What is EDI?

EDI stands for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion and has grown to become an increasingly important sustainability issue over the past few decades.

EDI has become a workplace priority for organisations, both in the public and private sectors. EDI initiatives are intended to promote and uphold practices that make sure all employees are being treated fairly, no matter what background they may come from.

In the workplace, EDI is also supported by the UK Equality Act 2010, which is an anti-discrimination law which highlights nine protected characteristics; age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex (gender) and sexual orientation. 

Organisations that discriminate against people with these protected characteristics can face huge financial penalties or even serve jail time.

However, this act is not just a law for the workplace. It also protects people in wider society, with the Equality Act 2010 becoming a hugely important law as social justice and EDI principles have grown in importance.

EDI considerations are particularly important in sectors such as construction and the built environment, where women make up only 12% of the workforce, which highlights the need for more inclusive practices.

It’s also important for the built environment sector due to the huge skills shortage that the industry faces. The sector needs an additional 225,000 workers by 2027, in an industry which only attracts 170,000 workers every year in the UK.

This is an example of how EDI can be utilised to generate positive outcomes for both businesses and people. If the built environment invests in talent from diverse backgrounds, this can create positive societal outcomes for people and their communities, as well as address their own skills shortage.

What is DEI?

It’s worth noting that EDI is also occasionally referred to as ‘DEI’, with some organisations swapping out ‘equality’ for ‘equity’. This is often because they want to emphasise fairness by addressing individuals’ unique needs and circumstances by acknowledging that certain people may need more support than others, rather than treating everyone the same.