What is Earth Day?
Earth Day is part of an environmental movement driving positive action for the planet. It started in 1970 and became a global event in 1990 helping to boost recycling worldwide. It now covers all aspects of environmental protection, and more than 190 countries take part in Earth Day each year.
What we’re doing to be a sustainable business
- We’ve developed a Climate Change Strategy, which addresses carbon reduction, business resilience and adapting to climate change.
- We’ve made big improvements to the fabric of our homes to improve energy performance, including adding more insulation.
- We’re introducing air source heat pumps in place of gas boilers on all upcoming developments, combined with underfloor heating on the ground floor as standard in detached designs.
- We include EV chargers on many of our homes, providing our homeowners with facilities to charge their electric vehicles and reduce their reliance on petrol or diesel.
- We’re an active member of the UK Green Building Council and are working to further reduce the carbon emissions from our homes.
- We’ve made a 14% reduction in operational carbon emissions intensity since 2017.
- We’ve increased the amount of waste we divert from landfill, from 97.7% in 2021 to 98.3% last year.
- The majority (96.03%) of electricity used in our operations is sourced from renewable sources.
- For the last 15 years, we’ve promoted responsible forest management by buying timber with full certification from sustainably managed forests. Last year 99.8% of timber used in our homes was responsibly sourced and credibly certified by the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification).
- As part of our industry-leading biodiversity strategy we have set a target of achieving a minimum of 10% net gain for biodiversity on every new planning application from November 2023. This means we’ll be helping the natural environment by making sure the habitat for wildlife is left better than before we began building.
What does it mean for Redrow homeowners?
We know that sustainability is important to our homeowners, which is why we’ve focussed on changing the design of our homes to ensure they use less energy and are even more efficient. Our latest Heritage Collection designs benefit from a 10% reduction in heat loss compared to our previous designs, and our homes offer 63% improvement in heat loss than a home built in the 1970s.
As part of our commitment to building modern efficient houses, we’re introducing air source heat pumps as standard in our upcoming developments to replace gas boilers, together with underfloor heating on the ground floor in detached designs.
New Redrow homes already include 100% low energy light fittings, water efficient features, energy efficient appliances, and high standards of home insulation.
The current average EPC rating of our homes is B and this is likely to further improve with the introduction of air source heat pumps and other energy efficiency features.
You can make your house even more sustainable by selecting sustainable optional extras available via My Redrow including solar PV panels, recycling bins and water butts.
The small changes you can make to your lifestyle to have a big impact on the planet
When it comes to helping save the planet, small changes to things we do on a regular basis can make a big difference.
Our developments are designed with accessibility in mind and include footpaths and cycleways where possible. We also prioritise building in locations where great local facilities, including public transport, schools and shops, are within easy reach so walking and cycling can be prioritised over driving.
Walking instead of driving is a simple step towards a sustainable and healthier lifestyle. We include dedicated walking and cycling routes within our developments, with green corridors that help people and wildlife move easily through the community. Taking a stroll through the neighbourhood is also a great way of getting to know the area, plus it provides opportunities to meet your neighbours.
Time spent close to nature is proven to boost our mood and sense of wellbeing. So, we’re also creating beautiful green and blue spaces within our developments that benefit wildlife and people. By conserving and creating new habitats for wildlife – like meadows, wildflower areas, ponds, woodland and hedgerows - we’re also helping to enhance the environment for residents and the local community. You can read more about our Nature for People principles here.
Read our guide for more tips on how to make your house an eco friendly home.
Learn more below about what makes a new Redrow energy efficient and the difference between our Eco Now and Eco Electric homes.
