Business

John McLean: Housing associations are playing a key role in climate battle

Environmental sustainability has been central to how Radius delivers its existing services and how it plans for the future of social housing and personal support
Environmental sustainability has been central to how Radius delivers its existing services and how it plans for the future of social housing and personal support Environmental sustainability has been central to how Radius delivers its existing services and how it plans for the future of social housing and personal support

THE climate challenge is a global challenge. It is not sufficient or even acceptable to simply stick to doing things the way we always have done and assume that ‘someone else’ or ‘the Governments’ will tackle what is the most pressing crisis of our time.

As individuals we all have a part to play and organisations like ours have a responsibility to not only address the climate challenge where we can, but to encourage and support our tenants and partners to do so also.

Since Radius was founded six years ago, environmental sustainability has been central to how we deliver our existing services and how we plan for the future of social housing and personal support. There are specific measures we deliver as part of our daily work but we are also lifting our sights further and engaging with partners such as Phoenix Gas to explore potential longer term environmental solutions.

In compiling our sustainable strategy, the ‘Radius Sustainable Way’, we engaged with our staff, residents, board members and business partners. That strategy sets us on a path to zero carbon and is supported by a commitment of an extra £25 million over the next five years towards eradicating dampness and improving the thermal efficiency of our oldest homes.

In parallel we are aiming to raise the Environmental Performance Certificate (EPC) of 2,000 homes to level C or above which will mean that all our housing stock is at least at Level C. For new build property which we have responsibility for design will be developing to Level A.

Work of this nature is carried out in partnership with our tenants, as happened in St John’s Close, in downtown Belfast. In that 48 unit apartment block all units had an EPC rating of D or E. We consulted with the residents and developed a retrofit plan featuring comprehensive insulation, new windows, enhanced air quality through mechanical ventilation and advanced heat recovery, more efficient lighting systems and PV panels on the south-facing roof.

These measures on the whole will reduce CO2 emissions by 75 per cent and regulated costs by as much as 64 per cent. The EPC rating is expected to rise to A level. It is critical that we understand the needs and priorities of our tenants if the full advantages of sustainable investment are to be realised.

It is important that while undertaking retrospective work to enhance sustainability and improve living conditions, that we also look forward. Is there a way in which future homes can be powered, lit, heated in a carbon neutral way? This enticing prospect is behind the study we are undertaking in partnership with Phoenix Natural Gas.

Our work to promote sustainable living is not restricted to the home, we work with our communities on projects which create a positive environmental impact. As an example, the Radius Growing Wild Diversity project brings people of all ages together to grow plants and create habitats for insects and animals that co-exist alongside our communities.

The project involved pupils from 16 schools and ran across 60 Radius housing schemes and communities. This programme included provision of bird and bat boxes, hedgehog houses, butterfly and bee boxes, all helping local species thrive.

When we build new homes we also, as a matter of course, provide for community facilities such as playparks, open green spaces, linear parks and areas of rewilding. Open space is as important a feature of our housing projects as the bricks that build our properties and house our families.

Radius is a member of the European Federation of Living which comprises members from the largest social landlords in the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands as well as leading universities and consultancies.

We are actively involved in projects and information exchanges relating to new technologies, construction methods and tenant lifestyles. There is a growing realisation that if current global decarbonisation targets are to be met, this is beyond the affordability of governments, requiring sizeable contributions directly from citizens. In return they will enjoy safer, cleaner, healthier and more enriched lives.

Addressing the climate crisis may not appear initially to be the role of a housing association but in 2023, this is the new normal and we will always be to the forefront of ensuring that Northern Ireland quickly becomes carbon neutral and climate friendly.

John McLean is chief executive at Radius Housing