CALA Group has launched a Sustainability Strategy to help the business achieve its targets of building homes that are operationally net zero carbon from 2030, and reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Scottish Government's 2045 target and ahead of UK Government’s 2050 target.

These goals reflect owner Legal & General's commitment to make all its new housing stock operational net zero carbon enabled from 2030, as part of its wider commitment to set Science Based Targets and align with the UN Paris Agreement and global efforts to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

CALA's plan promises to both empower its entire team to act now and cement the drive to reduce its environmental impact in the future.

Brian Johnson, Development Director at CALA Group, said: "Sustainability has been a focus area for some time and we have already taken steps to begin lowering our environmental impact. Timber frame construction is already being used on around 40 per cent of the homes we build per year, with plans to increase this, and work is also underway to meet our target of homes being gas free on all sites starting in 2024."

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Internal working groups have been formed to look at other tangible ways that CALA can decarbonise its operations. Drawing on expertise from across the business, CALA aims to make strides forward in specific areas such as zero carbon homes, office environment, site environments, procurement and zero carbon transportation - producing a roadmap of targets, measures and areas of interest to pursue as priorities.

Brian added: "Our roadmap includes exciting research and testing of various innovations, for example we are investigating measures such as infrared heat mats and panels, battery and thermal storage technology, hydrogen and electric boilers, mechanical ventilation systems and more.

"To support the use of such technology in the future, we’re also working with utility providers to inform discussions around the decarbonisation of the grid. We have already put in place pioneering measures such as utilities calculators and monitoring stations on some of our developments, to provide data which supports our net zero carbon commitment and ties in with wider infrastructure.

"We're also looking at the basics of how we operate - from how we engage with our suppliers and subcontractors, to how we travel and run our offices, and the ways we interact with communities and wider infrastructure."