In just four years, Newland Homes has more than halved its operational carbon emissions and cut carbon intensity by almost two thirds, underlining its commitment to being the UK’s most climate considerate housebuilder.
This puts the Gloucestershire-based company at the forefront of the housebuilding industry’s transition to net zero.
Newland Homes has rolled out a robust sustainability strategy since it began reporting carbon emissions, introducing wide-ranging measures to shrink carbon footprint across all its operations and improve carbon intensity (the amount of carbon dioxide produced for every pound of revenue).
A 57.5% reduction in carbon emissions has been achieved over four years; a strong indicator of Newland Homes’ long term commitment to decarbonisation. Alongside this, a 64.6% reduction in carbon intensity shows the housebuilder is building more effectively with far less carbon impact.
Newland Homes has eliminated fossil fuel heating from its zero carbon homes, replacing it with renewable technologies such as air source heat pumps and solar panels with battery storage, enabling the complete phase-out of gas. On site, diesel has been swapped for Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), a 100% renewable biofuel made from waste vegetable oils and fats, cutting harmful particulates and improving air quality. The company’s staff car fleet is now fully electric, and construction sites are powered by electricity instead of gas, driving down emissions at every stage of the build.
The housebuilder has reduced its carbon footprint by 316.13 tonnes over the last four years. That’s equivalent to the annual carbon capture of a small forest of circa 15,000 mature trees.
Zoe White, Finance Director at Newland Homes, comments:
“We’ve taken decisive steps to cut carbon now, not wait for tomorrow or for building regulations to catch up. Even in tougher years, when the housing market has been challenging, our carbon intensity has continued to fall, underlying that sustainability isn’t an add-on for us at Newland Homes, it’s the footing on which every decision is made.”
Newland Homes’ sustainability initiatives also yield tangible benefits for its customers. The company’s innovative zero carbon homes emit no net carbon in use, compared to the average older home in the UK which emits 3.51 tonnes of CO2 per annum (according to the HBF Watt a Save report). Therefore, the company has not only reduced its environmental footprint, but those of its homeowners too, delivering long term, sustainable value for all involved.
The Gloucestershire-based company currently has approximately 600 zero carbon homes underway or in the pipeline across the South West, including affordable properties for those most at risk of fuel poverty.
Furthermore, Newland Homes is a certified Carbon Neutral business as recognised by Carbon Neutral Britain. The company’s carbon emissions have been retrospectively offset through Carbon Neutral Britain’s Woodland and Climate Funds. However, the company does not wish to rely on carbon offsetting and will endeavour to continue reducing its operational carbon emissions.
Newland Homes’ carbon footprint and carbon intensity has been calculated using the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) framework, designed to increase awareness of energy costs within organisations, provide them with data to inform adoption of energy efficient measures, and to help them to reduce their impact on climate change. It is now a legal requirement for companies to report on emissions.
For further information about the climate considerate collection of new homes by Newland Homes, please visit www.newlandhomes.co.uk/climateconsiderate or call 01452 623000.