Dozens of New Zealand businesses and organisations – including ANZ, Foodstuffs, Massey University, Playcentre, PMG Funds, Citycare Property, Cushman & Wakefield, Programmed, Frucor Suntory, and Health and Safety Association New Zealand – are calling for the government to set and implement improved indoor air quality standards for all public buildings coinciding with this year’s World Ventilate Day (8 November).
Improved indoor air quality is associated with better health, wellbeing, learning, productivity, concentration levels and school attendance.
In September, a new report revealed that improving the quality of the air people breathe inside offices and schools would reduce sickness and improve concentration levels so much that it could benefit New Zealand to the tune of $1billion.
School absenteeism would drop with better classroom air, and attendance would rise by over half a million school days, the report also found.
The full list of organisations backing the call for improved indoor air quality in public buildings is Foodstuffs, ANZ, Playcentre, Massey University, Cushman &Wakefield, PMG Funds, Programmed, Citycare Property, Ventia, Jacksons Engineering, Otago Museum, Frucor Suntory, Tāmaki Regeneration, New Zealand Green Building Council, IAQ Research Centre New Zealand, Samson Corporation, Presbyterian Support Otago, Association of Building Compliance, Health and Safety Association New Zealand, Kiwi Property, AirLab, BGIS, Air Quality Collective, OptimumAir, FM Concepts, Simx, ebmpapst, PRISMA Facilities Management, UV Solutionz, IRHACE, CCCANZ and RLNZ.
Jo Duggan, chief executive of FMANZ, who have organised the coordinated call for improved air quality, said:
“Better air in our buildings means people are healthier, and more productive, school attendance improves, and concentration levels and learning get a boost too.
“Improving the air inside our buildings is good for business, good for our children, good for school attendance, good for our health and wellbeing, and good for our economy. And good standards of indoor air quality are also a sign that a building is well run and maintained properly.
“A growing alliance of New Zealand businesses and organisations are backing a shift to better indoor air. Now it’s time for our politicians to do the same.”
FMANZ is the peak trade body representing the tens of thousands of people employed in the multi-billion-dollar facilities management industry in Aotearoa.
Every day, facilities managers look after billions of dollars of vital assets, and millions of New Zealanders. All of our schools, hospitals, offices, warehouses, museums, sports stadiums – the nation’s entire portfolio of buildings – rely on facilities managers to keep them operating.
