As a follow-up to Buildings Day at COP22 in Marrakech, November 2016, the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GABC), of which RICS is a founding member, has now launched its first Global Status Report.

Amidst the drama of recent political events, it is perhaps unsurprising that the strengthening of the euro area’s economic recovery has partly slipped under the radar. But, having lagged most advanced economies significantly throughout much of the post-financial crisis era, growth does appear to have gathered solid momentum over the last two years according to the RICS Global Commercial Property Monitor.

The One Belt One Road initiative is essential to propelling the next stage of not only China’s but global economic growth. That was the message delivered by Professor Wang Wen, the Executive Dean of the Chongyang Institute of Financial Studies at the Renmin University of China in his compelling opening keynote address to the RICS World Built Environment Forum in Shanghai, April 2017.

At the World Built Environment Forum Summit in Shanghai, Dr Zhu Min, former Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and President of the National Institute of Financial Research at Tsinghua University highlighted the rise of populism and the ambiguities of “Trumpnomics” as important factors contributing to global economic uncertainty.  With the multilateral organisations facing populist criticism, Dr Zhu called for greater co-operation and responsible investment.

The developing world is undergoing a revolution in rapid, unstructured and unregulated urbanisation as rural populations flock to ever growing mega-cities. They’re looking to access better education, health care, employment and a new future for their children.

The rate of technological change is speeding up. As built environment professionals, we are faced with increasing opportunities and challenges in embracing the potential that such technology has to offer to the sector.