notch

Introduction

Lincolnshire Housing Partnership (LHP) is a social housing landlord owning and managing 12,500 properties along the east coast of Lincolnshire.  Libby Kerman is the Sustainability Manager at the company and has been working with notch over the last year to measure and record the carbon emissions across the group. We spoke to Libby about her Net Zero aims and ambitions and how she has used the carbon accounting software.

Why have you chosen to do Carbon Accounting?

 “Social value is embedded into everything that we do. Our core value is ‘Customer First’ and we work hard to get the best possible outcomes for our customers and the community that we serve. We have a vision to provide great homes and strong communities and we know we cannot deliver that without having sustainability at the heart of everything we do.

 

“We are committed to a sustainability journey and our aim is to be Net Zero by 2050 and provide vibrant places, green spaces, and future proof homes.

 

We published our first ESG report in 2021 and it recognised a need for carbon reporting. As we are a not-for-profit organisation, we need to have data to support our process and make better social value decisions.

 

We know that there will be a legal requirement in the near future and in order to access government funding for our energy programmes we will need to provide valid data about our carbon emissions as part of any bid submissions.” 

Why did you choose notch?

“Prior to using notch, we captured a small amount of data on spreadsheets, but we felt it wasn’t engaging and accessible to all our internal and external customers. We know that in order to meet our sustainability goals we need to bring everyone with us – our internal team and our customers.

 

We have found the notch software really useful.  By inputting the data monthly, it allows us to identify trends more frequently, increase our understanding and allows us to be more responsive. 

 

We especially like that the platform allows us to visualise the data and share it with our colleagues which gets them engaged in the longer-term conversation. We have a plan to use the dashboard as part of a quarterly business review. The data will inform the narrative and we can share our plans for improvement. 

 

It can be a challenge to collect data at the beginning, but my advice is to pick an area and just start recording it; then you can move onto the next area. The sooner you start the easier it will be in the future.

 

The entire team at notch have been incredibly helpful and I always feel comfortable asking lots of questions. They make things very accessible and not only have in depth knowledge of carbon reporting but have the up-to-date information on the sustainability sector which they share with us.”

What benefits have you seen?

“To date we have secured £8million funding from the Sustainable Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) for retro fitting energy efficiency measures.

 

We have also secured funding from Eco Four. With 92% of our carbon emissions coming from our customers’ homes this is where we can have the biggest effect on reducing carbon plus customer bill savings too. “

 

Read more about this achievement https://www.lincolnshirehp.com/news-events/news/lhp-announces-successful-shdf-decarbonisation-bid/

What are your next steps?

“We have just launched our new ESG framework, and we want to improve our data quality by linking to other systems within the business such as Payroll.  We also want to focus on gathering Scope 3 data and working with our supply chain too.”

What is your advice to other companies?

“We’re all at the beginning of a journey so don’t be frightened of celebrating the small wins. I recently heard someone say.  You may feel it’s just a drop in the ocean, but the ocean is made up of small drops.  And I agree – that’s where momentum is created.”

Additional references

5.7%

reduction in carbon emissions from the benchmark. 1,838 tonnes

6.1%

reduction in Scope 3 emissions.

5.7%

reduction in emissions per employee

3.2%

of all road miles are green (hybrid or EV)

Make your business Net Zero

When it comes to tackling climate change, your business has a big part to play. notch can help you start your journey towards Net Zero  

Make your business Net Zero

Related stories

Lochcarron
Lochcarron

Lochcarron are the world’s leading tartan manufacturer with a determination to lead their industry into a Net Zero future.

Briggs Equipment
Briggs Equipment

Briggs Equipment UK Ltd has the largest range of materials handling and specialist equipment in the UK. They have a stated commitment to the environment and have an ongoing development of their infrastructure platforms to support this sustainability commitment.

Metro Bank
Metro Bank

Metro Bank has an ambition to become the Number One Community bank serving their customers, colleagues and communities, with a responsibility to act sustainably.