New RICS president Tina Paillet sets sights on sustainability

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has named Tina Paillet as its new president, the 142nd in the 156-year history of the organisation.

Paillet is the co-founder and chief executive of Circotrade, a building-material trading platform, and has overseen global asset management, major development projects and sustainable investing across Europe, the UK and worldwide in a career spanning more than 25 years.

In her inauguration speech, Paillet highlighted the built environment’s significant impact on climate change. “RICS must lead in the area of sustainability,” she said. “The road to net zero is blocked without us.”

She announced that, this year, RICS will convene and support a circular-economy forum, led by the market for the market. It will aim to share best practice and drive pragmatic and practical experimentation to provide examples and leadership for the whole industry.