Connect Housing’s director of Home, Martyn Broadest, has been named as one of 25 new commissioners leading the drive to address climate change in the Yorkshire and Humber region.
The Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission, launched today (17 March), brings together leading figures and influencers from the public, private, and third sectors to help support and track the delivery of ambitious climate actions across the region.
Commenting on the commission, Broadest said: “Social housing makes up a significant proportion of the region’s housing stock, and we have a major role to play in accelerating progress towards a more sustainable future.”
Chaired by Liz Barber, CEO of Yorkshire Water, the commission has four key aims:
• To foster climate resilience and adaptation to climate risks and impacts
• To support rapid progress towards net-zero carbon emissions
• To encourage a just and inclusive transition and climate actions that leave no-one and nowhere behind
• To promote sustainability and climate actions that also protect nature and biodiversity
The formation of the commission comes as the UK gears up to host the international climate conference COP26 in Glasgow later this year.
Broadest is leading Connect Housing’s strategy for environmental sustainability and sees his role as being at the forefront of promoting social housing’s contribution to addressing the climate emergency in West Yorkshire.
He said: “I look forward to bringing a housing perspective to the discussions.
“The four key aims of the commission are all things which closely align with our own ambitions at Connect.”
Connect Housing has recently refreshed its corporate strategy to include a strong focus on sustainability and the development of a roadmap for net-zero homes.
The Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission is part of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded Place-Based Climate Action Network (PCAN), whose aim is to translate climate policy into action ‘on the ground’ to bring about transformative change.
Image: Martyn Broadest, director of Home, Connect Housing
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