"We believe that to deliver our promise of great homes and strong communities, sustainability has to be at the heart of everything we do"
As my time at Hull University was coming to an end in 2021, I found myself reflecting on the various areas I had covered throughout my Geography degree. As fellow Geographers are more than aware, the subject covers a breadth of topics, many of which I found incredibly interesting.
My journey to date with Lincolnshire Housing Partnership
The sheer scope of the curriculum gave me lots of food for thought about which path to pursue following my time in education. As I was finalising my dissertation, I saw a job opportunity with Lincolnshire Housing Partnership (LHP) for a 12-month environmental management trainee. Housing wasn’t a field that I had previously considered as an option for someone interested in sustainability, I was completely unaware of the opportunities that the sector had to offer for environmental professionals.
The role was completely new to the organisation, which I think made the opening even more exciting, allowing me to shape the position as time progressed. I was delighted to be offered the job, and once my 12-month contract had come to an end, I secured a permanent role as sustainability manager within the business.
Since then, I have gone on to gain my practitioner status with an Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) thanks to LHP’s support, been named as a winner of the Hull & Humber’s Top 30 Under 30 Programme and secured the Rising Star Award at the Unlock Net Zero Live conference in 2023. LHP have provided a vast range of development opportunities for me and are always encouraging me to progress both personally and professionally.
What I have learnt along the way
I have been involved in a variety of exciting projects across the organisation since starting in 2021.
One highlight of my role so far has been surrounding our retrofit programmes. LHP has secured more than £12m in funding for energy efficiency measures on our customer’s homes in the last year alone. Having the opportunity to be involved in a project from the initial data analysis stage, right through to meeting customers at engagement events has been incredible.
Our Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund project that we are currently delivering alongside E.ON, is set to install external wall insulation to over 730 homes across Immingham and Grimsby. Having spoken to customers who have been taken through the process with our internal teams, it is amazing to see what a huge impact the work is already having on their lives. We are truly making a real difference! We currently have 85% of homes at EPC C or above, and this will continue to improve as our energy efficiency work progresses across this financial year.
A large part of my position has been to strengthen our wider strategy regarding ESG delivery, which has resulted in the production of our Net Zero Roadmap, ESG Framework, Carbon & Waste baselines and our first Sustainability Reporting Standards Report which aims to hold us accountable against our ESG targets. We believe that to deliver our promise of Great Homes and Strong Communities, sustainability has to be at the heart of everything we do. Our framework outlines three core outcomes that we are aiming to achieve through our ESG Projects:
- Vibrant Places: We want empowered and engaged customers and colleagues
- Greener Spaces: We want sustainable communities that are green and healthy
- Futureproof homes: We want warm, energy efficient homes for our customers
To deliver these outcomes our colleagues and customers must be engaged in our sustainability work. Our Bronze Carbon Literate Organisation Accreditation is one way in which we are breaking down any existing barriers within colleague engagement. We support these training sessions with our very own Sustainability Guide, which allows colleagues and customers to increase their understanding of the net zero agenda.
Finally, as alluded to within our Framework outcomes, we recognise that the 10,000 green spaces across our neighbourhoods are also hugely significant. We have embedded biodiversity KPIs across the supply chain, worked alongside Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust to enhance our knowledge of these spaces, and have also planted 180 trees across our communities since January 2024. We have committed to managing 30% of these green spaces for nature by 2030 and are very excited to continue catalysing improvements to these nature pockets and building upon the growing green corridors across Lincolnshire.
What excites me about working in the world of sustainability
My work in housing provides me with a holistic view of sustainability. I am constantly learning from the many experts we have across the business, which as someone who was a huge fan of education is an excellent opportunity.
One thing that excites me about working in housing is something that caused me a lot of confusion and worry within my first six months in the role; no one knows all the answers, particularly when it comes to decarbonisation - there are so many lessons still to be learnt. Every day that I experience is different and not knowing exactly what the sector will look like in 20 or even ten years’ time is hugely inspiring.
We have 12,500 homes, over 20,000 customers and 10,000 green spaces. The opportunity we have to shape not just our customers’ lives, but the communities we serve as a whole is incredible. It is evident that societal change is required for us to secure a safe, healthy and happy future. Working across sustainability within social housing allows me to be at the heart of that vital work.
I feel very fortunate to work for LHP. The breadth of projects we have been able to execute is down to the sheer ambition, drive and commitment of my colleagues across the business, who I love working alongside every day. I can’t wait to keep learning.
Libby Kerman is a sustainability manager at Lincolnshire Housing Partnership. In 2023 she was named a rising star in the Unlock Net Zero Climate Champions’ Power List.
Related Content
- © Ocean Media Group