Housing is a big part of the climate change problem, and represents 25% of the UK’s carbon emissions. The Chartered Institute of Housing’s Climate Change week, from 8th-11th February 2021, is supporting the housing sector to explore the steps we can all take to reduce our carbon emissions and make sustainable changes.
We want to do everything we can to meet the UK’s 2050 zero carbon target, and to improve our homes – both new and existing – for our customers, future generations, and our environment.
To mark Climate Change week, here’s an overview of the key things we’re doing:
Measuring progress
We are calculating our current footprint across our services and homes stock to give us a baseline against which we can see how we’re doing.
Reducing carbon
With consultancy support, we are developing a plan for decarbonising our organisation and homes. This plan will help inform what actions we need to take, and what will be required to make this happen.
Improving our carbon performance
We’re continuing to work hard to improve the carbon performance of our lowest performing homes, and doing what we can to tackle fuel poverty.
To support us in this work we have recently secured funding from the Green Homes Grant (GHG) Local Authority Delivery (LAD) scheme to improve the insulation and heating of 20 of our lowest performing properties.
Working with our customers
We’re starting a conversation with our customers so that we can work together on our journey to net zero carbon. We are also working with Placeshapers and TPAS and creating opportunities for customers to get involved with workshops.
Improving our homes
We are upping our game on the energy and carbon standard to which we build our new homes. As part of a test and learn approach, we’re developing a scheme that will achieve excellent thermal performance and be future proofed to be zero carbon ready.
Developing our systems
To tackle the carbon emissions from our business operations as well as their wider sustainability, we’re starting to develop an Environmental Management System to help us make key changes. We are also very excited to have employed Bernd Hoermann, our new Sustainability Officer, who will be focusing on developing this system and all sorts of other varied working including facilities management and business travel.
