A successful social housing strategy needs to combine commercial outcomes with an essential social benefit – the provision of safe, secure and affordable housing for all who need it. Seeking to draw on our experience in the space, a major community housing provider asked BWD to develop an ESG strategy and reporting framework to respond to the interests of current and future investors.

Our response began with a review of the provider’s current reporting, an extensive stakeholder engagement exercise, and an executive workshop to map key ESG issues to strategic pillars. We then devised objectives, metrics, and recommendations organized by stakeholder segment.

Ultimately, the framework embedded ESG into the provider’s risk management, strategy, and financial planning, sharpened internal understanding of how ESG issues impact a variety of stakeholders, provided editorial structure for future reporting efforts, and provided concrete evidence sustainability is taken seriously by the board and senior management.