Across the social housing sector and wider society, many aspects of the climate change debate are well known and no-longer disputed:

• the science behind the debate
• the role of human activity on climate change
• the clear, negative, social, environmental and economic impacts of unmitigated climate change
• that social housing providers could play a key role in delivering carbon emission reductions; and
• net-zero presents economic opportunities as well as risk to housing providers and their customers.

However, there is an equally significant lack of consensus amongst social housing providers as to how far they, as a sector, should be expected to lead domestic carbon emissions reductions, the different technology solutions available to them, how best to approach delivery of net-zero, the hierarchy of competing policy and regulation and how net-zero should all be paid for.

Drawing upon the most recent policy announcement, initiatives and funding programmes issued by government as well as recent global events, this session will explore in more detail these issues and more.

The session’s speakers will also highlight the role that data, stakeholder engagement and considered procurement can play to support providers of social housing to develop and deliver strategies for net-zero retrofit across their stock to enable wider societal, economic and environmental benefits.