NatWest Rolls Out a Complimentary Retrofitting Plan for Construction Workforce

The NatWest Group, a leading lender in the UK, has teamed up with the Supply Chain Sustainability School in a bid to accelerate the retrofitting of UK buildings and help the country meet its net zero commitments.

The partnership aims to share knowledge and build the skills needed to retrofit homes and buildings across the UK. With 80% of the buildings that will be standing at 2050 already existing in the UK, the need for retrofitting to increase energy efficiency has never been more pressing.

James Close, head of climate change at NatWest Group, emphasizes the importance of this initiative. "Retrofitting existing buildings is crucial in our mission to decarbonise properties," he said. "It's not just about reducing CO2 in the atmosphere, but also improving people's quality of life by making homes more energy efficient."

The construction sector contributes to 40% of the UK's carbon emissions, making it a key area for focus in the fight against climate change. The NatWest Group is positioning itself to help the UK fulfil its net zero commitments by crafting and delivering learning experiences that empower the UK to retrofit its structures with cutting-edge technologies and systems.

The Supply Chain Sustainability School, which has a mission to enable a sustainable built environment through knowledge and collaboration, will bring its expertise in new builds to the partnership. However, most of its work has focused on new builds, and this partnership marks the first time the School has partnered with NatWest.

The NatWest Group's goal is to make it as easy as possible for their customers to retrofit their properties. To achieve this, they aim to work at scale to increase demand for retrofitting, but also need the skills and companies to carry out the work. The partnership with the Supply Chain Sustainability School is intended to cultivate a more mature retrofit supply chain.

The retrofit projects resulting from this partnership may inspire other companies to follow suit, helping to reduce carbon emissions and create a more sustainable future for the UK. The NatWest Group looks forward to tackling climate change through retrofit projects and is excited about the opportunities this partnership presents.

The image is of Marcin Rogozinski, who is likely to play a key role in the partnership. The Supply Chain Sustainability School offers free training to 80,000 registered users on 17 key sustainability topics, and it is expected that this training will be a valuable resource for those involved in the retrofit projects.

The partnership between the NatWest Group and the Supply Chain Sustainability School officially began in 2024, and it is hoped that it will make a significant contribution to the UK's efforts to tackle climate change and create a more sustainable built environment.