Broadening the green agenda

We have been through a volatile period in terms of the economy but despite that I can sense a sea change in attitudes towards carbon reduction in housing.

Now that the fervour for building the first house to meet level six of the code for sustainable homes seems to have died down, we are coming to grips with building code level three and four houses. Speaking to someone from the BRE recently, he told me that at least one of the major house builders has commissioned them to assist in bringing all of their house types up to code three, so good progress there.

However, the results of some recent research conducted by Dr Jez Wingfield from the Centre for the Built Environment at Leeds Metropolitan University, into the performance of some code three houses, are alarming. They reveal that clients need to ensure that correct testing and monitoring is undertaken to provide real performance data to ensure that all is well once buildings are complete.

I sense a significant shift in interest towards addressing the failings of existing housing stock. We know that around 26 per cent of carbon emissions in the UK come from existing housing and that 80 per cent of the current housing stock will still be around in 2050 so it is a major area to tackle.

The Tenant Services Authority will, of course, expect landlords to focus their investment on existing stock. When one considers the knock-on effects of energy inefficient housing, it spans everything from fuel poverty to health inequality, high carbon footprint to stock deterioration, as well as rising rent arrears from tenants who can no longer afford to heat their homes. 

Research undertaken by URBED in 2007 for the Sustainable Housing Action Programme revealed that there were surprisingly few examples of large scale schemes aimed at providing significant improvements in existing housing stock to reduce carbon emissions and running costs.

As a consequence, SHAP commissioned a further piece of work to inform a ‘beyond decent homes’ standard for social landlords. This formed part of the evidence-based submission that SHAP has placed before government as part of the consultation period for the new decent homes standard.

There are some key challenges to upgrading existing stock. Put simply they comprise the technical solutions (starting with insulation and airtightness - not green bling), the funding required to deliver them and a method for implementing the whole process. This requires a new type of structured asset management plan to enable landlords to set a course towards meeting the UK’s Low Carbon Transition Plan. This involves the reduction of carbon emissions of at least 29 per cent over 2008 levels by 2020, along with proposals that all homes undergo a ‘whole house package’ of improvements by 2030.

The technical solutions do exist, but the skills required to design, install and maintain them are still lacking and the UK-based supply chain is still under-developed.

Winning the Green Social Housing Champion Award was brilliant. However, in my own organisation I am no longer the ‘green man’ as we have undergone a cultural transformation.

Having secured the ISO 14001 Environmental Management standard in 2007, we have recently become the first social landlord in the country to achieve the EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit System) European standard. Now this is great – always good to have another certificate on the wall in reception. However, what is really exciting is that the EMAS process has engaged the whole organisation from the board through senior management to front line staff and of course our tenants.

So, how do I feel about the future? Well actually I feel quite optimistic. Low and zero carbon housing is becoming mainstream, not just for new housing but also for existing stock. People are learning more about the technical solutions and there is a wide recognition that training is required to meet the demands of the LZC Technologies revolution which in itself could provide a great economic recovery tool. With careful monitoring then lessons can continue to be learned and continuous improvement achieved.

It’s not just green champions that are pushing forward on this agenda, there is clear evidence that with the correct support that everyone can become engaged.

If we really care about the people that we provide housing and services for, how can we fail to be enthused about the benefits that moving towards LZC housing can bring to them?

Alan Yates is director of regeneration at Accord Housing Association, and won the Green Social Housing Champion category at the Sustainable Housing Awards 2009

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