On 11 December 2008 the Minister for Housing, David Borger launched Environmental Sustainability in Housing NSW 2008/09 -2013/14 (PDF, 1.1MB). Housing NSW’s commitment to environmental sustainability is the first of its kind for any social housing provider in Australia.
Strategic priorities and actions have been developed to improve Housing NSW’s corporate environmental performance and assist our stakeholders to adopt environmentally sustainable practices.
Housing NSW aims to be a leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change in a way that promotes social equity and financial responsibility. Housing NSW is committed to:
- improve the environmental sustainability of our housing
- adopt the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development into the management of our social housing system
- reduce carbon emission and resource consumption across all of our key activities
- lead by example and support sustainable practices among our stakeholders.
A diverse range of stakeholders including residents, social housing providers, local councils, building/architect groups, environment groups, government agencies and contractors provided valuable input in to the development of Environmental Sustainability in Housing NSW.
Key performance indicators were developed with reference to the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. Targets address the themes of greenhouse gas emissions, water, waste, dwellings, staff engagement, community greening and community engagement.
Environmental Sustainability in Housing NSW will be implemented through new policies, programs and partnerships with community, business and government stakeholders. Progress on actions, indicators and targets will be reported in Housing NSW’s annual report.
If you would like further information on the Environmental Sustainability in Housing NSW please contact Housing NSW’s Manager Environmental Sustainability on (02) 8753 9477 or via email environment@housing.nsw.gov.au.