British Land has pledged to take greater steps in encouraging disability inclusion across its business.
The REIT has signed up to the Valuable 500 initiative, a global project aimed at getting 500 of the world’s largest businesses to put disability inclusion on their corporate agendas.
In 2017, British Land became the first listed property company to achieve the National Equality Standard, and in 2019 The Social Mobility Foundation ranked the company 41st in the Social Mobility Employer Index.
Simon Carter, British Land’s chief financial officer and incoming chief executive, said: “Diversity and inclusion is central to driving innovation, understanding our customers and ultimately the success of our business. We work very hard to ensure that British Land is an organisation where people feel free to bring their whole selves to work.”
The Valuable 500 was launched at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in 2019 and has so far signed 326 companies. The project’s goal is for 500 multinational companies, each with more than 1,000 employees, to sign a public commitment to advance disability inclusion in their businesses.
Other real estate-focused companies to have joined include Arup, Barratt Developments, Brookfield Properties and Savills.
Caroline Casey, founder of the Valuable 500, said: “We are delighted to see the momentum of the sign-up to The Valuable 500 continuing throughout the global pandemic, demonstrating that businesses are listening and taking action to create a more inclusive society globally.”
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