Accord steps up bid to become UK's 'greenest' housing association » Environment » 24dash.com

Accord Housing Association today moved one step closer to its goal of becoming the ‘greenest in the UK’ after being shortlisted for two national Eco Awards.

Birmingham and Black Country-based Accord has won through as a double finalist of the national Sustainable Housing Awards 2008, organised by Inside Housing magazine.

Accord has been shortlisted in the Sustainable Social Landlord of the Year category and Alan Yates, Accord’s Director or Regeneration, is a finalist in the individual awards for Green Champion of the Year.

The event is the first awards scheme in the UK to focus on the best “green” social housing projects constructed in the UK, and the organisations responsible for them. The trophies will be presented at an awards ceremony at the Hilton Hotel in London’s Park Lane on Tuesday 11 November.

More than 130 entries were received for the awards, which will be hosted by top impressionist, and keen environmental campaigner Alistair McGowan.

Ted Stevens, Inside Housing’s events director and the organiser of the awards said: “We’ve had a terrific response and Accord has done brilliantly to get shortlisted from such a huge field.

"Britain is leading the way on sustainable housing and innovative building techniques so we’re delighted we’re able to organise a ceremony to reward that organisations that are delivering best practice”.

The sponsors of the awards include Wates Living Space, EPS Social Housing, Civica, Axis and the NHBC.

Accord is one of only a handful of housing associations across the UK to have obtained the acclaimed Environmental Management Standard ISO 14001.

The mark is awarded to organisations that meet a set of tough standards for controlling the environmental impact of their activities, products and services.

Paul Di Mambro, Head of Environment and Sustainability at Accord, said: “We are striving to be the greenest housing association in the UK.

“We already measure our carbon emissions annually, including those from our 7,000 homes across the region, and are building ground-breaking new eco homes and trying to reduce the carbon footprint of our existing housing.

“It’s fantastic to have made it through to the finals of this prestigious awards ceremony in not one but two categories.”

As part of the campaign, Accord has successfully:

• Saved thousands of ‘car miles’ by encouraging staff to share journeys or use public transport/cycling/walking
• Set up a food waste composter at its West Bromwich office and wormeries at care home sites.
• Piloted bio-degradable cleaning products at a care scheme.
• Seen a 50 per cent reduction in water use at the Greenscape depot – Accord’s landscaping and ground maintenance service.   

Accord is now working to become the first housing association in the country to achieve the challenging European Eco Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) in April 2009.