Scheme Sustainability
Our Commitment to Sustainability
At Housing 21, sustainability is at the heart of how we design, build and manage our homes. We are committed to providing high‑quality, affordable housing for older people while reducing our environmental impact and supporting a healthier planet. Ensuring that our schemes are environmentally and socially sustainable is central to every decision we make.
Energy‑Efficient, Low‑Carbon Homes
We are proud that 99% of our homes already meet Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C or above, achieved ahead of national targets. This milestone reflects a long‑standing commitment to insulation upgrades, improved heating and hot water systems, solar installations and a fabric‑first approach to building design.
Our ambition extends well beyond meeting standards; it includes taking proactive steps to decarbonise our buildings. From transitioning schemes such as Marigold Court to low‑carbon District Heat Networks, eliminating the need for gas on site, to embedding net‑zero carbon standards in new developments like Patent Walk and Patent House, we are leading the way in sustainable housing for older people.
Reducing Our Carbon Footprint
We recognise that reaching EPC C is only the beginning of our decarbonisation journey. We have set further ambitious targets to reduce energy consumption and lower our overall carbon footprint across our portfolio. We are actively investing in new technologies to avoid fossil fuel use where possible and ensuring every future investment decision supports our long‑term net zero goals.
Transparent, Responsible Environmental Reporting
Housing 21 is proud to be an adopter of the Sustainability Reporting Standard for Social Housing (SRS), which helps us monitor and report our environmental, social and governance performance in a clear and transparent way. This supports our continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to further reduce our carbon footprint and enhance sustainability across all schemes.
Supporting Residents to Live Sustainably
Sustainability is a shared journey. We work closely with residents to help them understand how they can reduce their own environmental impact. Resident ambassadors play a key role in influencing green initiatives at scheme level, and we consult on bespoke Sustainability Strategies for individual courts.
Are you passionate about sustainability or, do you have ideas for how we can make our communities greener and more energy-efficient?
Our Environmental Awareness Group is a space to:
- Share ideas and experiences
- Explore ways to reduce environmental impact
- Help shape Housing 21’s sustainability efforts
- Learn from guest speakers and each other
Building for the Future
Whether through off‑site modular construction that embeds low‑carbon standards from the outset, or through major retrofit programmes to improve the efficiency of existing homes, we are committed to designing for long‑term environmental and social value. Our homes feature high‑performance insulation, air‑source heat pump technology, mechanical ventilation, and renewable energy generation, supporting both lower carbon emissions and lower running costs for residents.
Supporting information
Find out more about how together we can take action to help us reduce our environmental impact and look after our planet.
Support with recycling
Keeping track of what your local council recycles and how it works can be tricky, especially if you’re new to your scheme or have recently moved to a different council area.
Follow the link below and enter your postcode for all the information you need to know about recycling in your area.
If in doubt put it in general waste (more harm done by contamination).
Recycling coffee pods- POD back
Many of us enjoy a morning coffee and with more machines using pods, the amount we get through each year is building up.
Globally, the scale is huge.
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Around 62 billion pods are used every year in North America and Europe
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Only 27% of people recycle them
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That means around 45 billion pods go straight to waste, about 123 million every single day.
Follow the link below to find out more, you could collect these and recycle them yourself and at your scheme.
We are working with local managers to supply battery boxes to schemes to allow residents to safely recycle batteries.
