Orbit has announced key progress against its Environmental Social Governance commitments in its latest ESG report published today.

Since its first report, which was published in September last year, the social housing provider and developer has advanced in several important areas including launching its Net Zero Carbon Roadmap, announcing a reduction in the carbon footprint of its operations by 33%, and setting a new Thriving Communities strategy to deliver social value to its customers.

Earlier this month, Orbit also received ISO14001:2015 certification for its environmental management system by the British Standards Institute (BSI). ISO 14001:2015 specifies the requirements for an environmental management system that an organisation can use to enhance its environmental performance. The certification process includes an audit of management systems including policy, procedures, training, communications and leadership, as well as an audit of compliance and best practice across offices, developments and communal spaces.

Other achievements from Orbit’s latest report include:

• Launching a new environmental sustainability qualification for its colleagues, the first in-house training of its kind in the social housing sector, developed by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA)
• Securing £1.4m Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) Wave 1 funding to upgrade 136 properties with the West Midlands Combined Authority and Stratford-on-Avon District Council
• Successfully sustaining BS9997, British Standards in fire risk management systems, the only national affordable housing provider to have achieved this
• Receiving a Merit in the globally recognised British Safety Council International Safety Awards in 2022, which celebrates organisations recognised as being world-leaders in health and safety practice
• Launching a Customer Engagement Strategic Committee to ensure that the customer voice is heard and listened to, whilst adding another layer of governance to the Orbit structure
• Committing to making sure 30% of Orbit’s outdoor spaces are supporting nature’s recovery by 2030 via its new Biodiversity approach

Set against the social housing sector’s Sustainability Reporting Standard, of which Orbit was an early adopter, the report also gives a snapshot of Orbit’s ESG strategy, which provides the business with a formal and measurable structure to deliver its commitment to create a better society.

Commenting on the report, Afzal Ismail Orbit Group director corporate services, said:

“Our ESG provides an update of how we’re minimising our impact on the environment, deliver social value and support society. We’ve made some important progress on our journey since last year, but also been adaptable and responsive to the global and national crises of recent months – utilising our resources to meet the challenges that our customers and communities are facing. As a responsible business, we know that there’s always more that we can do and our latest strategy will continue to maximise the positive impact that we make as an organisation in collaboration with customers, communities, partners and the wider sector.”

To download a copy of the report, visit https://orbitgroup.org.uk/our-esg-strategy/