education and policymakers to address skills. In October, a Skills Gap Spotlight and Hackathon took place at RICS HQ in partnership with BE News and Hackathons UK. We convened senior figures from RICS, Skills England, BEFA, RIBA, CIOB, RTPI and ICE, alongside built environment professionals of all levels, to identify real-world solutions to the challenge. Students and young professionals who participated in the Hackathons pitched their concepts to a panel of judges and the winning idea, a talent-matching platform connecting professionals to employers in the built environment, will now be developed with the support of RICS mentors. Read more about the outcomes of this event here.

All this data and insight from RICS members will support our discussions at COP 30 this month. While RICS will have a more streamlined participation this year, we remain committed to contributing meaningfully to global efforts to decarbonise the built environment. Our focus is on supporting professionals and markets with trusted standards and practical guidance that are being adopted across thousands of projects, helping ensure consistency, credibility and impact.

Again, collaboration will hold the key to success. RICS is a core member of the Buildings Breakthrough Priority Action B1: Standards and Certifications Steering Committee, helping shape the standards and certifications that will define near-zero emission and resilient buildings. We’re also hosting an event alongside RIBA, AIA, ICC, Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano (FFLA), and EBP Chile. This session will see Toby Perkins MP, Chair of the UK Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee, share insights from a forthcoming report on environmental sustainability and housing growth, to which RICS contributed. This reflects the growing alignment between professional standards and public policy in delivering sustainable development in the UK.

While strengthening partnerships to address these issues is critical, there are also tangible actions that we can take right now.  We are committed to supporting members with the skills and capabilities they need to meet the demands of the built environment. To that end, very soon you’ll be hearing more about the updated RICS CPD programme which will take a more coordinated and accessible approach, helping members stay current, credible, and compliant in this rapidly evolving built and natural environment.

As an RICS member, you have real influence over these global issues. Please continue to lend your voice, insights and expertise as we work to address them.