Case Study

Mount Anvil: Building a Sustainability Legacy Brick by Brick with Planet Mark

Learn how Mount Anvil’s partnership with Planet Mark has made them leaders in residential development, securing contracts to build affordable, low-carbon housing.

Words:
Planet Mark
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Planet Mark
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About the Member

Meet Mount Anvil, a leading London-based property developer committed to delivering long-standing sustainable homes. For more than three decades, they’ve partnered closely with local authorities and housing associations, creating a legacy as a responsible developer.

Key Statistics:

  • Planet Mark Certified – Year Three
  • The UK’s first residential developer to achieve Planet Mark’s Development Certification.
  • Reduced their absolute carbon footprint by 48.6%. per employee in 2023
  • Home Developer of the Year at Property Week RESI Awards, a fourth win here!

Services included: Business certification, Development Certification.

Pioneering Central London’s Low-Carbon Housing

From the beginning, Mount Anvil has been guided by the principles of sustainability. But in recent years, the leading developers decided to supercharge their commitment to the environment and society.

The company is on a mission to become the undisputed leader in Central London’s real estate landscape, leaving a lasting legacy. To achieve this, they’ve embraced a more intentional approach to sustainability, responding to the growing demand for responsible, low-carbon homes that resonate deeply with their customers.

Mount Anvil identified the opportunity to strategically align with local authorities, housing associations and their customer group by partnering with Planet Mark. Since then, they have not only built low-carbon homes that help residents reduce their energy bills, but also reduced their own carbon footprint by 48%. Their commitment has earned them contracts with prestigious entities like the Mayor of London to build low-carbon and affordable homes.

Where Passion Meets Purpose: Mount Anvil and Planet Mark’s Dynamic Partnership.

Laying down the foundation of its sustainability strategy, Mount Anvil made a critical decision to join forces with Planet Mark, as a trusted third-party verification provider in their sector. For Mount Anvil, choosing the best sustainability certifier was pivotal. They needed a partner that would bring unwavering confidence to their strategy, ensuring they were making meaningful contributions to a sustainable future and had a competitive edge needed to secure new business. In Planet Mark, they found their ideal partner.

Beyond the robustness of their sustainability certifications, there was a clear cultural synergy. Both partners had an “undeniable passion for positive change”, igniting Mount Anvil’s drive for continuous improvement and propelling them beyond their perceived limits.

“What we notice time and time again is that the Planet Mark team genuinely want to help other businesses be more responsible and more impactful, and that’s what we like as a business” – Marcus – Partnerships, Communities and Sustainability Director at Mount Anvil.

“Mount Anvil’s culture resonates perfectly with Planet Mark’s certification. Their genuine passion for sustainability, demonstrated from the board right through to all its employees, will ensure the company continues to deliver a legacy of positive change for the better”. – Steve Malkin, CEO at Planet Mark

Scaling New Heights with Planet Mark’s Holistic Methodology.

Mount Anvil found renewed purpose in their partnership with Planet Mark, driven by our impactful methodology: Measure, Engage, and Communicate. As a data-driven business, Mount Anvil understands the importance of reliable data to pinpoint areas of improvement. Working with Planet Mark has enabled them to monitor the carbon associated with their operations, development and construction activity and take steps to minimise their environmental impact.

In the two years measuring with Planet Mark, Mount Anvil has achieved considerable carbon reductions, placing them in the top 1.5% of Planet Mark members:

  • 48% absolute reduction in carbon from their business
  • 88% reduction per year of employees on a relative basis

Similarly, Mount Anvil has been able to build low-carbon homes with Planet Mark’s Development certification, which reinforces rigour and reassures customers that the homes they are investing and living in are built responsibly with sustainability at its core.

The robustness and accessibility of Mount Anvil’s carbon data have also supported the developer to effectively communicate their sustainability credentials to their key stakeholders, strengthening their current business relations and winning new business.

Igniting Passion and Making a Real Impact

Driving Mount Anvil’s sustainability journey took a united approach. Following Planet Mark’s methodology, Mount Anvil actively engaged its workforce, tapped into their social and environmental interests, and communicated its sustainability goals effectively.

With the help of bi-annual sustainability energisers hosted by the Planet Mark Engagement team, Mount Anvil has maintained momentum for its sustainability journey, involving over 200 employees. These sessions have also facilitated the development of new processes and strategies to advance their sustainability efforts.

Most recently, their sustainability working group introduced new governance processes that will further support their journey to becoming more sustainable.

“Planet Mark is really strong at understanding the people side of sustainability and helping you engage with your employees and partners, to be motivated about sustainability”. Marcus – Partnerships, Communities and Sustainability Director at Mount Anvil.

Building a Sustainable Legacy with Planet Mark.

Mount Anvil launched Positive Partnerships, a sustainability mission powered by partnerships to amplify their work around carbon reduction, biodiversity gain and social value improvement.

With key partners like Planet Mark, HACT, and Royal Botanic Gardens, Mount Anvil are committed to positively impacting the places and homes they co-create, delivering a healthy, low carbon and prosperous future for London.

The business’s commitment to crafting low-carbon, quality homes earned them the esteemed Resi Awards for ‘Small Developer of the Year’. This recognition is a testament to their outstanding efforts in developing high-quality and sustainable homes.

Charting the Blueprint for the Future of Mount Anvil Homes with Peabody.

Mount Anvil’s latest project at Friary Park, in partnership with Peabody, stands as a beacon for the future of sustainable and socially responsible homes. This ambitious scheme encompasses over 1200 homes, and Mount Anvil has implemented a range of strategic measures to reduce the carbon associated with the development, including looking at ways to reduce its water and waste consumption, using more renewable energy sources for lighting and heating, and closely monitoring its carbon footprint to benchmark against similar Mount Anvil schemes.

Throughout the process, Mount Anvil used innovative construction and demolition methods that were less harmful to the environment and caused minimal disruption to the community’s residents.

The space has successfully rehoused the previous residents of Friary Park, who are ecstatic about the fresh development and new green areas; a once-retired basketball court has blossomed into a thriving community garden. Moreover, their previously poorly insulated homes have been upgraded with better insulation from environmentally friendly materials to keep them warmer and energy bills lower.

Mount Anvil and Peabody prioritised the community throughout the entire project. From beginning to end, the developer kept open lines of communication through workshops and meetings to ensure the development aligned with the residents’ needs and vision.

Mount Anvil’s mission to enhance their sustainability effort, powered by its partnership with Planet Mark, has been nothing short of remarkable.

Their drive and commitment to environmental responsibility and social progress have elevated them to the forefront of Residential development, creating a lasting impact that will endure for generations.

Through their collaboration with Planet Mark, Mount Anvil achieved significant milestones, including becoming the UK’s first residential developer to earn Planet Mark’s Development Certification, making substantial cuts to their carbon footprint and building low-carbon homes for the Mayor of London.

The synergy in this partnership has ignited a collective drive within their workforce, inspiring continuous improvement and pushing boundaries.

As we look to the future, projects like these will stand as a reference of leading sustainability and socially responsible homes in their industry.

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Thursday 30th May 2024, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm