Skipton Building Society has brought together brokers, developers, and sustainability specialists at its head office for a new event designed to explore the future of sustainable housing and the industry’s role in meeting the UK’s green ambitions.
The Sustainable Homes Insight event gathered leading figures from across the housing and finance sectors for a day focused on collaboration and innovation. Attendees included representatives from the Green Finance Institute, Leeds Beckett University and the Future Homes Hub, alongside Skipton’s own sustainability team.
Speakers discussed how lenders, brokers and developers can accelerate the transition to a low-carbon housing market, with particular emphasis on the role of finance and regulation in supporting change.
Chloe Timperley of the Green Finance Institute outlined the UK’s Green Finance Roadmap and the opportunities it presents for the intermediary sector. A panel discussion featuring senior leaders from Countrywide, Vistry Group and The New Homes Group examined how the forthcoming Future Homes Standard will influence design and delivery within the new-build market.
The day also showcased Skipton’s Big Retrofit Project, which demonstrates practical ways to decarbonise existing housing stock. Presentations from Skipton’s sustainability lead Annie Heaton, Harvey Donaldson & Gibson, Vibrant Energy and Leeds Beckett University provided insight into how partnerships can help retrofit older homes to modern energy standards.
An interactive session titled Collaborating for a Greener Future encouraged brokers to contribute ideas on how the intermediary community can champion sustainability through advice, innovation and client education.
Attendees were also given a tour of Skipton’s own retrofit property, which has been transformed to demonstrate energy-saving measures in practice.
Jonathan Evans, new build lead at Skipton Building Society, said: “It was fantastic to bring together so many forward-thinking partners under one roof to focus on such an important issue.
“Sustainability in housing isn’t just about policy, it’s about collaboration, innovation, and shared learning. Events like this help our broker partners gain practical insight into the challenges and opportunities of the green transition, and we’re proud to be leading that conversation.”
He added that feedback from the event had been overwhelmingly positive, with many attendees describing it as “insightful, thought-provoking, and full of practical actions”.
Morne Jacobs, director of new build at Countrywide, said: “A huge thank you to Skipton Building Society for including me on a panel to discuss the upcoming Future Homes Standard and what the industry needs to do to support the decarbonisation of Britain’s housing stock.
“As expected, it was a lively debate highlighting the urgent need for developers to adopt low-carbon technologies, improve the building fabric, and invest in skills to meet upcoming regulations.
“It also gave us an opportunity to discuss the importance of surveying firms in this process and how Countrywide Surveying Services are seeking to support lenders and developers to reduce emissions, lower energy costs, and deliver long-term value for homeowners.”
Skipton said the findings and recommendations gathered during the event will be shared with the Green Mortgage Advice Initiative (GMAI), led by the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries, to help inform its working groups and shape future developments in the green mortgage space.
The event forms part of Skipton’s wider programme to support a more sustainable housing market and to help customers, brokers and partners prepare for the next stage of sustainable living.
