5112 research outputs found
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Reforming leasehold enfranchisement:the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024’s possible effect on leaseholders' right to enfranchise
No full textISSB and global standardisation of sustainability reporting
No full textThis chapter explores the role of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) in shaping global sustainability reporting standards, focusing on IFRS S1 General Requirements for Sustainability-Related Financial Disclosures and IFRS S2 Climate-Related Disclosures. It begins by outlining the need for global standardisation, emphasising the ISSB’s goal of creating a unified reporting framework to enhance transparency and comparability. The chapter then delves into the ISSB’s relationship with existing frameworks, such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), addressing efforts to align financial materiality-focused ISSB standards with impact materiality approaches. Furthermore, the chapter discusses implementation challenges, including data collection complexities, interoperability issues with regional standards like ESRS and critiques of financial materiality emphasis. The chapter concludes by evaluating the effectiveness, limitations and future trajectory of the ISSB’s sustainability reporting framework within the evolving global regulatory landscape
Platform-enabled circularity in offsite construction:a conceptual framework
No full textThe offsite construction (OSC) sector is characterised by the potential for multiple use phases of components. It presents inherent advantages for promoting a circular flow of resources, a fundamental aspect of a circular economy (CE), within the construction industry. This circular flow transforms traditional manufacturing/serviceconsumption cycles into more sustainable models. However, OSC actors face challenges in realising this circular flow due to its complexity in connecting to potential new users for secondary OSC components, modules and resources through selling, sharing or donation. Interestingly, scholars have highlighted the potential of digital platform solutions to address these inefficiencies by connecting circular actors to share standardised building components and modules and manage circular resource flow for a sharing and collaborative resource consumption within ecosystems. Despite the rapid development of platform-based studies, the academic discourse regarding the role of platforms in advancing circularity within the OSC ecosystem remains underdeveloped. Consequently, this study aims to address this gap through an integrative literature review of scholarly publications on how platforms can support the circular strategies to improve the circularity performance of circular OSC actors. The study conceptualised a framework to illustrate the circularity potential of contemporary platforms for circular OSC actors. The study offers valuable insights into how platforms can help minimise the uncertainties associated with sharing and collaborative consumption of finite construction resources. Additionally, it provides guidance to OSC policymakers on how to promote real-world CE projects within the OSC ecosystem. Future research will seek to validate the framework and refine its practical application empirically
Addressing housing affordability in Nigeria through incremental housing:an evaluation of the Millard Fuller Foundation (MFF) model
No full textAccess to affordable housing remains one of Nigeria’s most pressing urban challenges, especially for low-income earners, who are excluded from formal housing markets due to limited financial capacity. This study evaluates the incremental housing model developed by the Millard Fuller Foundation (MFF), the only known example of a formally structured private sector-led initiative in Nigeria. Using a qualitative case study approach, the research draws on in-depth interviews conducted with a senior MFF representative and 16 resident households to examine the model’s design strategies, affordability mechanisms, implementation challenges, and user experiences. The findings reveal that the MFF’s approach, which focuses on shell-and-core construction, cooperative-based financing, and flexible payment structures, offers a viable pathway to homeownership for low- to middle-income earners. However, it fails to reach the poorest segments due to persistent affordability barriers. This study contributes novel insights into the institutionalisation of incremental housing in Nigeria and highlights the importance of policy support to scale such a model for broader impact. The MFF model offers valuable lessons for policymakers, developers, and housing advocates seeking innovative solutions to Nigeria’s affordable housing crisis
Its mainly about fit:employability perspectives from undergraduate learners on a vocational course in England
Full text linkNumerous definitions of employability exist and they vary. Employability stakeholders have been consulted regarding their interpretations of employability. Nevertheless, the student perspective on employability is not dominant in employability literature. This paper is interested in students’ general understanding of employability and consequently, its aim is to explore students’ experience of employability within higher education. A qualitative method was adopted to obtain the student perspective. The research approach of a collective case study was taken. 3 cases involving 11 undergraduate students contributed to the collective case study. Data collection methods included semi-structured interviews; students supplied employability related stories. Additionally, work placement written reflections plus work placement mentor feedback forms were examined. Findings demonstrated that participants perceived employability as a multifactorial concept, however, a fit between worker and their work was of prime importance. Certain elements were considered impactful on fit. They included- knowledge, skills, practicalities, the social, change, happiness, and challenge. Employability is well-recognised as a multifactorial concept and previous authors have linked employability with a fit between worker and their work. Nevertheless, this paper stresses the importance of fit between worker and their work for students. It also identifies factors influential on fit and therefore on employability
Shifting the spotlight:what do we mean by ‘religious language?
Full text linkThere are mainly two types of questions asked about religious language: those about identity (e.g., what is a religious language?) and those about meaning (e.g., what do its sentences say?). Most philosophers focus on the latter because while they disagree about meaning, they agree that some sentences are religious and that our understanding of them does not depend on us knowing what makes them religious. In this paper, I provide two reasons why questions about identity should receive more attention. First, theories of identity and theories of meaning share a two-way relationship where the characteristics of one influence those of the other, and so overlooking identity overlooks important characteristics of meaning. Second, the study of religious language has been shaped by this relationship for some time and being aware of it improves our understanding of conventional trends and contemporary debates. If successful, this paper will motivate philosophers to reconsider the role of identity in research and to dedicate more effort to its study
Evaluating social sustainability factors prioritization in sustainable urban regeneration projects
No full textSocial sustainability has been acknowledged as an essential component for delivering sustainable development objectives. While the importance of social sustainability has been well recognised by many construction industry practitioners, its core requirements have remained undefined. Many of such social sustainability concepts have remained implicit and undefined. In some case, they have been ‘concealed behind a seemingly random choice of common socio-political indicators hence making social sustainability requirements very difficult for practitioners to clearly specify and prioritise in an explicit manner and deliver it in practical terms. This study investigates the degree of consideration given to the promotion of social sustainability factors by practitioners engaged in the delivery of sustainable regeneration projects in the UK. It draws data from 15 and 122 practitioners through semi-structured interviews and questionnaire survey respectively, from practitioners who participated in the study. The results reveal that, health and safety issues were the most promoted among the other six key social sustainability issues considered by majority of practitioners. The findings indicate that various efforts and legislations initiated by the UK government to improve health and safety practices within the construction industry had played a key role on practitioners’ attitude towards the promotion of health and safety issues in their practices
The rehabilitation industry:lived experience and performance
No full textWe approach this essay through a unique observation of being on both sides of the criminal justice system as prisoners and drugs addicts to transitioning into professionals and educators within and around the criminal justice system. We argue that the concept of rehabilitation has – through the neo-liberal capitalist social system – evolved into a Rehabilitation Industry. The essay argues that by defining the concept of the Rehabilitation Industry, society can ask critical questions of how social media, marketing, branding, the public facing performance as well as the dubious claims of rehabilitation is taking place. The principal argument within the essay is that, although often obscured, a fusion of the contemporary digital landscape and capitalism is creating a criminal justice system that harms justice involved people, whilst simultaneously the industry of ‘rehabilitation’ generates a multitude of capitals – economic, cultural, and political – for a whole range of stakeholders – not least those of us with ‘lived experience’ now occupying the justice reform stage