Orbit has released its first Environmental Social Governance (ESG) report, ahead of announcing its Net Zero Carbon Roadmap later this year.
Set against the social housing sector’s Sustainability Reporting Standard, of which Orbit is an early adopter, the report also details 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, Orbit Group Chief Executive, Mark Hoyland said: “Orbit has been fully committed to playing its role in tackling climate change for many years and we have taken a number of positive actions through our sustainability programme, Orbit Earth. As a result, we have already seen a 21% reduction in our carbon footprint since base line measures were taken in 2018. But we recognise that there is more we can do to leave a lasting legacy for future generations, which is why we were an early adopter of the social housing sector’s ESG approach, the Sustainability Reporting Standard, and I am pleased to launch our first report, which adheres to this.
“Our ESG document outlines our strategy and our performance against our goals. It provides a clear roadmap of how we can minimise our impact on the environment, deliver social value and support society. It is a key strategic goal to ensure our actions fulfil our social purpose and our vision: that we lead in building thriving communities.”
Earlier this month, Orbit released a research report in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Housing, exploring the understanding, attitudes and priorities of social rented households to reaching net zero carbon, as well as examining more widely what matters to them in relation to their environment. The report revealed that 93% of customers believe Orbit has a responsibility to make decisions that deliver a positive impact and protect the environment, and 59% of customers want to see environmental plans and provide feedback.
Mark continues: “Demand from customers and stakeholders to better understand the ethics of a business are growing – and rightly so. It is essential that we measure and manage our ESG impact with transparency and accountability. How we build and maintain our homes, how we run our offices, and the partners we work with, all have environmental implications, and we need to make firm commitments and take clearly determined actions that will help address the climate crisis.”
To download a copy of the report, visit https://orbitgroup.org.uk/our-esg-strategy/