Dr Lina Simeonova and Dr Maria Balta’s NZIP Net Zero Landlords Project is now live. This project brings £25,472.93, and it is funded by the Local Government Association and conducted in partnership with Medway County Council.
Making properties in the UK more energy efficient is vital to improving livelihoods and achieving the UK Government’s net zero goals. Yet, as a recent survey by Social Market Foundation has found, more than half (60%) of landlords are unwilling to commit to contributing more than £250 towards the costs of improving the energy efficiency of a rented property. The Net Zero Landlords Project between Medway County Council and Kent Business School academics, Dr Lina Simeonova and Dr Maria Balta, aims to address this by raising awareness and support amongst landlords in the Medway area for a net zero transition. They hope to dispel preconceived notions surrounding the net-zero agenda and make the journey as straightforward as possible.
Landlords can be a vital source of information to their tenants on energy efficiency and they can also make sure that their properties are energy efficient and equipped with the latest technology to support efficiency. This can make tenants more comfortable and likely to stay in the property, and help reduce carbon emissions.
Through the project, the team is listening to landlords and letting agents to find out about their existing awareness of net zero, what barriers they face to implementing energy efficient measures, and what could be put in place to enable them to do so. Their event at the Dockyard Church, Chatham on Thursday 4 May will give landlords the opportunity to find out more about the support available to them and share their experiences. Attendees will then be invited to participate in further one-on-one interviews with Lina and Maria following the event.
The £25k project is funded by the Net Zero Innovation Programme which is delivered in collaboration between the Local Government Association (LGA) and University College London (UCL). The programme brings together councils, universities and other stakeholders to address climate and sustainability challenges at the local level and seeks routes to achieve council’s net zero, adaptation and biodiversity commitments.
This is just one example of how the University of Kent is working in partnership to enable knowledge exchange between Kent’s academic community and society to make a positive impact. The project has the potential to benefit landlords, their tenants and the environment and in doing so, aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 17 ‘Partnerships for the Goals’. It has also given Kent Business School students the chance to get hands-on experience of working with external partners to make a difference, achieving KBS’s strategic aim of delivering an inspirational student experience.
Congratulations to Lina and Maria on this achievement.