Our four key values – Environment, Clients, People and Community – make up the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting framework we have used to demonstrate how we follow sustainable business practices.
Under our strategy to be the market-leading provider of sustainability services to the built environment sector, some of our regions are now starting to measure performance in terms of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) in line with clients’ needs and current market standards. RLB Europe has just published its first ESG Report with other regions soon to follow.
As we increasingly report against ESG criteria and metrics, our CSR values will remain the cornerstones of our behaviours and how we do business. Our commitment to CSR and ESG, and to aligning project outcomes with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, will run hand in hand, overseen by a robust governance structure and committee process.
This will ensure we continue to work with partners who share our values and develop effective community and social impact programmes that meet local needs and deliver lasting benefits.
In 2023, we engaged in more than 300 initiatives globally – from fundraising and volunteering activities in support of local, national and international charities, to encouraging underrepresented groups into construction and actively helping to clean up the environment.
Helping our local communities brings us tangible benefits, too. CSR activities are valuable opportunities for broadening our skills and knowledge and forming stronger bonds with clients, stakeholders and end-users.
We have also observed how they improve team building and employee wellbeing within RLB as colleagues come together to collaborate on projects that give them a sense of accomplishment and fulfilment beyond the workplace.
Engaging in socially responsible activities fosters an organisational culture rooted in empathy and kindness. This is core to our belief that our success is not solely measured in profits but also in the positive impact we have on society. To us, doing the right thing matters.
Colleagues at our Doha office volunteered to help the Doha Environmental Actions Project clean up Qatar’s famous Singing Sand Dunes. This 100sq km area of desert is home to 60m-high dunes that create a unique vibrating sound when the sand is moved by the wind or people walking on it.
“This collective effort removed an astounding 310kg of waste and litter from the desert, underscoring RLB’s commitment to environmental stewardship and our resolve to making a tangible difference in our local surroundings,” says Dean Mann, RLB Director for the Middle East.
Every year as the crescent moon heralds the holy month of Ramadan, colleagues at our Dubai office embrace its central message of aiding the less fortunate through their Ramadan Box Appeal.
This annual custom sees RLB employees come together to pack as many as 400 boxes with essential groceries and toiletries for construction workers in the city.
“Ramadan serves as an important reminder to think of those who need a helping hand in our communities,” explains Martina Grubisa, HR Manager of RLB UAE and Qatar. “Packing these food boxes to give to construction labourers in our city is just one small way we can give back to our construction community and embrace the spirit of Ramadan.”
RLB North America is helping to nurture the next generation of built environment professionals through its support of a sandcastle building contest in California.
The Sandcastle Classic, held annually on San Francisco’s famous Ocean Beach, raises funds to provide arts and architecture education in public schools to help students build skills and achieve their full potential.
Our colleagues support this Leap Arts in Education initiative by serving on its committee and leading classroom design sessions for elementary school students.
On the day of the competition, RLB and other companies from the construction sector work in teams with local students to build giant sand sculptures, a spectacle which attracts thousands of people.
“A big reason why we chose to focus on arts education is our belief that a purpose-driven life starts with quality education and universal access to it,” says Christina Rosenberger, Sustainability Specialist and Business Development Professional at RLB’s San Francisco office. “Arts education forges creative forward thinkers, progressive problem-solvers and the industry thought leaders of tomorrow in architecture, design, engineering and construction.”
In 2023, the event raised over $245,000 for Leap, a private non-profit organisation which serves over 8,500 children in 32 Bay Area schools.
Our teams in Phoenix, Tucson and Las Vegas put their best feet forward when they took part in the Heart Walk, the American Heart Association’s biggest fundraising event.
The Heart Walk, which takes place in more than 1,000 cities each year, raises money to fund life-saving advancements in cardiac research and healthcare.
At the Phoenix Heart Walk, colleagues at our Phoenix and Tucson offices – including friends, family and pets – raised over $1,500 for the cause. They were among 20,000 walkers from 153 companies who together raised more than $1.6m.
RLB’s Las Vegas office supported the Heart Walk in their community, led by Paul Brussow, then Executive Vice President, now President, RLB North America.
RLB Toronto is providing its expertise free of charge to support the redevelopment of Gillian’s Place, a 34-bed shelter for victims of domestic abuse and violence in St Catharines, Ontario, Canada.
The shelter has been undergoing major interior renovations to meet growing demand for its services. Peter Vavaroutsos, Resident Manager at our Toronto office, building on his existing relationship with the board of directors at Gillian’s Place, offered to help this important community project by providing pro bono cost management and payment certification services during the construction work.
The arrangement is benefiting both parties: Gillian’s Place will receive 200 hours of professional consultancy support at no cost, while the RLB team involved have learned more about collaborating and engaging with stakeholders to deliver a project that has positive social impacts for the local community.
A youth cricket team in Western Cape, South Africa, have all the gear they need to play the game they love, thanks to the support of RLB.
We sponsor the Mustangs Cricket Club, providing branded clothing including shirts, caps, and trousers, and contributing toward the cost of bats, balls and other essential equipment.
The club, which is located in McGregor, approximately 150km east of Cape Town, has 20 players who participate in 15-over matches every Sunday. It was established in 2021 and aims to nurture aspiring young cricketers from the small local community of less than 5,000 people.
Nicolas Sheard, CEO of RLB Africa, who visited the club to present some of the new kit to the team’s manager and players, says: “Cricket has become a vital part of this community, providing a means to uplift the youngsters and giving them a sense of purpose.
“However, like many small communities in South Africa, limited access to adequate funding, as well as sporting facilities and equipment, hinder the potential of these and many other talented youngsters around the country.
“We took pride in extending a helping hand and these donations are part of RLB Africa’s socio-economic development initiatives, which are aimed at empowering individuals, especially young people.”
We are committed to overcoming the gender bias inherent in the construction industry by recruiting, retaining, developing and promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce.
To this end, RLB in the UK is a full member of Women into Construction (WiC), an independent not-for-profit organisation that promotes gender equality in construction. We have worked with WiC over the last two years, offering work placements to young female graduates on two different projects.
One of these was Kendagor Korir. Originally from Kenya, she graduated with a first-class degree in quantity surveying and has since joined RLB permanently.
For 12 years running, our Hong Kong office has taken part in Dress Casual Day organised by the Community Chest of Hong Kong. Colleagues wore their favourite casual clothes to work to raise funds for child protection and welfare services.
For more than 10 years, Peter has raised funds for Variety SA, a charity which supports South Australian children who are sick, disadvantaged or living with disability. Peter’s activities include requesting donations, organising fundraising events and donating items for charity auctions. To encourage volunteers to raise funds, Variety SA runs the Variety Bash, an eight-day navigation drive through the Australian outback in cars at least 30 years old. Through his participation in the Variety Bash, Peter witnesses first-hand how his fundraising efforts help children in remote and rural communities.
Over the last five years, Darren has raised thousands of pounds for Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Charity to help beat childhood cancer. Supported by family, friends and RLB colleagues, Darren participates every year in GOSH Charity’s 5km ‘Race for the Kids’ in London’s Hyde Park. All the funds raised go towards the development of cancer care at GOSH and building the hospital’s new Children’s Cancer Centre. Darren started taking part in the event when his son Charlie was diagnosed with brain cancer and started treatment under GOSH’s world-renowned care and attention.
