... " Zsombor Barta, president of the Hungarian Green Building Council (HuGBC), argues that with safe work in focus after the pandemic, WELL certifications for internal spaces are becoming highly popular.
“Again, FM/PM plays an important role, as increased health and safety strategies need to be implemented in order to fulfill the requirements of the certification scheme,” he tells the Budapest Business Journal.
“In general, all these certifications and benchmarking standards ask for increased management strategies and implementation of best practice measures, which increases the overall sustainability. Therefore, FM/PM plays a very important role in this, and the increased demand for ESG and other sustainability standards will only encourage this,” Barta adds.
PM and FM are regarded as needing to further adapt to the increasing trend for office development in line with WELL sustainability requirements. Regina Kurucz, head of the WELL working group at the HuGBC, argues that FM should primarily serve the users, not the buildings.
The results of FM actions should be monitored with the end-user in mind, she says. For example, did changing the filters in the ventilation system really improve air quality? This question can only be answered if measurements are made regularly. Benchmarking and accountability are central to a functioning office project.
“ESG is becoming a highly important issue on the real estate market because sustainability and low carbon emissions are the baselines for financial risk mitigation and eligibility for beneficial financial conditions as well,” Barta agrees.
“We see on the market that ESG assessments are picking up. ESG assessments are important benchmarking data for financial stakeholders; therefore, PM/FM plays an important role in how a building is performing, what increased measures and strategies are in place, etc.,” he says."...
