Date published: 05 July 2023
Stonewater is awarded a Gold in its most recent environmental assessment.
According to the latest rating by SHIFT, an independent assessor of environmental performance for buildings, Stonewater’s performance rating has increased by almost three per cent in the last year, placing them second out of the 40 most recent assessments carried out.
The improved rating, announced during Net Zero Week, follows Stonewater being named the winner of the Engagement Campaign of the Year Award at the Unlock Net Zero Live Awards 2023 last week, in recognition of its successful engagement of residents in the climate change debate and implementing effective carbon reducing activities.
The SHIFT rating, which Stonewater uses as an independent measure of its environmental credentials, covers the financial year from April 2022 to March 2023, and gave Stonewater an improved score of 64.8%, an increase of 2.71% on the previous year.
The report highlighted several positive environmental measures, stating that the leading social housing provider had made ecological enhancements to 100% of the homes built in the reporting period and that it increased its proportion of homes rated EPC B and EPC A.
Further sustainability highlights included Stonewater’s strategy for managing and reducing all pollutants, almost 90 per cent of waste from new homes being diverted from landfill and residents' engagement with local waste initiatives during Recycling Week.
Adam Masters, Assistant Director of Environment & Sustainability at Stonewater, said: "What a week it’s been for Stonewater’s sustainability team. First the award win and now the news of our improved SHIFT rating.
"It’s testament to the dedication of everyone across Stonewater, along with our partners and of course our customers, and we’re really pleased that our work to continually improve our environmental credentials and reduce the impact of our homes and processes on the planet, has been recognised in this way."
Stonewater has a detailed environmental strategy, and has partnered with the Community Forest Trust to introduce a tree planting scheme to offset the timber used in homebuilding.