Since its inception in 2007 the Good Homes Alliance has been promoting and supporting higher standards of sustainability in new homes. On behalf of our members we are ready to respond to Climate Emergency declarations and are able to support these calls with clear strategies for reducing environmental impact and enabling net positive outcomes. New homes and communities have a major role to play in mitigating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and improving occupant health, resource efficiency and biodiversity. They must be designed and built to the highest possible standards to reduce energy use, and provide occupants with healthy and socially supportive environments.
We therefore encourage all our members, the housebuilding industry, local and central government to aim high and speed up moves to address the crisis.
We have the knowledge and skills to address this creatively and the GHA will continue to promote solutions and research to enable this to happen; we will maintain pressure on policymakers and the industry to do better, quicker in the belief and hope that we can solve this crisis.
We therefore commit to:
- Actively promote our philosophy and expertise for achieving higher standards
- Increase pressure on policymakers and the industry to do better, quicker
- Promote the very best examples of leadership and innovation in new homes
- Commission and carry out research to enable solutions to the crisis and to widely disseminate the results
- Support all our members in furthering their capability and commitment
- Highlight systems that are flawed, not fit for purpose or inadequate in order to bring about change
- Collaborate with all sectors of the industry to effect positive change to address the crisis
The GHA is demonstrating these commitments and addressing the climate emergency through a number of ongoing campaigns, research projects, events and conferences, namely:
Vanguard Campaign – Now in its second year, the GHA and its members and partners have been encouraging developers, local authorities and housing associations to adopt enhanced sustainability standards for new homes.
Net zero and Future Homes – GHA has been a supporter of a zero carbon approach to new homes since before 2010 and are actively involved in and endorse the UKGBC’s Advancing Net Zero campaign. We’ll be exploring these themes further at the GHA 2019 Conference, which takes place on 19th November in London.
Overheating in new homes – GHA continues to commission research and guidance to help mitigate the effects of climate change, most recently by developing new guidance on overheating in new homes, which will be launched on 16th July at a launch event in London.
The GHA calls upon organisations in the house-building industry to join the GHA to increase our leverage and effectiveness in delivering our agenda.