Environmental
This page outlines our environmental performance, climate change commitments, retrofit activity, energy efficiency improvements and sustainability targets, demonstrating how we are helping customers live in warmer, greener homes while supporting the transition to a low-carbon housing sector.Environmental at a Glance
- 83.77% of existing homes are EPC C or above
- 183 homes upgraded through our retrofit programme in 2025/26
- 33% reduction in emissions per home since 2019/20
- 84 air source heat pumps installed during the year
- 170 homes fitted with solar photovoltaic (PV) panels
- Net zero homes target by 2050 with a costed transition plan in development
Key environmental priorities include energy efficiency, carbon reduction, net zero housing, retrofit investment, renewable energy and climate resilience.
T1 - Climate
Prevents and mitigates the risk of climate change
C1 - Distribution of EPC ratings of existing homes (those completed before the last financial year).
- EPC A: 0.44%
- EPC B: 21.08%
- EPC C: 62.26%
- EPC D: 14.79%
- EPC E and below: 1.37%
- No EPC: 0.07%
[Footnotes]
- We have set a minimum standard of EPC C by 2030 for our existing homes, and at the end of the financial year, 83.77% have achieved this.
- In order better understand our progress towards EPC C by 2030, we have now modelled the majority of our stock against the newest version of RdSAP. This has resulted in some variation in the grading of homes from the previous version.
- These figures include a small number of homes without an EPC rating (as dictated by the Sustainability Reporting Standard's guidance), which our Annual Report does not.
C2 - Distribution of EPC ratings of new homes (those completed in the last financial year).
- EPC A: 13.5%
- EPC B: 86.5%
C3 - Does the housing provider have a Net Zero target and strategy?
If so, what is it and when does the housing provider intend to be Net Zero by?
We have set a target for all of our housing stock to be EPC C or above by 2030 and have a costed transition plan to achieve this.
Through our Asset Management Strategy and forthcoming Sustainability Strategy, we will ensure our customers' homes are net zero by 2050, and our operations and supply chain is net zero by 2050 or earlier.
We will develop costed carbon reduction pathways to ensure we meet these objectives.
C4 - What progress has the housing provider achieved in the last 12 months towards its Net Zero targets and strategy?
What retrofit activities has the housing provider undertaken in the last 12 months in relation to its housing stock?
The last 12 months saw the first year of our three-year retrofit programme, supported by the Warm Homes: Social Housing Funding (WH:SHF). In this period, we upgraded the energy performance of 183 homes, with many more in progress.
Our planned maintenance programme also continues to replace legacy systems with more modern solutions to support efforts to ensure our customers have comfortable and affordable homes. Specifically:
- The loft insulation was improved in 749 individual homes and a further 10 blocks of flats;
- Cavity wall installation was added to 165 homes;
- The windows were replaced in 1,084 homes;
- 1,356 boilers were replaced with more efficient models;
- Air source heat pumps were installed in 84 homes;
- Night storage heaters were replaced in 331 homes;
- Solar PV was added to 170 properties.
At two of our housing schemes the large non-condensing commercial boilers were replaced with more efficient condensing boilers, reducing gas consumption by over 20%. At a third scheme, thermostatic radiator valves were installed in customers’ homes, giving occupants greater control over indoor temperatures and reducing fuel consumption, whilst at a fourth scheme the hot water system was upgraded, resulting in reduced plant running times and therefore gas use.
Our Resource Centre at Enham Alamein is underwent major refurbishment and the updated building incorporates an 84-panel solar PV system, which is predicted to generate around 40MWh of green energy per year.
We continued to consult with colleagues and stakeholders during the year to develop our Sustainability Strategy. This included starting a Double Materiality Assessment (DMA) to help us better understand the potential financial impacts of external sustainability and net zero drivers, and identify the most important sustainability issues to Aster and our stakeholders.
C5 - Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 Greenhouse Gas emissions
Our greenhouse gas emissions for 2025-26 were as follows:
Scope 1 (mains gas, owned fleet, plant and equipment, fugitive emissions): 6,961 tCO2e, which equates to 192 kgCO2e/home
Scope 2 (purchased electricity, location-based): 1,489 tCO2e, which equates to 41 kgCO2e/home
Scope 3 (electricity transmission and distribution, housing stock regulated emissions, business travel, homeworking, leased fleet, electricity supplied by landlord): 52,676 tCO2e, which equates to 1,452 kgCO2e/home
This represents a 33% reduction in emissions per home since 2019-20, from 2.529 tCO2e/property to 1.689tCO2e/property.
Note: This methodology is different to that used in the SECR report, which was included in the company Annual Report. See C5+ below.
C5+ (optional question) - Does the housing provider qualify for SECR reporting? [Yes/No]
We are required to comply with Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) requirements. The SECR report for 2025-26 was included in the company Annual Report. 8,904 tCO2e of GHG emissions were reported, covering those arising from energy use (gas, electricity and transport), as required by the legislation. We use an intensity metric to track our performance as we grow. This metric is GHG emissions per home owned and managed, and for 2025-26 the figure reported was 245 kg CO2e / home.
C6 & 7 - Has the housing provider mapped and assessed the increased flood risks and water stress risks to its homes caused by climate change in the last 2 years?
How is the housing provider mitigating these risks?
Climate risk will form part of our new Sustainability Strategy, which we are currently developing. We plan to carry out an assessment of the risks to our homes, operations and supply chain resulting from climate change and will put in place measures to mitigate the key risks identified.
C8 - Has the housing provider mapped and assessed the increased overheating risks to its homes caused by climate change in the last 2 years?
How is the housing provider mitigating these risks?
Building on our previous work, we have continued to evaluate overheating risk to our homes, in particular those occupied by our most vulnerable customers, including those living in our supported housing schemes.
We are currently working with external partners to map out our blocks at risk of overheating. This is reported into our Strategic Asset Management Group. Those identified at risk will be monitored for internal temperatures going forward so interventions can be put in place at the highest risk sites.
Previously, we carried out an assessment into overheating at a particular scheme with known issues. This identified interventions to minimise solar gain, for example by fitting external shading or windows with solar control glazing, and reducing internal heat gains through upgrading lighting to LED, removing unneeded hot water cylinders and ensuring heating systems are correctly controlled and properly maintained.
T2 – Nature
Promotes ecological stability
C9 - Does the housing provider have a strategy to enhance green space and promote biodiversity on or near homes?
If yes, please describe with reference to targets in this area.
If no, is the housing provider planning on producing one in the next 12 months?
While we do not currently have a specific greenspace target, we are in the process of developing one as part of our wider Sustainability Strategy. Biodiversity, will be a key pillar of the strategy and will incorporate targets around greenspace. In future, we will explore the opportunities for greenspace and biodiversity enhancement with communities, and develop a strategic approach to Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). Our biodiversity ambitions will be partly informed by a previous nature and biodiversity baselining exercise across our existing land holdings, as well as our recent Wild About Enham project.
Wild About Enham is an ongoing initiative to find out what wildlife the village of Enham Alamein is home to and how we can support it. The project aims to increase biodiversity and nature awareness across the village of by engaging the community to help us identify and count species, and using resident feedback to improve local green spaces. At financial year end, we had plans in place for community talks on wildlife spotting and nature friendly gardening, an art competition focused on local nature, and a citizen science bioblitz, 'The Big Wildlife Count' with schools and residents. This will help us start to create a biodiversity baseline. We will be carrying out further surveys in the coming months as well as community consultation to better understand how residents use these spaces and what they'd like to see, both in terms of facilities and nature. We will also continue to encourage residents to use iNaturalist to spot and record the wildlife they see across the village, helping to build awareness and appreciation of everyday nature.
Last year saw the completion of the community orchard and sensory garden in Enham. This is a space where local residents can visit and engage with local growing and environmental activity, benefitting people's wellbeing whilst building community and helping to improve the biodiversity of the village. This is one of three green spaces across the village included in Wild About Enham, and we will use the findings from the project to further develop the site.
We recognise that our property maintenance and estates management activities can affect local biodiversity and habitats, so we have established robust procedures to help minimise any impact. This includes carrying out appropriate ecological checks before works commence and ensuring employees and contractors understand how to identify and respond to protected species where they are present. We continually review and strengthen these processes to improve effectiveness, and support better outcomes for nature. In addition, we have partnered with the Field Studies Council to develop and deliver bespoke biodiversity training for our surveyors and contract managers, helping to build expertise and embed biodiversity considerations across our operations.
An example of this positive work in practice is our partnership with local residents, and conservation action group North Wiltshire Swifts (NWS). While carrying out roof renewal works to a block in Devizes, a local resident, aware of the building’s importance for swift bird nesting, got in touch with us via NWS. To save the critical nesting site, we commissioned an inspection by an ecologist, consulted with the community and worked with NWS to install special nesting boxes on nearby homes, offering the birds an alternative location when they returned from their migration. Once the building maintenance was complete, we returned boxes to the original locations and added a new colony of boxes, creating long-term nesting opportunities for returning swifts.
C10 - Does the housing provider have a strategy to identify, manage, and reduce pollutants that could cause material harm?
If so, how does the housing provider target and measure performance?
Yes. Through our environmental management system, we have mapped out and evaluated pollution risks, and we maintain this information as circumstances change. The most significant risks arise from our sewage treatment plants and septic tanks, and our domestic oil storage tanks. We have robust procedures in place to manage these risks, covering maintenance, contractor management, monitoring and audit, staff training, and emergency preparedness and response. In addition, we operate asset renewal programmes to ensure end-of-life plant and equipment is replaced as needed. Through our Asset Management Strategy, we look to eliminate risk wherever possible, for example by replacing oil-fired and solid fuel heating with more sustainable options.
We take proactive measures to prevent pollution on our development sites through the design of our homes, remediation of land contamination and robust contractor management, including monthly reporting on environmental incidents.
Our Environmental Management System (EMS) is closely aligned to the ISO 14001:2015 standard. Included in our EMS is an environmental aspects register, which identifies and evaluates all our activities, products and services which impact on, or which are impacted by, the environment. We also maintain a second register setting out our environmental compliance obligations – including applicable legal requirements – and we carry out annual assessments of the extent to which we are meeting these obligations. Compliance obligations and associated controls are mapped onto our company risk management system, JCAD. In addition, we carry out an annual programme of audits to assess how well the requirements of our EMS are being followed across the organisation and to ensure that we continually improve. Where we find non-compliances, be that with legal requirements or the implementation of our EMS, we set corrective and/or preventive actions as required, using our Environment, Health and Safety online platform (Evotix) to track completion.
T3 - Resource Management
Sustainable management of our natural resources
C11 - Does the housing provider have a strategy to use or increase the use of responsibly sourced materials for all building and repairs works?
If so, how does the housing provider target and measure performance?
We do not currently have in place a specific strategy on responsible sourcing, although this will be given due consideration in the development of our new Sustainability Strategy (from Q3/4 2026/7) and in our new longer-term materials procurement contracts which are being procured this year.
In the meantime, we look to responsibly source materials wherever possible. The strategy will differ between procurements and will be specific to the works we are procuring for. For example, our Employer's Requirements specify Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified timber for developments.
As a member of Procurement for Housing (PfH), our materials solution is procured through a framework with embedded environmental standards and product innovation for sustainability is a standing agenda item in our monthly contractor meetings with building materials suppliers. Contractors and merchants prioritise products made from recycled content and those certified to recognised standards such as FSC, Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), and ISO 14021. Many source locally to reduce transport emissions and support nearby communities. All activity aligns with PfH framework requirements, including Environmental Product Declarations, carbon offsetting, and social value reporting.
Circular economy initiatives among suppliers include recycling schemes which divert waste from landfill and promote reuse. Our external decorations contractor for example uses low-VOC paints as standard, supports can recycling schemes, to reduce waste and promote circular economy principles, and in 25/26 had 100% of their waste diverted from landfill. Some offer in-branch facilities and compliant disposal services for customers. Environmental performance of contractors is monitored via audits, fuel and waste tracking, and annual reviews, with merchants developing carbon assessments and ESG dashboards to support transparency.
Through our community land trust (CLT) schemes we continue to help communities realise their aspirations for sustainable homes. Our Transition Homes CLT in Dartington uses Hardie Plank for the outer wall cladding, a cementitious fibre cement board that has the lowest CO2 footprint in its class. It also uses mineral wool insulation, slate for the roofs which will have a longer life cycle when compared to concrete tile or sheet steel, and windows made from an aluminium-timber composite. Access decking will be a composite of FSC certified wood and 30% recycled High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) such as from old plastic bottles, and 100% recyclable. Our South Molton scheme will also use timber frames made from FSC certified wood, mineral wool insulation, and slate effect roofs with a high proportion of recycled materials in composition. All homes at both schemes, a total of 79, will be delivered to the highest energy efficiency rating, EPC A.
C12 - Does the housing provider have a strategy for waste management incorporating building materials?
If so, how does the housing provider target and measure performance?
Waste management forms a key part of our environmental management system, and we have procedures and training in place to help ensure we comply with waste legislation. Currently improvements are being made to ensure better compliance, for example through improved waste segregation, relocation of waste storage facilities and updating of contractor vetting processes. In 2025-26 we introduced a new mandatory waste management training programme for all staff. We are working to bring all of our entities into the centralised waste brokerage arrangements currently in place.
For waste that is managed through our waste broker, we receive monthly data on the quantities and how it was disposed of. We aim for none of our waste to be disposed of to landfill, except where no other alternative is available, as is the case for waste materials containing asbestos.
During 2025-26:
74.2% was recycled
25.3% was recovered
0.5% was landfilled
C13 - Does the housing provider have a strategy for water management?
If so, how does the housing provider target and measure performance?
We recognise that water efficiency is a key element of sustainability and it will be given due consideration in our forthcoming Sustainability Strategy. Currently, we ensure that all our new developments meet the water efficiency requirements of Part G of the Building Regulations and any higher requirements specified in local planning policies.
C14 - How is sustainability considered when procuring goods and services?
What measures are in place to monitor the sustainability of the housing provider’s supply chain when procuring goods and services?
As noted in the previous response, we do include an environmental weighting where it is appropriate to do so.
The development of our Sustainability Strategy will set out key considerations for sustainability in procurement to be implemented across our procurements.
Specific examples of how we considered sustainability when procuring goods and services in the 2025/26 financial year include materials supply. We work in close partnership with PfH and a network of merchants committed to responsible sourcing and environmental stewardship. These merchants have embedded sustainability into their procurement strategies, operations, and supply chains, supporting our ESG objectives through a range of initiatives and measurable practices. Key elements include:
- Use of recycled and certified materials
Merchants prioritise products made from recycled content and those certified to recognised standards such as FSC, PEFC, and ISO 14021. Examples include copper tubing made from 100% recycled copper, recyclable polybutylene pipes and fittings, and timber products sourced in compliance with EUTR regulations - Localised sourcing to Enhance social value
Many merchants source products from suppliers located near their distribution branches, reducing transport emissions and supporting local economies. This approach contributes to community benefit through employment and supply chain engagement - Circular economy and recycling initiatives
Merchants have implemented recycling schemes for materials such as pumps, packaging, and electronic waste. These schemes reduce landfill dependency and promote reuse, with some merchants offering in-branch recycling facilities and compliant disposal services for customers the Group - Carbon reduction and fleet decarbonisation
Merchants are actively transitioning their fleets to hybrid and electric vehicles, monitoring fuel usage, and consolidating deliveries to reduce emissions. Some have replaced nearly half of their fleet with low-emission vehicles and introduced staff incentives such as Cycle2Work schemes - Innovation and product stewardship
Sustainable products are promoted through merchant campaigns and customer engagement. These include water-saving valves, energy-efficient heating components, and waste-reducing devices. Merchants also work with suppliers to improve packaging and reduce environmental impact - Monitoring and performance measurement
Environmental performance is tracked through internal audits, fuel and waste monitoring, and annual policy reviews. Merchants are developing enhanced reporting capabilities, including carbon assessments and ESG dashboards, to support transparency and continuous improvement - Framework alignment
Merchants are aligned with framework requirements such as those set out by PfH, including Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), carbon offsetting strategies, and social value reporting.
These considerations will also be taken on within our next iteration of materials contracts set to be in place from 2027-31.
