Creating amazing places that positively impact our environment is at the very core of our business. And that’s why we place such a big emphasis on becoming a net zero carbon business by 2050. Here, Managing Director Luke Simmons explains how we will achieve our sustainability targets.

We know the construction industry needs to play its part in combatting the climate crisis. That’s why at Cora we have joined the SME Climate Hub, committing to halve our carbon emissions by 2030 – on top of our overall goal of eradicating them completely for the UN Race to Net Zero.

But we’re more about action than we are about words. This is how we will meet our goals.

Giving back to the environment

We recognise the housebuilding industry has historically had a negative impact on our environment. And that is why we are working so hard to change it for the better.

Last year we planted more than 9,000 trees and shrubs – with the potential of absorbing more than 189 tonnes of Co2 annually. We also recycled 96% of construction waste on our sites, saving 374 tonnes from going to landfill.

Our market-leading sustainable building framework is putting the environment ahead of profit – and our supply chain of low-carbon businesses is minimising our carbon footprint throughout the build process.

But we won’t stop there – and will continue to give back in ways that cut carbon, boost biodiversity and encourage energy efficiency in our homes.

Off-site construction

The Cora team is constantly researching Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and identifying new and innovative ways to reduce our carbon footprint during the build process.

Off-site construction plays a huge part in this, which significantly cuts down on heavy transport to and from our developments.

Many of the factories used during this process are moving towards renewable energy – while it also drastically reduces the need for petrol or diesel machinery on-site.

Using this method will deliver up to 75% less operational and embodied carbon for each home we build.

We have set a goal of using off-site construction in 80% of home completions by 2025.

Educating our team

All of us at Cora are united in our vision for creating a greener world and transforming the housebuilding industry for the better.

That’s why we are working hard to build a thriving culture of responsibility within the business and have introduced carbon literacy training for all our staff designed by the Scottish National Geographical Society.

We’re also creating a sustainability committee to help ensure our targets are being met.

Together we are driving positive change and positioning ourselves as leaders in our field.

Inspiring the next generation

While we will always play our part in combatting the climate crisis, it is important we inspire others.

That’s why homeowners are offered welcome packs including our top tips on how to live a more sustainable, budget-friendly and energy efficient lifestyle – as well as the choice of a beehive, bird or butterfly box.

We also work closely with local schools near our developments to teach children about the importance of being environmentally friendly.

Going beyond cutting carbon

We know there are other steps to helping the environment beyond reducing our carbon footprint.

We’ve invested in supporting biodiversity net gain on all of our sites and have built a partnership with environmental consultants Brindle & Green to maximise plant species and their survival rates.

We also contributed more than £11,000 towards nature preservation in the last financial year and have pledged to stop the installation of fossil fuel heating systems in all our homes by the end of 2025.

Want to learn more about our commitment to the environment? Read our 2022 Sustainability Report here.