Peabody’s progress towards a more environmentally friendly future was this year put to the test by a new assessment developed for the housing sector.
SHIFT (Sustainable Homes Index for Tomorrow) measures the strength of environmental policy and practice on an organisation-wide scale. 16 housing associations took part in the pilot scheme, which assessed the organisations’ existing housing and new-build homes, as well as their business premises.
Peabody was one of four housing associations to achieve a Silver rating – the highest rank any of the participants were awarded. Areas of strength identified in the feedback report included the open spaces and biodiversity on estates and energy efficiency in homes. Recommendations for improvement included increased staff training in sustainable practices and the expansion of water-efficiency measures in homes.
“As a public index and membership network, SHIFT is what the sector needs,” says Nic Wedlake, Peabody’s environmental sustainability manager. “It will give housing associations confidence that they are making the right steps in what can be a complex technical and policy area.”
An analysis of the results of this year’s SHIFT assessments was published by Inside Housing earlier this month.
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