The Green Mortgage Advice Initiative, previously known as the Mortgage Climate Action Group, is a cross-industry collaborative project dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of integrating sustainable finance and energy solutions conversations into mortgage advice.
The initiative is structured with a steering group and four working groups, each focused on specific objectives and responsibilities aimed at promoting the need for green mortgage products in both advice and consumer conversations.
Our steering committee and volunteer task force is made up of mortgage advisers and other professionals from firms working in and alongside the mortgage sector – including lenders, intermediaries, sourcing systems, surveyors, compliance specialists, non-profit and representative bodies. This diversity enriches our work, and we encourage all individuals to join the initiative and contribute to this vital movement.
Together, we can drive meaningful change and make sustainable green financing accessible to all.
This is the first of four articles focusing on our first workstream, ‘Outreach and Engagement’, but before we find out more, here’s a few words from our steering group chair, Richard Merrett, director at Alexander Hall: “Why support the Green Mortgage Advice Initiative? I believe that as advisers, lenders and distributors, we can genuinely make a difference through our collective influence.
“I think we have a great privilege to help people into homeownership and therefore a responsibility to help them make behavioural changes and decisions that can hopefully save them money in the long term and have a huge positive environmental impact. The best way that we can address the green issue from within our industry is to do so collectively and to amplify our voice.
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“In doing so, we can encourage lenders to develop products, intermediaries to engage and support with great advice, and, crucially, customers to embrace the options that could potentially save them money in reducing their energy consumption and making their homes more sustainable.”
Working together
The Outreach and Engagement workstream comprises 12 members who range from lenders, distributors, representatives of the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI) and mortgage brokers.
We meet monthly for one hour via Teams and work through actions, share ideas and take steps to achieve our goals. Our goals are focused on ensuring mortgage advisers understand how to find guidance and best practice when supporting customers and establishing relationships with key stakeholders.
A further priority for the group is to engage mortgage brokers at industry events and through media of what the Green Mortgage Advice Initiative is up to, and how this work is supporting mortgage brokers.
Robert Sinclair, chief executive of AMI, added: “As we face the challenges of climate change, it’s crucial that we empower mortgage advisers to integrate green mortgage options into their advice, the future of sustainable green financing is in our hands. We welcome individuals from all sectors to join us in this important mission – your unique perspective and involvement will help us drive real, impactful change.”
To find out more or to join the team, click: Home – Green Mortgage Advice – Advising for the future
