CASE STUDY – Nottingham Community Housing Association (NCHA)

This article is about many steps that the Nottingham Community Housing Association took while attempting to raise their ISO 9001 certification to a ISO 14001 certification. The NCHA is a ranked amongst the top 10 associations in the UK, providing over 7,000 homes to over 10,000 tenants. The biggest reason and main driver behind attempting to recive certification is to gain recognition for their high standards of environmental standards. It is important to the housing association that they are able to provide housing for tenants that are well maintained, in areas that look appealing. Objectives listed in the article include

* Improving environmental performance * Legal compliance * Demonstrating community leadership * Encourage corporate buy in to improving environmental performance

Most of these objectives can easily be attained by following the ISO guidelines. If the NCHA is able to do these then the will improve the environment, while making sure to be in legal compliance to any environmental laws. Also the bigger inititive that the y take and gain success from, the more that the people and businesses in the area will realize that going green is good for the them.

As Special projects manager Cherry Ackroyd explains, “We believe ISO 14001 is a very visible sign of our commitment”, referencing the housing association partners that demand a sustainable approach to the environment when tendering contracts. In response some of the things that the NCHA did to make improvements were; assigning a systems manager to all local areas that would monitor waste management, and encouraging more walking instead of travel by car or motorbike. Also they have been a strong new priority given to recycling and reusing of materials that can have a second use. Taking these measures has done much to help the NCHA improve their environmental standards, making the properties more appealing to their tenants.

As already stated, the biggest improvement that a come from the ISO procedures to environmental management, is that it teaches companies how to run business, but also allowing them to do so in a way that it is helpful to the environment. In this case study it seems that providing tenants with clear air and water is a priority of the NCHA, however it really seems like the biggest focus is that on actually getting the certification. In this situation, the certification provides instant credibility. Now when the housing association is showing their new accommodation to a potential tenant, they are able to show them that they are certified ISO 14001. This can be an instant selling point that they can use, proving that they follow the environmental standards. From the ISO standards, the business objectives that the NCHA was able to achieve include:

* Reduced business mileage and encouraged useof public transport * Staff enthusiasm and buy-in for better environmental practice * Business growth and competitive advantage * Ability to demonstrate and ensure legal compliance * Improved the public image of the Association * Increased recycling and reduction in use of paper, gas and electricity

Most of these are from the objectives that the company hoped to accomplish at the beginning of their initiative.