Our new environmental and sustainability lead

We have appointed a new ‘Sustainability and Carbon Reduction Manager’ to coordinate and deliver our aim of being a net zero organisation by 2050.

The new role was introduced after it was recognised that the best way to move the remit forward was to have a dedicated staffing resource to champion, challenge and coordinate all activity.

Barrie Billinghay took up the role in August to improve our environmental performance, working with colleagues, contractors, tenants and members of the community.

When asked about joining Ongo he said: “I’m delighted to have been appointed and cannot wait to get involved in some really exciting projects.

“I have been involved in sustainability since 1996 and am looking forward to the challenge of moving Ongo to its net zero aim.

“We have to help our contractors who build and repair our properties, we have to help our residents save money by cutting carbon and we need to make sure our homes are as energy efficient as they can be.

“Another thing to consider is reducing our waste and the way we dispose of it, our energy and fuel usage and the best environmental outcome for everything we do.

“We want to make use of the new technology and innovation across the construction sector to make new developments more efficient and more comfortable to live and work in too.

“We have so many ideas and cannot wait to get started.”

Karen Cowan, Head of Governance and Corporate here at Ongo said: “It is absolutely crucial to us that we’re doing everything we can as an organisation to be as environmentally friendly as possible.

“Although this has always been a priority, we are dedicated to putting measures in place to improve and achieve our ambition of net zero, and are thrilled to have Barrie on board.

We have plans to learn from leaders in the industry, implementing new ways of working that are proven to make a difference. We are also launching activities for tenants to get involved in, including tree planting, litter picking and recycling awareness. 

To find out more about our environmental commitments, follow us on social media or take a look round our website.