Clarion has become the first housing association in the UK to be approved for a newly created sustainable housing label, which aims to help affordable housing providers attract capital from impact investors.
Developed by German consultancy Ritterwald, the ‘Certified Sustainable Housing Label’ was created as a tool to measure the sustainability of housing providers based on 30 social and green indicators.
To be awarded the label housing associations must prove they meet these indicators, which include tenant involvement, the installation of renewable energy sources and an emphasis on energy efficiency for new builds.
The indicators for the label mirror the United Nations’ goals for sustainable development, which have become the benchmark goals for impact investing.
Being part of the initiative will also allow Clarion to benchmark its performance on sustainability against other housing associations across Europe.
Other affordable housing providers which have been awarded the label include German landlord Gewobag and French landlord Vilogia.
Rob Lane, group commercial director at Clarion, said: “As the UK’s largest affordable housing provider, creating truly sustainable communities where people can thrive is at the core of our mission.
“By following these internationally recognised standards we will be better informed about the impacts our activities have on the communities we serve.”
Source: InsideHousing
