Do social housing providers have to comply? This is one of the first questions we get asked. The official guidance does offer a formal answer but is quite legally orientated and interpretation depends on whether the provider is a public body or not. Our general...
Feedback from a roundtable held September 2025 Staff from 24 UK social landlords representing over 350,000 homes attended the on-line session. We presented our proposed Environmental Quality Management System (EQMS) and the feedback was largely positive. The purpose...
Background Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) is a methodical way to report your organisation’s carbon footprint. Although not specifically designed to make savings, doing SECR does help identify costs savings and increase income. This blog describes a few...
At SHIFT Environment, we focus on helping landlords turn sustainability goals into day-to-day practice. We were pleased to contribute to Drova’s Housing Association Outlook Report 2026 [1], which brings together voices from across the sector to reflect on where...
Doing SECR for the first time may seem daunting because the official guidance is quite involved. However, the tips below help you get you through your first report. Mindset Before doing SECR for the first time, here are a few things to consider: Are you looking at...
SECR stands for Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting. It is a regulatory requirement for organisations to include their carbon emissions with their financial accounts in a specific way. Who Needs to Comply? Quoted companies need to comply. In addition, large...
ESOS reporting refers to the Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme, a UK government initiative requiring certain organisations to carry out energy audits. The key word here is “opportunity”, the process is designed to uncover cost-effective ways to save energy and...
A guide for care homes and buildings for people with special needs Energy usage Care homes and other buildings for people with special needs may appear similar to other buildings, but they have unique environmental considerations. Energy consumption is often higher...
Background to water efficiency Water is a precious resource, and with climate change leading to hotter summers and less rainfall, water efficiency is becoming increasingly important. Sustainable water management is key, and data from regulators like Ofwat can help us...
Background We had a fascinating meeting with innovative off-site home builder Agile Homes. They shared with us some of their great innovations. Here’s what they told us about their approach to the Future Homes Standard, flexible “needs-led” design and a novel...
Great news for residents and the environment! The long-awaited review of the Decent Homes Standard is finally here [1], and it brings with it a significant focus on environmental improvements. Even better, this updated standard will apply to both social and...
Overheating is back in the news [1]. As the UK faces potential heatwaves, it is an apt time to look at some figures. In this blog we’ll look at Met Office Projections, the difference between regions and what can you do to reduce overheating in your homes and...
Why this matters Through our SHIFT assessments, we’ve found that new build homes still have some distance to go before they can be considered truly sustainable. Our scoring system evaluates: The number of sustainable features in a home How effectively those...
[1] Background On the International Day of Happiness each year the United Nation’s (UN) annually release the updated World Happiness Report, which provides insights into global wellbeing and regional happiness rankings [2]. But how is happiness linked to...
Introduction England’s waste recycling rate was 44% between 2023-2024, but how does your local area perform compared to this? Some areas in England are known for having a better reputation than others when it comes to waste production, but do the official statistics...
The Climate Change Committee has recently released its seventh carbon budget, and this is how it could affect your property portfolio. Carbon budgets get released every five years by the Climate Change Committee (CCC) to advise the Government on the necessary targets...
We had an interesting meeting with Rendesco who develop heat pump networks. They shared their particular unique selling points with us, including lower install costs than other alternatives. Here’s what the said: Business Development Manager, Zoe recently joined...
Our governing institute, IEMA, kindly published our article on evaluating the degree to which materials are responsibly sourced [1]. Here’s what we wrote. When using UK-based suppliers, it is easy to assume you are not using materials produced unethically or at the...
Governments have been encouraging businesses to incorporate sustainability for decades. New research has found that over the past 10 years, global ESG regulations have increased by 155% (1). Many companies see this as costly compliance work, that “burdens companies”...
Summertime overheating is a key risk for the elderly, as heatwaves coincide with increasing mortality rates [1]. The 2003 ten-day heatwave across England and Wales, caused a 33% increase in deaths for those aged above 75 [2]. The...