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Peterborough based housing association, Cross Keys Homes (CKH) is proud to have retained its Green Award accreditation from Investors in the Environment (iiE) for the eighth consecutive year.

As the region’s largest provider of social and affordable housing and care, CKH recognises its responsibility to the environment and the people in its communities and has set testing targets in order to reduce its carbon footprint and protect the planet for future generations. Thus, CKH has been accredited to iiE since 2011, achieving its highest level Green Award accreditation for the first time in 2014.

CKH has adopted the ‘One Planet Framework’ for its environmental strategy, which allows it to reduce its external impact and ensure the continual improvement of its performance.

Despite the challenges of the last two years, and the organisation’s need to provide extra support to its residents and communities to deal with the devastating effects of the pandemic, CKH has remained committed to reducing it’s carbon footprint and doing all it can to tackle the climate emergency.

As the report concludes: “Given the exceptional circumstances of the past 18 months and the size of the organisation, Cross Keys Homes has performed an impressive adaptation of its service to provide support where it was most needed. Resources were diverted to enhance its provision to its residents, but it also adapted its provision for its staff at a time when so much had to change in a short space of time. Throughout it all, it kept a focus on being a force for good in its community – acting within the framework of its One Planet Action strategy.”

CKH’s Chief Executive Claire Higgins said: “Our position, as a commercial organisation, with a social heart, gives us both a responsibility, but also a great opportunity, to make a huge difference to the environments in which we work. From supporting our residents to have affordable green heating and energy efficient homes, to community gardens and planting projects in our communities, as well as the practical ways we can make people’s live better, we are totally committed to doing all we can. At the same time, the pressures on the planet and people are immense, and we all need to play our part in relieving them in any way we can. Achieving this accreditation for the eighth year gives us renewed determination to continue to do all we can to seek new ways to make our communities vibrant, supportive, green places for all to live in.”