Housing Alliance launches net zero decarbonisation guide for Ireland’s social housing sector
Guide launched by Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Micheál Carrigy TD
The Housing Alliance – a collaboration of seven of Ireland’s largest Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), representing close to 70% of AHB housing nationwide – today (06.03.26) launched ‘A Guide on Innovative Solutions to Advancing Net Zero Carbon in Social Housing’, a landmark decarbonisation guide designed to support AHBs in advancing net zero carbon emissions across Ireland’s social housing sector.
Developed by Sustainability Works and co-funded through the Housing Agency’s Research Support Programme, the guide sets out practical solutions to support AHBs in advancing net zero carbon emissions across Ireland’s social housing sector. It provides a structured framework for decarbonisation, including:
A step‑by‑step decarbonisation framework for AHBs at beginner, intermediate, and advanced stages.
Guidance on funding routes, including SEAI’s One‑Stop‑Shop and Community Energy Grants.
A technology map covering low‑carbon materials, heat pumps, ventilation systems, MMC, digital tools, and nature‑based solutions.
Templates for retrofit planning, governance, procurement, and resident engagement.
Case studies featuring Irish innovation, such as Tuath Housing’s Circular Reno pilot and the RED WoLF hybrid energy storage project.
The research underpinning the guide included policy analysis, engagement with AHBs and an extensive survey of almost 3,000 residents, one of the largest surveys of its kind. It highlights strong resident support for action, with 96% of resident saying energy efficiency is important and 84% expressing concern about climate change.
Almost half (46%) indicated they would welcome guidance on using new heating and ventilation systems, underlining the need for resident engagement alongside technical upgrades.
Sector ready to act but barriers remain
The research highlights both the scale of the challenge and the opportunity for social housing providers to lead on climate action. It found strong interest across the AHB sector to improve the energy performance of homes, alongside a number of delivery challenges, including the need for increased access to funding and more comprehensive funding options, increased skills capacity, and the complexity of upgrading older and multi-unit buildings.
Practical recommendations for delivery at scale
The Housing Alliance works in partnership with Government, agencies, and industry to support the delivery of retrofit programmes at scale. The guide highlights key actions to enable this, including:
Streamlined and accessible retrofit funding tailored to AHB delivery models.
Long-term funding approaches to support programme planning and delivery.
Investment in skills and technical capacity across the sector.
Increased collaboration in procurement and delivery to achieve economies of scale.
It also recommends piloting innovation through ‘living labs’ to test new technologies and inform future policy development.
No pathway to net zero without housing retrofit
Susan Vickers, Chair of the Housing Alliance Climate Action Working Group and Head of Environmental Sustainability at Clúid, said: “Addressing emissions from housing will be central to achieving Ireland’s net zero targets. Social housing providers are well placed to play a leading role, working with partners to scale up retrofit programmes across the sector, but we need the right funding, skills, and delivery frameworks.
“The guide highlights the importance of continued clarity and long-term certainty in funding to support the planning and delivery of retrofit programmes at scale. We welcome the increased funding for retrofit for the sector announced by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment at the end of January and look forward to further details on this due to be announced later this month.
“Residents are central to the decarbonisation journey and resident engagement was a principal component of the research that informed the decarbonisation guide. The guide emphasises that retrofit programmes must include structured resident engagement, as well as training and support to ensure technologies such as heat pumps and ventilation systems are used effectively.”
Launching the report today, Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Micheál Carrigy TD, said: “The current drive within Government to deliver on our ambitious housing targets, coincides and should align with our drive to deliver on our national climate targets. Improving the energy performance of our housing stock, including that which is owned by Approved Housing Bodies, has a significant role to play in this regard. AHBs provide homes to thousands of households across Ireland, and these solutions will also help tackle energy poverty by ensuring these homes are warm, energy‑efficient, and cost‑effective to run”.
Clúid resident Pat Melia, whose home was retrofitted in 2025 from BER D1 to B1, said:“Our home is set at a comfortable temperature at all times. We’re saving 45% on our heating bills and living in comfort. Since the retrofit works in our estate, the community is doing more to improve the area too. It’s a win-win all round.”
Increased grant funding supports momentum but certainty needed
The research highlights the financial scale of the retrofit challenge, with upgrades to a BER B2 standard typically costing between €30,000 and €50,000 per home, depending on property type and condition.
In January 2026, the Housing Alliance welcomed Government increases in retrofit funding under the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme (NHEUS) and Community Energy Grant (CEG), which will provide up to 75% of retrofit costs – rising to 80% for fuel poor homes. Combined with supports available through the Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme (EEOS), funding could exceed 90% of upgrade costs for some projects.
The guide is intended as a practical resource for AHBs at all stages of their decarbonisation journey and positions the sector as a key delivery partner in achieving Ireland’s climate targets. The guide is available here.
For more information, visit housingalliance.ie.