The SFMI - Skanska

Client: Skanska
Location: UK

Summary

Skanska has been a partner of The SFMI since 2014 and describes it as a widely recognised scheme with inherent credibility. On joining The SFMI, Skanska has consistently achieved the Platinum Award. Over the years Skanska has utilised The SFMI’s auditing tool which has helped to identify gaps in their sustainability approach and enabled them to identify and focus on specific areas of interest and concern; a prime example of this is their social score. In the 2021 and 2022 assessments, Skanska were joint winner achieving the highest social score out of all FM companies assessed.

The SFMI gives the FM sector credibility in its sustainability achievements and drives communication and collaboration within the industry. The SFMI provides a standard of which companies can be scored, which increases accountability and pushes FMs to do more to embed sustainability permanently within their organisation. The SFMI engages with Skanska and fellow FM companies to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the industry. This analysis and collaborative discussion aids progress in the industry and encourages responsible business best practices.

The challenge

One of the main driving factors for Skanska to join The SFMI was the increased transparency engaging in the framework provides. The SFMI was created in 2013 and has provided support and guidance to the UK FM industry since its creation. The SFMI provides a level of transparency which is necessary in today’s climate, with customers and stakeholders demanding increased accountability and disclosure. Achieving the Platinum Award actively communicates and affirms Skanska’s approach and commitments going forward.

Skanska is committed to being a credible company which engages with suppliers and customers in their sustainability journey. Being an active partner of The SFMI and embedding the values and standards of the Index, shows leadership and commitment. This communicates what they are striving for both within their own organisation and the industry. The SFMI provides guidance on governance and standards which Skanska has successfully embedded within their approach. This acceptance has contributed to their success within the framework and will continue to support them as they strive to be sustainability leaders within the industry.

The solution

FM Providers that take part annually in The SFMI assessments receive an annual responsible business assessment. This assessment quantifies their ESG performance, identifies gaps of embedding it in their business, benchmarks them against industry peers, and acts as an annual sustainability training programme for a wide variety of employees within the business.

The SFMI assessment, collaboration forums, webinars and research aims to:

• Deliver a sustainability roadmap
• Upskill the FM sector
• Communicate the challenges and solutions of sustainability in FM
• Celebrate the success and excellence in the sector

Transparency is key when communicating to all stakeholders including internal employees and customers. The SFMI’s approach is easy to understand and can be clearly communicated, which serves an additional benefit. Skanska’s communications team ensures the SFMI sustainability processes are communicated as part of Skanska’s sustainability strategy, which contributes towards increased disclosure and visibility throughout the company. Skanska has embedded this approach and now senior teams at both national and international level have a greater understanding of their responsibility within the sustainability agenda. This recognition from the board and senior management foster an understanding and collaborative approach throughout all levels of the organisation.

The results

The SFMI has shown how sustainability can be embedded not only through the environmental aspects but also through the societal and governance elements of the organisation. This wider scope helps address sustainability more holistically and provides a greater understanding of the risks and opportunities to the organisation and their stakeholders.

Skanska’s continued support and engagement with The SFMI have helped them to develop and refine their approach. This widened understanding of sustainability has enabled them to continue to strive as one of the leading FM companies in the industry. Skanska see The SFMI as a long-term commitment and as a platform which supports their continued development and learning.

Skanska has started to define social value for its business and is on a journey to better incorporate it throughout the organisation. Previously this has been highlighted as an area in need of improvement, therefore Skanska have set common targets and commitments to address this. They have seen a significant increase in their social value score since they joined. The SFMI has enabled them to apply this throughout the business and Skanska has learnt how they can make a positive impact in the company, value chain and within the local community.

Internally within Skanska, The SFMI has a good reputation and is seen as a challenging and robust process to assess their sustainability. This internal acceptance allows employees to embrace and embed the changes and cultural shift needed to implement sustainability throughout the organisation. It also enables Skanska to continue to score Platinum − the highest award a company can achieve on the Index.