A charter for competitive advantage and enhanced employee belonging.

The CIOB has, over the years, examined some of the biggest issues in society, suggesting actions that can be taken to address them and offering leadership by making the case for doing so.

The business case for increasing diversity and inclusion in the construction industry could not be clearer. What we build should meet the needs of society. That is hard to achieve if we are not sufficiently diverse and, as an industry, do not reflect society.

Tackling difficult yet important subjects such as corruption, modern slavery, mental health and social mobility. We, as an industry, have the potential to drive positive change and we can do this by ensuring that we promote equality and support initiatives which break down barriers, reduce the impact of bias and actively support all those who aspire to a fulfilling and progressive career in our industry.

It is abundantly clear that improving equality is in everyone’s interest, and recognising that our own journey is just starting, we as an organisation will work with our members, our networks, other professional bodies and across the wider industry to promote equality and play our part in enacting positive change.

This special report and Charter has been developed to be practical and useful, with behaviours that we can all work towards to make our industry ore inclusive. It doesn’t point a finger but encourages, recognising that we are all at different stages of the journey. No single organisation has this cracked, but every one of us, and every business in this sector can improve.

If one of your ambitions is to make this industry fairer and more open to others, then you are encouraged to sign up to the Charter, to help make a difference, and to promote and share the very best of what you are doing. This is not about seeking perfection – it is about striving for something better. The Charter sets out a direction of travel and now each of us must plot the course towards a more inclusive industry.