Birmingham Social Housing Partnership

Sophie Atkinson

Group Head of Sustainability and Community Investment

SUSTAINABILITY

Overview

• Policy context

• The challenge

• Business drivers

• Our approach

• What we are doing

• Getting everyone on board

• Next steps

Policy Context

• The UK is committed to reducing its

greenhouse gas emissions by at least

80% by 2050*

• The UK is also committed to a reduction in

emissions of at least 34% by 2020*

* relative to 1990 levels

The Challenge

• 85% of the buildings that are in existence today will be around in 2050

• Carbon reduction in existing properties is key

A Major Engineering Project

• 80% CO2 reductions target 2050

• 20 million homes to refurbish by 2050

– 4 million in social housing sector

– 10,000 homes per week / 1 home per minute

• 20 million homes @ £25,000

– £500 billion to find and spend

– £12.5 billion per year

– £1.5 billion (Sanctuary alone)

But it’s not just about carbon…

• Other drivers:

– Rising gas/ electricity prices

– Fuel poverty

– Government (local and national) priorities (and

associated funding pots)

– Natural links with business strategy (eg

reinvestment)

– Value for money

– Business opportunities

Other aspects

• New build developments

– Move towards zero carbon

• Offices and commercial buildings

• Management of environmental impacts – water, energy, waste, biodiversity / green spaces, climate change

• This needs careful planning and an appropriate strategy to ensure success…

Creative Destruction

• A fundamental change in how we

do things

• Creative Destruction = When

something new (eg a technology, a

process, a methodology) replaces

the old way of doing things

• BUT – it’s a journey…

The road to sustainability

Rejection

Non

Responsive

Complianc

e

Efficiency

Proactive

Sustaining

Value

Destroyers

“freeloaders

and stealthy

saboteurs”

Value

Limiters

“bunker

wombats”

Value

Conservers

“reactive

minimalists”

Value

Creators

“industrious

stewards”

Value

Creators

“proactive

strategists”

Sustainable

Business

“transformative

futurists”

What are we doing?

• Sanctuary Green Technologies

– A wholly owned subsidiary of Sanctuary Group

– Focal point to make sense of emerging green

agenda – the big vision!

– Intended to be a vehicle to pursue green

ambitions across Group and generate income

(which is reinvested into new technologies)

Birmingham Projects

• Solar Photovoltaic project – c. 600 homes in total (around

170 in the West Midlands)

– £4.5m project value

– Feed in Tariff (FiT) generates income: 25 yr income RPI linked

– Improving the experience for our tenants

– Understanding what works

– Addressing fuel poverty

Birmingham Projects • Renewable Heat

Premium Payment (RHPP) Programme

• Funding under Phase 1 and 2

• Installation of air source heat pumps combined with solar PV in 20 properties in Birmingham

• Further 55 across the UK

What else are we doing?

• Environmental and Sustainability Strategy

• Building sustainable homes

• Retrofitting existing buildings

• Improving our offices

• Measuring, Monitoring and Reporting

– SHIFT Index

– Working Responsibly Report

Reducing Energy Consumption • For our business and our

residents

• eg Combined Heat and

Power (CHP) system –

Berryfields, Sutton

Coldfield

– 316 properties

– heating and hot water

from £8 p/w

Green space improvements

• Neighbourhoods Green Project

• Better use of space – linked to social outcomes

• In house estates services team –Sanctuary Maintenance

• Based in West Bromwich

• Horticultural apprenticeship scheme with Pershore College

The Wider Challenge • Ensuring our business is sustainable

• Addressing other impact areas: water,

waste, biodiversity, transport etc

• Knowledge, awareness and training

– For staff and residents

• Getting ready for new legislation

– Green Deal, Energy Company Obligation (ECO),

Renewable Heat Incentive etc

Changing the way we behave

• The missing 25%

• Motivating factors

– Information?

– Knowledge?

– Belief?

– Fear?

– Financial self interest?

Getting staff on board…

Getting residents on board…

Next steps

• Our aim: To limit any negative impact of our activities on the environment

• Part of a journey towards making a POSITIVE difference

• Improvements in data capture and monitoring

• New asset management strategy

• Developing business opportunities

• Lots of work still to do!

More information

• Environmental

and Sustainability

Strategy

• Working

Responsibly

Report

• www.sanctuary-

group.co.uk