Sustainable Homes 2023: a new event for everyone working to decarbonise social housing

While many of the NHF’s conferences have decades-long legacies, Climate and Sustainability in Housing, introduced in 2021, was relatively new. While we had dedicated content to climate change then, the immediacy of the challenge drove us to create an entirely dedicated event. However, because of the ever-evolving nature of the subject matter, this year’s conference will be a little different.

Our renamed and refocused ‘Sustainable Homes’ conference will focus on the practicalities of decarbonisation. While sustainability felt somewhat aspirational a few years ago, many organisations are now working towards EPC C by 2030. We want to make sure that we are supporting our members through the everyday challenges of retrofitting their residents’ homes. We want you to return from this conference fully equipped with the tools you need to embrace decarbonisation. 

With this in mind, the Sustainable Homes conference is primarily focused on best practice. It has been shaped by research with those of you for whom sustainability is now inseparable from your daily obligations. My conversations with asset directors, heads of sustainability, development professionals, and finance directors revealed common issues and themes across the sector, including the green skills gap, procurement, resident engagement and sustainable investment. These themes helped me put together an agenda that I hope will provide insight and inspiration that you won’t be able to get anywhere else.

Something that came up throughout my research, and which I wanted to emphasise in the agenda is that sustainability cannot be one person’s – or even one team’s – responsibility, it must be a cross-organisational endeavour. Neither should it be seen as a bonus or add-on. Integration into normal functions is essential. Of particular relevance here is the issue of quality and the Better Social Housing Review. The Sustainable Homes conference will be the first forum where asset teams can come together following the release of the forthcoming Better Social Housing Review action plan, and I want to make the most of this important learning opportunity. Threaded throughout the agenda is the assertion that sustainability and quality go hand in hand and several sessions will highlight exactly how housing associations can ensure this synergy.

Sustainable Homes 2023 will be a unique opportunity to hear from incredibly informed individuals both within and beyond the sector, including (to name just a few):

• Alan Whitehead, Shadow Energy Minister
• Donna Williams, Group Director - Sustainability and Climate Change at Sanctuary
• Professor Paola Zerilli from the University of York
• Dhara Vyas, Deputy Chief Executive of Energy UK
• Tony Hopkin, Head of Construction and Quality at Midland Heart.

It is a conference shaped by social housing professionals for social housing professionals, a place to network and learn from each other, and an essential event for everyone working to decarbonise the sector. So please take a look at the agenda and I look forward to seeing you all there.