PNZ Carbon and HACT’s Retrofit Credits initiative scoops prestigious Ashden Award for Energy Innovation
It’s only been 12 months since the launch of Retrofit Credits, a new initiative from HACT and its partners PNZ Carbon, but it has already been successful in winning the prestigious annual Ashden Award for Energy Innovation in the UK.
At a ceremony held on 14th November, HACT was joined by other Ashden Award winners from India, Cameroon, Nigeria, Uganda and Kenya. All the Ashden Award winners were showcased in a ceremony at the Royal Geographical Society and will receive grants, global publicity, and connection to funders, investors and partners who can help them scale their projects and create even more impact.
This is a considerable achievement in recognition of HACT and PNZ Carbon’s work in facilitating the UK’s transition to net zero by funding the affordable retrofitting of British homes from the commercial demand for transparent, localised carbon credits.
Retrofit Credits not only capture each tonne of carbon reduction created by retrofit works but also have an attached social impact value, based on the UK Social Value Bank, another of HACT’s pioneering initiatives. This enables buyers of our credits to model, monitor, and measure their social impact through improvements in resident health and wellbeing
As a result of the Energy Redress Scheme funded pilot, Retrofit Credits will raise over £7 million that can be reinvested back into retrofit work. That’s equivalent to another 500 homes being retrofitted, which is another 500 families with warmer, more energy efficient homes, as well as huge reductions in carbon emissions.
HACT is passionate about decarbonising homes for social housing residents, but this is only one part of the story. We want the investment that results from Retrofit Credits to be locked into local communities, delivering good jobs, affordable warmth and place-based community renewal, for the benefit of local people.
HACT’s future plans are ambitious – their core focus is to deliver Retrofit Credits at scale through more partnerships, more buyers, new financial instruments, and increased investment, so they can create more impact for individuals and communities.
Andrew van Doorn, HACT’s chief executive is delighted that the project has been recognised so quickly:
“We’re incredibly honoured to have won this fantastic and highly acclaimed Ashden award and be recognised, along with our partners PNZ Carbon, for all the hard work from those involved in making our Retrofit Credits ambition a success.
We’d also like to acknowledge the 22 social housing organisations who participated in our successful pilot, and those buyers who invested in the credits, believing in our vision and supporting us in proving its success – as well as those residents whose homes were retrofitted.
Retrofit Credits is all about impact and we’re excited about the future and our next ambition for delivering this impact at scale – for people, for place, and ultimately, for our planet.“
Simon Turek, Managing Director at PNZ Carbon, said:
“This award represents the future of domestic retrofitting and the huge social and climate benefits we stand to reap from channelling investment into these projects.
It’s clear that we all have a role to play in the net zero transition and that government action alone on greening housing won’t suffice. Investors hold the power to drive their capital into the most effective climate and social solutions through high-quality carbon credits generated from retrofitting in their local communities.
Retrofit Credits are poised to be a game-changer for housing in the UK, delivering environmental benefits for investors, while harnessing funding to create healthier, more affordable, energy-efficient homes and improve lives.”
Ashden CEO Dr Ashok Sinha said: “Our winners prove people are passionate about creating practical solutions to the climate emergency – whether giving their time to restore rivers in the UK or using clean energy to power up a thriving business in Uganda. And just look what happens as a result: higher incomes, better health, stronger communities and the creation of new jobs.
“But these brilliant solutions need serious backing from policymakers and investors. For example, this year’s winners include innovations, such as those from HACT, that could unlock millions of pounds to create warm, energy efficient homes across the UK – surely that’s a scheme worth supporting?”