Decarbonising Housing: What Can Community-led Housing Groups Do?

• Published date: 30 November 2021
• Subject Matter: Real Estate and Construction, Energy and Natural Resources, Energy Law, Oil, Gas & Electricity, Real Estate
• Law Firm: Wrigleys Solicitors
• Author: Ms Laura Moss and Daniel Lewis

A new report released by the National Housing Federation offers useful guidance for groups.

Ahead of the recent COP26 summit, the National Housing Federation (NHF) published a new report to help housing associations decarbonise. In our experience, the community led housing (CLH) sector is already driving forward the net zero carbon agenda, as we explored at our recent climate café. However, for those groups who haven't yet grappled with these issues, the report offers some useful pointers.

Wrigleys works with many CLH groups who are pioneers in developing net zero carbon properties and sustainable living. CLH groups such as Lilac, Lancaster Co-Housing and Cannock Mill have all used innovative and cutting-edge measures to develop a low impact lifestyle and to meet the challenges posed by the climate emergency. Examples of this include Lilac using a low-carbon method of construction that significantly reduced CO2 emissions, Lancaster Co-Housing using south facing triple-glazed windows and doors to capture heat from the sun and Cannock Mill developing properties with living green roofs. You can find out more about each of these inspiring communities here:

https://www.lilac.coop/

https://www.lancastercohousing.org.uk/

http://cannockmillcohousingcolchester.co.uk/

For any CLH groups who are struggling to get to grips with the climate emergency and net zero demands, the NHF report could be useful. The report forms part of NHF's vision of improving the housing market by creating safe, sustainable, green and high-quality affordable homes. In producing the report, the NHF worked with its members and decarbonisation experts to set out a road map for retrofitting existing house stock and the benefits of doing this, including an aim of ensuring that properties become more comfortable, more cost effective and above all, emit no carbon.

The report emphasises that to meet the targets discussed at COP26, we all need to radically reduce our carbon footprint. One way to do this is by rethinking the way our homes are heated and insulated and this can help contribute to meeting the UK government's legally binding...