ISHA and the Environment

ISHA won the small business C02 reduction award in Islington’s Council’s 2009 Giant Green Business Awards and was shortlisted for the pan London Green Business award.

The Giant Green Business awards aim to honour those organisations which have demonstrated their commitment to improving the environmental sustainability of their business and, in turn, the borough as a whole.

The Judges commented "The award to Islington and Shoreditch was based on their work to cut emissions within their own buildings, for instance by the installation of solar Photo Voltaics on their office roof, but also on their extensive engagements with their tenants in order to demonstrate the links between carbon reduction and cost savings".

Clare Thomson, ISHA Chief Executive said “We are really proud to be recognised for the work we have been doing to reduce the fuel bills for our residents and in our office, which has been achieved with the help of Islington Council and the Low Carbon Buildings Programme".

ISHA intends to build on this success by:

1. Further reducing carbon emissions from its new developments. Ensuring wherever possible that its scheme meet level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. Indeed we are already building some “Zero Carbon” homes at Highams Hill in Waltham Forest which we will monitor carefully to learn lessons for all of our future developments.

2. We have developed a sustainable development strategy which as well as setting out our commitment to energy efficient new buildings and other green issues, such as improving the sustainability of our new buildings, including reducing water usage, waste and reliance on private cars and maintaining bio diversity.

3. Having completed our “Decent Homes” programme we now want to develop a strategy for reducing our carbon emissions and lowering energy costs to our residents by improving the thermal efficiency of our older buildings, using more efficient forms of heating, and an increased use of renewable energy. To help us develop the strategy we have joined the SHIFT programme so we can learn from other organisations with a similar commitment to the environment.

If you have any questions or would like further information about ISHA and the environment please email isha@isha.co.uk.