Brian Johnson, Group Development Director at CALA, outlines the far-sighted initiatives and new technology the house building company is adopting to achieve net zero across its operations.

 

Q. Could you explain the thinking behind building homes that are operationally net zero carbon from 2030?

On a global scale, building construction and operations makes up a massive 40 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, the building industry accounts for one-third of all waste going to landfill.

Closer to home, the construction industry accounts for approximately 60 per cent of UK materials used and the sector generates 47 per cent of the UK's carbon emissions – with 80 per cent of that made up from buildings in use.

The figures make stark reading and it is no surprise that the construction industry is making a profound impact on the environment. However, it also means that as housebuilders we are able to make a significant positive environmental difference both now and in the years to come.

In order for us to do our best to mitigate the impact of our society on the planet and boost green recovery, ambitious targets have been set by both the Scottish and UK Governments to ensure we are in a full Net Zero Carbon position by 2045 and 2050 respectively.

Our owner, Legal & General, has gone further still and made a commitment to make all its new housing stock operational net zero carbon enabled by 2030, as part of its wider pledge to align with the UN Paris Agreement, and at CALA we are actively working towards these targets too.

We understand the ever-growing importance of minimising any negative impact that our operations and sites have on the world around us, and our ambition is that all our future developments have a positive impact on the environment and local communities. 

 

Q. CALA is working towards its much closer target of its homes being gas free on all sites from 2024. How challenging has this been so far?

The challenges faced, like most housebuilders, are around the existing supply chain and upskilling our team. Everyone needs to understand the new technology available, how it is installed, operates and most importantly, whether it is the right solution for our customers.

Part of the process will be to utilise our in-house Construction Academy, working in conjunction with our construction leaders and suppliers, to develop and hone the skills needed to meet the new technological challenges of going gas free by 2024.

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By being proactive in this area, as well as ensuring that any new technology is as user friendly as possible for our customers, we will be well placed to remove fossil fuels from households within that timeframe.

Applying the infrastructural changes needed to reach this ambitious target is not an overnight process however, but as a business, we are embracing new technology and innovative practices to reduce our impact on the world around us and safeguard the environment.

 

Q. What measures are you taking to improve energy efficiency in your homes?

Our sustainability roadmap includes exciting research and testing of various innovations for energy efficiency, for example we are investigating measures such as ground and air source heat pumps, battery and thermal storage technology, smart home technologies, mechanical ventilation systems and new concepts around biodiversity.

To support the use of such technology in the future, we’re working with utility providers to inform discussions around the decarbonisation of the grid. We have already put in place pioneering measures such as utilities calculators and monitoring stations on some of our developments, to provide data which supports our net zero carbon commitment and ties in with the wider infrastructure.

The fundamentals of how we will build homes in the future are changing too, with energy efficiency in mind, for example by extending our use of timber frame – already standard in our Scottish developments – south of the border.

In general, there are many energy-saving benefits of buying a new build home. Our homes are built to modern specifications that demand the latest building and energy standards, so many energy-saving features are already built in, from high quality insulation to an efficient boiler. These measures all make new homes more efficient and cost-effective to run.

 

Q. What other changes might customers expect to see in the coming months and years to make their homes greener?

We’re exploring lots of measures that will help customers to get the most out of their homes when it comes to protecting the planet. Technology like PV panels, air source heat pumps, electric car charging points, hi-tech air quality and ventilation systems, smart thermostats, low carbon lighting and smart doorbells have already been introduced on some of our sites, and elements such as underfloor heating, battery storage and triple glazing could also be beneficial for customers.

And that’s not just in terms of saving energy – while these technologies are undoubtedly better for the planet, they could also help our customers to save money on their bills in the long run.

Outside the home can be as important as inside, so we’re looking at lots of elements that will improve our homes’ green credentials even though they’re not within those four walls.

For example, water butts for collecting and utilising rainwater can make an important difference and installing dedicated vegetable patches can help encourage families – particularly children – to grow their own healthy food with a minimal carbon footprint. Even something as simple as making sure there are private or communal bike storage options on our developments can play a part.

Across Scotland, there are great examples of CALA developments where sustainability measures have come to life and are already making a difference for our customers and the environment.

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For example, in Aberdeen, pre-construction ecological studies at our Craibstone Estate development identified badgers, bats and red squirrels on the site – we were able to create a new badger set, install bat and bird boxes, and build a custom bat barn to protect these species and enrich the local environment for both wildlife and residents to enjoy.

Earlier this year, at Queenswood in Linlithgow, we became the first major housebuilder to install smart hot water tanks in homes, in partnership with green start up, Mixergy. The app-based tank selectively heats only the water that residents need to help save energy. At our Boroughmuir development in Edinburgh, residents benefit from EV charging points for all 87 apartments, accessed via 20 special pillars installed in the car park, and our nearby The Crescent at Donaldsons development has Scotland’s most comprehensive residential EV provision. 

 

Q. Making your homes more sustainable is one thing, but are you also looking at how you operate more sustainably as a business overall?

Sustainability has been a focus area for some time, but the rollout of our Sustainability Strategy earlier this year signalled a new commitment to reducing our environmental impact – not just in the way we build homes and the suppliers and materials we use, but by also really empowering staff to play their own part in the business’s carbon reduction.

Embedding a culture of sustainability starts first and foremost with our people, so we have created expert Working Groups to produce a roadmap of targets, measures and areas of interest to pursue as priorities, whilst driving forward the changes required within the business.

Green Teams have also been established in CALA’s eight regional offices and two head offices to brainstorm, research and implement initiatives which will help bring about positive change at a local-level – from energy saving and recycling measures within the CALA offices, to employee wellbeing and meaningful community support initiatives. 

Already, our Green Teams have introduced initiatives such as paperless site schemes, waste measurement trials and initiatives to donate used laptops to charities.

And business-wide, we’ve put in place measures such as beginning the rollout of a fleet of electric CALA customer service vans and launching an Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) scheme for our employees across the business.

Over 100 employees across CALA are actively involved in helping to achieve our sustainability objectives as part of their roles, in a drive to include the whole team in our environmental efforts.