1
Environmental,  
Social & 
Governance
 (ESG) Report 
2019 / 2020

2
Our vision is that
Everyone  
Has a Home

3
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Report 2019 / 2020
Contents
Introduction	
4
Report structure	
6
UN Sustainable Development Goals	
8
Environmental	
10
Climate change	
10
	
1.	 Environmental management	
10
	
2.	 Streamlined Energy & Carbon Reporting (SECR)	
12
	
3.	 Energy performance of our stock	
14
	
4.	 Aster Solar	
15
Social	
16
Affordability & security	
16
	
1.	 Homes & bed spaces in management	
16
	
2.	 Homes under development	
16
	
3.	 Affordability	
17
Building safety & quality	
18
	
1.	 Fire Safety	
18
	
2.	 Gas servicing	
18
	
3.	 Electrical compliance	
18
	
4.	 Decent homes standard	
18
Resident voice	
19
Resident support	
21
	
1.	 Into Work scheme	
21
	
2.	 Financial Wellbeing service	
21
	
3.	 Digital College	
22
	
4.	 Mental wellness & resilience	
22
	
5.	 Volunteering	
22
	
6.	 inc.	
23
	
7.	 Other resident support	
24
	
8.	 Case studies	
26
Placemaking	
27
Governance	
28
Structure & governance	
28
Board & trustees	
28
Staff wellbeing	
30
	
1.	 Gender pay gap	
31
	
2.	 CEO to worker pay ratio	
32
	
3.	 Aspiring Living Wage employer	
32
	
4.	 Programme experience	
33
Supply chain	
34

4
Welcome to our 2019 / 2020 
Environmental, Social & Governance 
(ESG) Report. 
Motivated by our vision that everyone has a home, we are proud to continue to  
help as many people as possible to live in safe, affordable, good-quality housing  
in communities they are proud to call home. 
Through our inaugural annual ESG report, we demonstrate our environmental 
responsibility, how our activities have a positive impact on people in our 
communities, as well as a robust governance framework. The report should  
be read in conjunction with our Framework for Sustainable Finance.
In the year to 31 March 2020, we invested over £198 million and built more  
than 1,000 homes, providing almost 3,000 people with access to new  
affordable housing. Our development programme is focused on building  
new homes with a range of housing options, whilst maintaining a strong  
programme of affordable rented homes as well as supporting housing  
development in rural communities.
We also partnered with East Boro Housing Trust, (East Boro) and  
were delighted to welcome over 150 new colleagues to the Group  
on 31 March 2020. Social impact is a key priority in the delivery  
of our growth strategy. Growth supports our commitment to  
do things in an ethical way, and we consider a range of  
options to work in partnerships to enhance our social  
impact in our communities.
Introduction
Environmental,  
Social & Governance  
(ESG) Report
2019 / 2020

We made significant investments in our homes, going above and beyond compliance 
and investing £62.8 million maintaining and improving our existing properties and  
£9.2 million on a range of health and fire safety measures. We make the best use of  
our assets by improving the quality of shared communal areas and investing in the 
estates in which they live to help create communities that people are proud of.  
We maximise the use of our land to deliver more homes and community facilities. 
Within our communities we aim to make a positive contribution towards a net 
carbon reduction, improve the energy efficiency of our stock and limit the  
impact on the environment.
This year also saw us continue to work towards every one of our homes 
receiving an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of  ‘C’ or above  
by 2025, five years ahead of the Government target, and through the Warm 
Homes fund we are pleased to have been able to reduce the impact of fuel 
poverty for 81% of customers involved in the scheme.
Listening and responding to the opinions of customers and the feedback 
from over 4,000 customers in our latest full customer survey, has 
played an important part in shaping decisions that we have made this 
year and has resulted in a number of services being enhanced and 
improved. Through the Aster Foundation we continue to empower our 
customers to sustain their tenancies and improve their life chances, 
enabling their independence, creating a lasting legacy through our 
thriving communities and sustaining the workforce of the future. It 
also looks to develop innovative ways to create environmentally 
active partnerships and embed our sustainability approach 
across our communities - targeting our investment at the  
places we can make the most impact, will help deliver social 
value to our customers.
Throughout 2019 and 2020, we continued to evolve our 
digital offer to make it as easy as possible for customers to 
access the information they need when they need it. And 
with almost 12,000 customers registered for MyAster, an 
interactive self-service app that allows customers to 
book repairs and manage their data, we’re looking at 
more ways to provide instant access to the things 
that matter to our customers. 
More information can be found on our website, 
www.aster.co.uk. For any specific queries, please 
contact investor.relations@aster.co.uk.
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Report 2019 / 2020
5

6
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Report 2019 / 2020
Report structure
Making a positive contribution to the communities in which we operate is embedded in our corporate 
strategy. This is further delivered through the work of the Aster Foundation1 investing in our communities 
and their future through a range of initiatives including our Into Work and Financial Wellbeing services,  
our Digital College, tackling fuel poverty, mental wellness and resilience and volunteering opportunities. 
This work, coupled with building as many homes as we can through a range of housing options to 
support our vision that everyone has a home, aligns to several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)2.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1     www.aster.co.uk/foundation
2    www.sdgs.un.org
UN Sustainable Development Goals

ESG
Theme
Description
UN Sustainable Development Goals
Environmental
Climate change
Impact on climate change
and risk mitigants
Affordable and Clean Energy/ 
Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure/
Climate Action
Ecology
Protection of the local 
environment and ecology
Life on Land
Social
Affordability  
and security
Extent to which homes are 
genuinely affordable
No Poverty/Reduce Inequality/
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Building safety 
and quality
Meeting legal responsibilities 
to protect residents and 
keep buildings safe
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Resident voice
Listening to and 
empowering residents
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Resident 
support
Initiatives to support 
individual residents
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Placemaking
Homes and places that 
meet local needs
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Governance
Structure and 
governance
Structure and approach to 
governance
Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Board and 
trustees
Suitability and performance 
of the board and trustees
Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Staff wellbeing
Staff support and wellbeing
Decent Work and Economic Growth
11
11
11
16
16
 8
7
The structure of this report is aligned to the specific themes outlined in The Sustainability Reporting Standard for  
Social Housing3. Within each theme we have reported against individual criteria. Our reporting is also aligned to the  
UN SDGs and the table below gives the themes and the specific SDGs to which they relate.
3  www.esgsocialhousing.co.uk
 7
 1
 9
10
15
11
13
11
Environmental,  
Social & Governance  
(ESG) Report
2019 / 2020

8
Report structure
UN Sustainable Development Goals (continued)
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Report 2019 / 2020
1
7
9
10
Our vision is that everyone has a home. We are committed to providing homes people can afford 
in places they want to live. We support our customers to sustain their tenancies, to find employment 
and to access the emotional, financial and physical support they need. Through the Aster Foundation 
we invest in the future of our communities through a range of initiatives including our Into Work and 
Financial Wellbeing services, our Digital College, tackling fuel poverty, mental wellness and resilience 
offer and volunteering opportunities. We also support Housing First to tackle homelessness and our 
Independent Living Services to support and enable independence for our older customers by providing 
solutions to address a range of exclusion challenges.
 
 
Through Aster Solar, we provide green electricity to our customers, reducing fuel poverty and 
generating profits that can be reinvested into charitable activities. Our customers save between £100 
and £200 per annum on electricity bills and carbon emissions are reduced by one tonne of carbon 
per home, per year. We’re committed to exploring new opportunities and have plans to develop a 
solar farm on land we own as part of a community energy project, creating green, sustainable and 
affordable energy for our customers.
 
 
We continue to work towards every one of our homes receiving an Energy Performance Certificate 
(EPC) rating of ‘C’ or above by 2025, and through a £1 million Warm Homes Fund grant, have improved 
the EPC ratings of 800 of our older homes to a C or above. Of the new homes we delivered during 
2019/2020, 99% have an EPC rating of B and we are committed to continuing to build to this standard, 
as well as introducing the Environmental Impact Rating (EIR) of B or above as a consideration in 
the appraisal stage of the planning process. The Group also operates a voids disposal, stock option 
appraisal and land enhancement programme which generated proceeds of £21.4 million in 19/20. 
The proceeds from the void disposal, stock option appraisal and land enhancement programmes 
will be reinvested into future sustainable developments.
 
 
We are committed to creating a fairer and more inclusive culture by creating an environment where 
diversity in all its forms is welcomed and celebrated. Our diversity principles set out our approach and 
focus on:
•	
Knowing our customers and colleagues
•	
Delivering fairness for all and ensuring everyone has a voice
•	
Ensuring diversity of thinking. 
We are accredited by the Disability Confident Scheme and have recently launched our first LGBTQ+ 
network with support from LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall.

9
Environmental,  
Social & Governance  
(ESG) Report
2019 / 2020
11
13
We supply a wide range of housing options in response to the housing crisis, 
working towards our vision of ensuring everyone has a home. We provide safe, 
well maintained homes supported by long-term investment in communities 
where people choose to live. We strive to create communities our customers 
are proud to call home and invest in the future of our communities through 
the Aster Foundation, the work we choose to do over and above our 
landlord and development activities.
 
 
Operating under the ISO 14001 standards, we are continuously looking 
at ways to reduce our carbon footprint and maximise our use of 
green and renewable energy. All of our new build homes meet 
current sustainability targets and we are committed to ensuring 
that every one of our existing homes meets a minimum EPC 
rating of C or above by 2025. We are invested in using renewable 
energy sources like solar to reduce our environmental impact 
and we are taking an agile approach to office space to create 
a more sustainable model for the future.

10
This theme seeks to assess how the activities of the housing provider are impacting on climate 
change, and how they are mitigating the physical risks of climate change. This theme considers 
current practice, as well as the changes being made to improve performance in the future.
In order to provide a framework to manage our environmental risks and maximise opportunities, 
we operate an environmental management system, which is externally certified to the ISO 14001 
standard. As part of this, we are continually seeking ways to reduce energy consumption and 
minimise the associated greenhouse gas emissions.
In the year to 31 March 2020 we: 
•	
Secured renewable electricity supplies for all sites covered by the corporate three-year contract, 
accounting for over 99% of consumption
•	
Replaced 82 older fleet vehicles with new, more efficient models
•	
Introduced an additional mileage rate (five pence per passenger per mile), claimable by 
employees carrying colleagues on business journeys. Due to this and other measures, including 
further improvements in technology to encourage more home working and online meetings, 
grey fleet mileage per employee has decreased by 11% since 2013/2014
•	
Disposed of an oversized office building (Flourish House in Wells) and replaced it with smaller, 
more efficient spaces in Wells and Frome
•	
Challenged regional facilities teams to reduce energy consumption over a three-month period in 
the corporate buildings they oversee, by adopting measures such as upgrading lighting to LED, 
optimising heating and cooling controls, and encouraging colleagues to turn off appliances and 
equipment when not in use
•	
Saw the continued growth of the Transformation Network and green champions. The champions 
have introduced bird boxes at our offices, encouraged litter picking during walking meetings and 
arranged beach cleans with the National Trust
•	
Secured £1m funding from the Warm Homes Fund to reduce fuel poverty in up to 800 of our 
homes by installing first time central heating to help bring these homes to at least an EPC C, 
or better supporting our EPC  target of all homes having an EPC rating of C or above by 2025
•	
Trialled Switchee, which is an in-home smart thermostat designed to optimise home heating 
systems. Resident engagement was carried out alongside each installation and we were able 
to interact with customers directly through the devices, enabling us to be more proactive in 
identifying fuel poverty or potential property issues. In the longer-term, we hope it will not only 
reduce responsive related visits, but also enable customers to have affordable warmth.
Environmental
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Report 2019 / 2020
Climate change
1.	 Environmental management

11
Environmental,  
Social & Governance  
(ESG) Report
2019 / 2020
C U R R E N T  P E R F O R M A N C E
100A
100A
100A
8416A
1090A
3367A
95A
Reduce energy  
use by 10%  
by the end  
of 2020.

1585A
Zero incidences  
of breaking  
environmental 
law.
Reduce business  
mileage by 15%  
by the end  
of 2020.
Divert 95%  
of our waste 
from landfill  
by the end  
of 2020.
All of our homes  
will have a  
minimum EPC  
(energy efficiency)  
rating of C by 2025.
15 
%
10 
%
95 
%
C 
0
0
93% of our waste  
is diverted away  
from landfill.
All of the waste 
from our main 
office sites is 
recovered or 
recycled.
84
%
We have had no 
prosecutions or 
penalties to date.
We are working 
on a new energy 
strategy to make 
sure the rest of our 
stock complies by 
the deadline.
84% of our  
stock has an  
EPC C rating  
or better.
Over 98% of the electricity 
we purchase comes from 
renewable sources.
DID YOU KNOW? 
Aster has an environmental management system which is certified to the international standard ISO 14001:2015.  
This helps us manage our impact on the environment and improve our environmental performance.
1189A
11 
%
33 
%
The energy  
consumption in  
our corporate  
buildings has 
dropped by 33% 
since 2014/15.
Our mileage has 
dropped by 11%.  
Although we have not met our 
target, we still drove 320,000 
fewer miles on business in 19/20 
compared to the base year of 
2013/14.
937A
93 
%
TA R G E T S
A S T E R  &  T H E  E N V I R O N M E N T
A S T E R  &  T H E  E N V I R O N M E N T

12
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Report 2019 / 2020
Environmental
During the coming year we are looking to define medium and  
long-term carbon emissions reduction targets. Also, although not  
within the scope of SECR reporting, we will continue to develop our 
energy strategy, which aims to ensure that all of our housing stock 
achieves a minimum energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of  
C by 2025, five years earlier than the Government target. Currently,  
just under 84% of our properties meet this requirement.
Our SECR data shows the energy use and associated greenhouse gas 
emissions arising from offices, depots and communal customer sites, 
the operation of our vehicle fleet, and staff (grey fleet) business travel. 
The information is presented both in absolute terms as total energy 
usage and greenhouse gas emissions, and as an intensity measure 
relative to the total number of homes we own and manage.
2.	 Streamlined Energy &  
	
Carbon Reporting (SECR) 
Climate change (continued)

13
Environmental,  
Social & Governance  
(ESG) Report
2019 / 2020
Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) for period 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020
Energy consumption
Mains gas (MWh)
14,896
Transport fuel – company fleet (MWh)
7,327
Transport fuel – business travel in employee-owned vehicles (MWh)
2,859
Fuel used in plant and equipment) (MWh)
927
Mains electricity (MWh)
7,648
Total energy consumption (items 1-6) (MWh)
33,657
Emissions - mandatory SECR reporting
Combustion of gas (Scope 1) (tCO2e)
2,739
Combustion of fuel for transport (Scope 1 – company fleet) (tCO2e)
1,793
Combustion of fuel for transport (Scope 3 – business travel in employee-owned vehicles) (tCO2e)
686
Purchased electricity (Scope 2, location-based) (tCO2e)
1,955
Total gross emissions for which SECR reporting required (items 7-10) (tCO2e)
7,172
Intensity ratio – mandatory emissions reporting
Total gross emissions (item 11) per property managed (tCO2e/property)
0.265
Methodology
Greenhouse Gas Reporting Protocol – Corporate Standard
-
Other emissions - non-mandatory reporting
Emissions from fuel used in plant & equipment (Scope 1) (tCO2e)
159
Emissions from purchased electricity (Scope 2, market-based) (tCO2e)
25
Emissions from electricity consumed in transmission & distribution (Scope 3) (tCO2e)
166
Total gross emissions - mandatory plus non-mandatory reporting 
Total of scopes 1, 2 and 3 emissions (location-based electricity)
7,498
Total of scopes 1, 2 and 3 emissions (market-based electricity)
5,568
Intensity ratios – total gross emissions
Total gross emissions (item 17) per property owned & managed (location-based electricity) (tCO2e/property)
0.277
Total gross emissions (item 18) per property owned & managed (market-based electricity) (tCO2e/property)
0.206
Explanatory notes on the data
	
Mains electricity and gas consumption data is derived from invoices and has been provided by our energy broker,  
          who purchase energy on our behalf.
	
Fleet fuel consumption has been derived from fuel card data, which covers all purchased fuel.
	
The energy consumption associated with business travel in employee-owned vehicles is not directly measured and 	
	
has therefore been estimated from the mileage driven, which is captured by our expense handling software.
	
The consumption of fuel used in plant and equipment has been obtained from a combination of fuel card data  
	
(for petrol and diesel purchased from garage forecourts) and purchase invoices (other fuels).
	
Emissions have been calculated using the 2019 UK Government Greenhouse Gas Conversion Factors for Company 	
	
Reporting. The exception to this is the market-based emissions factor for the main corporate (renewable) electricity 	
	
supply contract, which was provided by the supplier.
1
2
3
4
5

14
In 2016, we set out our Energy Plan which aims to ensure all our homes have an EPC rating of C or 
above by 2025, five years earlier than the target set out by Government. At 31 March 2020, 84% of our 
properties met this requirement, and more than 99% of the homes we built where data was available in 
the year to 31 March 2020, had an EPC of B. 
Year on year, the average energy performance of the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) of our 
homes improved by 0.5 SAP points, and our average SAP rating is 74, which is above sector average.
In practical terms this means we have approximately 4,500 homes that we will improve or dispose 
of before 2025. Our void disposal programme and options appraisal processes consider options for 
poorly performing assets (eligibility criteria including energy efficiency, age, maintenance and repair 
obligations), including disposal where the SAP rating of a property is below 65.
Our asset management plan (2020/2021) also outlines that we will make a positive contribution 
towards a net carbon reduction, improve the energy efficiency of our stock and limit the impact it has 
on the environment. 
We have a small development of highly energy efficient Passivhaus⁴ homes near Liskeard in Cornwall. 
Built in 2012, these 20 properties comprise a range of tenures and property types. We continue to 
monitor their performance in order to help give us an example of the long-term benefits of more 
sustainable builds.  
 
        
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4     Passivhaus buildings provide a high level of occupant comfort while using very little energy for heating and cooling. They  
       are built with meticulous attention to detail and rigorous design and construction according to principles developed by the  
       Passivhaus Institute in Germany.
Environmental
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Report 2019 / 2020
3.	 Energy performance of our stock
Climate change (continued)
(1-54)                                                                    E-G
(1-54)                                                                    E-G
(55-68)                                                       D
(55-68)                                                       D
(81-90)                                 B
(81-90)                                 B
0.5%                        
0%                        
17.9%                        
99.6%                        
65.6%                        
0.4%                        
15.9%                        
0%                        
0.1%                        
0%                        
(92-100)                A
(92-100)                A
(69-80)                                          C
(69-80)                                          C
Energy efficiency rating 
Existing homes - at 31 March 2020
Energy efficiency rating 
New homes - 12 months to 31 March 2020
Very energy efficient - low or no running costs
Very energy efficient - low or no running costs
Not energy efficient - higher running costs
Not energy efficient - higher running costs

15
Aster Solar Limited is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for 
investment in photovoltaic panels on behalf of our other 
Group entities.
Through Aster Solar, our main activity is to provide green 
electricity to our customers through the installation of 
photovoltaic panels on existing properties.
The alleviation of fuel poverty amongst our customers is 
a key objective for Aster Solar, together with the ability to 
generate profits that can be reinvested into charitable 
activities. To date we have:
•	
Installed 749 domestic solar PV systems on some of  
the least efficient homes in our portfolio
•	
Helped install a further 240 systems not financed 
through SPV
•	
Achieved an EPC of C or better on these homes as a 
result, in line with our EPC target of C by 2025
•	
Enabled affected residents to save between £100 
and £200 per annum on electricity bills together with 
reducing carbon emissions by one tonne of carbon  
per home, per year.
We continue to explore opportunities to grow and increase 
the percentage of renewable energy generated across our 
homes. As a result, several activities are under way:
•	
A pilot project to explore the new Smart Export 
Guarantee is being considered, designed to test how 
much electricity is produced and exported to the grid. 
This will determine if this can be scaled up to see solar 
panels fitted on new homes we build, by offsetting 
some of the capital and ongoing maintenance costs 
by receiving income for the electricity we produce
•	
A review was commissioned to explore the viability of 
developing a solar farm on land owned by us. That 
land has now been advertised on the PowerPaired 
community energy website where we hope we can 
explore developing the site as a community energy 
project (subject to funding and planning permissions).
Capacity of renewable energy production:
5.	 Certification  
      and compliance
We’ve held third-party ISO 14001 certification of our 
Environmental Management System (EMS) since 2010.  
The purpose of the EMS is to ensure we: 
•	
Identify and manage our environmental risks and 
opportunities 
•	
Meet our policy commitments
•	
Remain legally compliant 
•	
Continually improve our environmental performance.
Having third-party certification demonstrates to key 
stakeholders, including our customers, regulators,  
investors and employees, that our EMS is successfully 
achieving these aims and is doing so in line with the 
requirements of the most widely used environmental 
management standard worldwide.  
The scope of our certification is ‘the provision of social 
housing and associated services, including care and 
support, property development, property maintenance, 
property management and administrative services.’
Environmental incidents are monitored and reported to  
the Group Risk & Compliance Committee, a committee  
of our Board.
Environmental,  
Social & Governance  
(ESG) Report
2019 / 2020
4.	 Aster Solar
T
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t
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l
 
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W
 
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2,703kW
0.10kW

16
Affordability & security
Social
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Report 2019 / 2020
This theme seeks to assess the extent to which the housing providers provides long-term homes that 
are genuinely affordable to those on low incomes.
Most of the homes and bed spaces in management are for social and affordable rent. At 31 March 
2020, we had 32,039 homes across 50 local authorities of which 72% were for social and  
affordable rent.
The provision of affordable housing is at the centre of what we do. In the year to 31 March 2020, we 
completed 1,051 homes, 91% of these being affordable housing for either rent or shared ownership. We 
also built 96 homes for open market sale through risk sharing joint ventures, the profits from which fed 
into the affordable development programme.
At 31 March 2020, we had 2,317 homes under development of which 95% were affordable for rent or 
shared ownership, and the remainder were for open market sale through our joint ventures.
1.	 Homes and bed spaces in management
2.	 Homes under development
5%, 1,811
4%, 1,404
 
 
20,000 
 
 
 
15,000 
 
 
 
10,000
 
5,000
61%, 19,604
11%, 3,665
9%, 2,888
8%, 2,667
General needs  
(social rent)
Affordable rent
Low cost home 
ownership
Housing for 
older people
Other 
(inc leasehold)
Supported 
housing
Homes and bed spaces in management 
31 March 2020
 
 
1000
800
600
400
200
0
42%, 978
39%, 909
14%, 314
5%, 116
Affordable rent
Low cost home 
ownership
Social rent
Open market 
sale (JVs)
Homes under development 
31 March 2020

17
3.	 Affordability
Environmental,  
Social & Governance  
(ESG) Report
2019 / 2020
We offer security of tenure to existing and prospective residents and we let most of our 
homes either with an assured tenancy or a starter tenancy. We carry out pre-allocation 
assessments where we look at any risks that might mean the tenancy fails including 
an affordability check. Working with our Local Authority partners we cap 83% of our 
affordable rents at the local housing allowance level.  
We stopped offering fixed term tenancies during 2019 and have converted the 
majority of these to assured tenancies. We aim to be responsive and flexible 
to the wide range of housing needs ensuring we make the best use of our 
homes by letting them as quickly as possible. When we benchmark ourselves 
against other housing associations, we perform in the top quartile. In areas 
where demand is low or we have homes that are difficult to let, we work with 
our Local Authority partners and let these where possible on temporary 
tenancies to help them meet their obligations under the Homelessness 
Reduction Act.  
We have nominations agreements in place with all Local Authorities 
in which we operate, which guarantee those on the housing register 
access to our available units helping them meet their statutory 
housing duties. The housing registers use a point or band-based 
system to identify specific housing need and prioritise applicants.

18
This theme seeks to assess how effective the housing provider is at meeting its legal responsibilities 
to protect residents and keep buildings safe.
The vision of our Asset Management Strategy is to provide safe, well maintained homes supported 
by long-term investment in communities where people choose to live. Our beyond compliance 
approach to health and safety and fire safety saw us invest £9.2m in these areas in the year to  
31 March 2020.
At 31 March 20, our Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) compliance was at 99.9% on a target of 100% at year end. 
The COVID-19 lockdown restrictions meant we had to postpone all non-essential works including FRAs, 
but we have now returned to a normal programme of safety inspections and FRA compliance. When 
compared to target, we are recovering well at 81.6% for the high priority FRAs at 30 September 2020.
As with FRA compliance, gas servicing compliance was excellent at 31 March 20 with 99.7% compliance 
on a target of 100%. The COVID-19 restrictions caused significant disruption in the first half of 2020/2021, 
but we have since carried out more than 9,000 routine gas safety checks with compliance at 100% at 
30 September 2020.
Electrical compliance was 98.8% at 31 March 2020 and despite the significant disruptions from 
COVID-19, has recovered to the same level at 30 September 2020.
All of our homes were compliant with the Government’s Decent Homes Standard at 31 March 2020.
Social
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Report 2019 / 2020
Building safety & quality
1.	 Fire Safety 
2.	 Gas servicing 
3.	 Electrical compliance 
4.	 Decent homes standard

19
Environmental,  
Social & Governance  
(ESG) Report
2019 / 2020
This theme seeks to assess how effective the housing provider is at listening to and empowering residents.
The Customer and Community Network is an integral part of our governance framework consisting 
of customers, senior executive and non-executive directors, with the responsibility for scrutinising and 
challenging our performance, how we deliver services to our customers, and onward recommendation 
of customer related policies and strategies. The resident voice is further integrated through our 
Customer Overview Group (COG) and the Customer Scrutiny Panel.
The COG is made up of a group of customers who review and approve customer facing policies and 
procedures and make recommendations on how services are best delivered for our customers.  
 
Some of the recent work that COG have been involved in includes: 
•	
Operational target setting for customer facing services
•	
Focussing on customer satisfaction survey data
•	
Repairs and maintenance performance
•	
Energy and Environmental Sustainability Strategy work.
The Customer Scrutiny Panel provides a thorough and customer focussed assessment of our services  
and processes.
Regular customer surveys are undertaken to measure and understand our customer’s perception of  
our organisation, allowing a consistent and comparable approach of customer satisfaction across  
the business and with other housing associations. Our performance for Quarter 1 2020/2021 for General 
Needs (GN) and Housing for Older People (HOP) demonstrates excellent customer satisfaction.
 
 
Three other surveys were also carried out in Q1 2020/2021 to measure customer feedback on the 
following areas over the last 12 months:
New Customers - 450 new GN and HOP customers were surveyed regarding the process of moving into 
their home, and how well the property met their needs. They told us:
•	
Ease of process
•	 First let properties: 84%
•	 Re-let properties: 78%.
•	
Meeting their needs
•	 First let properties: 84%
•	 Re-let properties: 77%.
Resident voice
 
Survey of Tenants and Residents (STAR)
  
            Target
      Quarter 1     
     2020/2021
Overall customer satisfaction
80%
83%
Rent represents value for money 
 90%
92%
Neighbourhood as a place to live
88%
88%
Customer effort (how easy or difficult is Aster to deal with)
80%
84%
Repairs service 
75%
73%
Maintenance of communal areas – not monitored
75%
78%
Customer feels safe and secure – 88% (all at 87%)
87%
88%
Satisfaction with the quality of your home (excluding new build)
76%
80%

20
Responsive Repairs – we surveyed 1,200 customers who had a repair in the last 30 days. 
They revealed:
•	
Overall satisfaction: 94%
•	
Being kept informed: 89%
•	
Quality of the repair: 90%
•	
Ease of process: 85%.
Planned Maintenance – 600 customers who had planned maintenance  
at their property’s building told us: 
•	
Overall satisfaction: 77%
•	
Ease of process: 79%.
Registered with the Housing Ombudsman, the Designated  
Complaints Panel (DCP) is a group of customers that are specially  
trained in reviewing complaints independently and objectively where  
a resolution hasn’t been reached during the formal complaints  
process. In the year to 31 March 2020, the DCP reviewed nine  
complaints, upholding two and making recommendations to us to  
help improve our service delivery and learn from these complaints. 
We work hard to ensure we deliver a good quality service but  
sometimes things don’t turn out as we expected. In the year to  
31 March 2020, we had 530 formal complaints and 788 fast  
track complaints. Of these, 14 remained unresolved and were  
escalated for review, nine were reviewed by the DCP and four  
were investigated by the Housing Ombudsman:
•	
530 formal complaints received
•	
788 fast track complaints
•	
14 complaints unresolved and escalated to  
director review
•	
9 complaints reviewed by DCP
•	
4 complaints investigated by the  
Housing Ombudsman.
Social
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Report 2019 / 2020
Resident voice (continued)

21
Environmental,  
Social & Governance  
(ESG) Report
2019 / 2020
Resident support
This theme seeks to assess the effectiveness of the initiatives that the housing provider runs to support 
individual residents.
The Aster Foundation was created by us to give something back. It’s the work we choose to do over 
and above our landlord and development activities. Social innovation, enterprise, community and 
collaboration is at the heart of our work.
Through our Aster Foundation we invest in our communities and their future through a range of initiatives 
including our Into Work and Financial Wellbeing services, our Digital College, tackling fuel poverty, mental 
wellness and resilience offer and volunteering opportunities.
The Foundation also supports Housing First to tackle homelessness and our Independent Living Services 
to support and enable independence for our older customers. 
Our social incubator, inc. will be integral in creating and supporting the next wave of social entrepreneurs 
who will make a difference and drive change across our communities.
We offer our tenants one-to-one support through our Into Work scheme, where we can help with 
creating a CV and job applications, interview skills and preparation, job searching, registering  
with online job sites, finding volunteer opportunities, work placements and apprenticeships, IT skills  
and access to our Digital College. In the year to 31 March 2020, Into Work helped 47 customers who had 
been unemployed for a long period of time or, who faced barriers back into work. 98% of the those we 
supported into work have remained employed, with the majority able to transition from benefits and  
become financially independent. 
Our Financial Wellbeing service continues to support our customers to have a healthy relationship 
with money. By helping our customers to access the right support and benefits available, our Financial 
Wellbeing team provided 2,301 cases of financial wellbeing support which meant our customers were 
able to access £738,000 in support for our customers in the year to 31 March 2020, with a successful 
88% of appeals and 82% success of benefit applications.
Our dedicated team is on hand for our customers who need support to help them become financially 
independent, to pay their rent on time and to sustain their tenancy. Our people are trained to offer 
welfare and benefit advice and have helped hundreds of customers to maximise their income and 
to claim the benefits they’re entitled to. The team also assists with claims and appeal decisions on 
appropriate benefits as well as providing support on budgeting and accessing grants, food banks, 
and other vital financial support or services. Employment and digital skills also form part of this service, 
along with referrals to our Into Work service, debt advice and signposting to other community support 
groups if we can’t help.
We held various weekly drop-in surgeries during the year at five of our local offices, job centres and 
support groups to make our services more accessible. We focused on bridging the gap with the 
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) helping to alleviate the impact of welfare reform on our 
customers, allowing us to resolve complex issues more quickly. 
During the year to 31 March 2020, we had 2,707 referrals by colleagues, local support groups and district 
councillors into our financial support service, which resulted in the team helping 782 customers with 
successful benefit applications and appeals.
1.	 Into Work 
2.	 Financial Wellbeing service

22
Social
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Report 2019 / 2020
3.   Digital College
Our Digital College delivers accredited learning online to help customers learn new skills.  All courses 
support employability and include health and safety, construction, healthcare and safeguarding.  
The college is easy to access and simple to use and helpful for those who want to develop, upskill 
and increase their earning potential. In the year to 31 March 2020, 187 people benefited from the 
online courses which are mobile friendly to enable studying on the move.
According to Mind, approximately one in four people experience a mental health problem in the UK 
each year. Here at Aster, good mental health, wellbeing and resilience are priorities in work and across 
our communities.
In 2020, the Aster Foundation trained over 1,000 people in mental wellness and resilience, with 92% of 
those who attended our courses saying they felt able to support others across our communities.  
“That’s truly the best course I have ever participated in and I realise now, for the first time in 62 years of 
life, that I am not the only person to have these types of feelings! I thought it was just me and I wish I 
could have known about this 40 years ago when I was in my early 20’s. The positive thing is that now I 
have the tools for my tool bag. I’m going to write down three positive things about today this evening!  
Thank you.”
4.	 Mental wellness and resilience
Volunteering is our way of investing in communities where they need it the most, supporting local 
partners and worthwhile causes. It’s a fantastic way to make a difference, drive change and help us get 
closer to the communities we live and work in. 
In the year to 31 March 2020, we invested 335.5 days of volunteering into our communities. In 2020, we 
developed this further through creating Aster VIP, our digital platform which connects our colleagues 
and communities together more than ever before. We are excited for what the future holds and look 
forward to supporting our community infrastructure to thrive.
5.	 Volunteering
+

23
Environmental,  
Social & Governance  
(ESG) Report
2019 / 2020
6.	 inc.
Our social incubator, inc. is part of our commitment to develop innovative and 
sustainable ways to drive change. A disruptor in the community investment space, inc. 
was set up to inspire, connect and enable social entrepreneurs to make a difference 
across our communities.
A unique ten-month programme offers a strong core syllabus covering all areas of 
business development, growth and ethics:
•	
An opt in syllabus which can be used to strengthen areas people wish  
to develop
•	
Mentoring and coaching to support personal growth
•	
Access to funding and investment
•	
Opportunities to gain insight from our customers
•	
Benefit from expert advice and support from our colleagues  
and partners
•	
An entrepreneurial community of peers to collaborate with  
and provide support.

24
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Report 2019 / 2020
Social
We understand that being able to live independently is important to a person’s quality  
of life.
We offer a range of accommodation specifically for people aged 55+, and help with 
home adaptations, repairs and technology to support independence. Our ‘Connected 
Living’ team also provides affordable technology that offers reassurance 24/7, and the 
peace of mind that help is on hand wherever and whenever it is needed. We provide 
security, confidence and reassurance when people need it the most.
During COVID-19, our teams have made over 10,000 wellbeing calls to customers  
and we are working with partners, The Bell Group, to create a sustainable  
and vibrant activity programme for our older communities to thrive within.
We have worked hard to build strong relationships with local food banks  
and reuse centres enabling us to quickly get food parcels, furniture and  
white goods to customers who need it the most. We helped 273  
customers in 2020 with referrals to food banks which meant that  
they could continue to put food on the table when times were hard.  
We also have a dedicated hardship fund to help customers struggling  
with unexpected expenses. This fund looks to help customers with  
white goods, carpets, utility top ups, and smaller items to help  
customers through difficult times. In the year to 31 March 2020, 
we assisted 163 customers through this fund.
Our Housing First initiative, which aims to tackle homelessness,  
housed seven vulnerable people during the year to 31 March 2020.  
A further 22 street homeless individuals were housed during the  
COVID-19 pandemic, helping homeless people rebuild their lives  
through homes and support. At the end of Q1 2020/2021, 100%  
of Housing First customers have had successful tenancies  
where no enforcement actions or ending of tenancy has  
been required.
7.   Other resident support

25
Environmental,  
Social & Governance  
(ESG) Report
2019 / 2020
Our 2019/2020 Feeling Part of the Community survey asked approximately 1,600 General Needs and 
Housing for Older People customers if they agreed with the following:
During April-December 2020:
•	
14 customers were supported into work
•	
595 people received mental health training by the Aster Foundation, with 92% feeling they can now 
support others in their community with poor mental health
•	
110 days were spent volunteering by customers and colleagues in their communities and for 
charitable causes
•	
£11,000 of external donations, grants and value for the Foundation and its communities.
Dealing with the impact of COVID-19:
•	
3,436 customers in our sheltered and extra care schemes were contacted to ensure they had 
appropriate support, medication and food
•	
More than 10,000 calls were made to vulnerable customers, which included our Aster Connect service 
where 99 vulnerable customers experiencing loneliness and isolation received weekly calls
•	
We received 976 referrals for support
•	
Assisted customers to claim £275,740 in benefit income and appeals
•	
Helped a further 19 customers into work and 65 customers through our Digital College
•	
A ‘Covid Hardship Fund’ initiative was developed to offer customers affected financially by COVID-19. 
This helped approximately 300 customers with food vouchers and 15 customers with mobile phone 
top ups.
           Response
I feel a valued member of my community 
86%
I feel safe in my community 
 94%
I have enough contact with other people in the community 
93%
I have someone who listens to my views and acts upon them 
81%

26
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Report 2019 / 2020
3.   Case studies
Kirsty’s story
Kirsty and her then 17-year-old son, moved to Wiltshire and their first Aster home after complex family 
reasons forced her to move from her home in Scarborough.
Kirsty had no local support network and was struggling with her confidence. She had been out of 
work for several years and was struggling with managing her money and household budget.
Our Into Work Officer helped Kirsty update her CV, apply for local jobs and training, and find help for 
the financial cost of new clothing needed for job interviews. We were also able to help and support 
Kirsty’s son with employment advice and training.
Kirsty secured a full-time job working in a local shop, resulting in greater financial independence and 
increased personal confidence and is now far more confident and positive about the future.
Jim
Jim had been unemployed for some time and was unable to reduce his outstanding debts and 
arrears. Our Financial Wellbeing officer helped him build life skills around resilience and sustainability 
in managing his finances. 
Jim is now working in a supermarket and he’ll be enrolling in a self-employment course with a view to 
becoming a tour guide.
Sheridan
Sheridan wanted to find a job but found her anxiety and depression was making it difficult.   
Our Into Work team helped her to create a CV and develop the skills she needed to complete  
application forms. 
Sheridan is now working as a mental health care assistant.  It’s a permanent role and she is loving  
the work.
Jennifer
Jennifer, a victim of domestic violence was finding it difficult to find a job. Our Into Work team spent 
time building her confidence with support and help on updating her CV, developing her skills through 
our Digital College and preparing for interview.  
Jennifer has now secured work in a supermarket as a shop assistant and is rebuilding her life.
Pauline 
When Pauline was struck down by a condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome (GB), her whole world 
fell apart. GB left Pauline paralysed and unable to talk or move.  She spent five months in hospital and 
a further four in specialist rehabilitation with no idea of what her future now held.
On discharge and with her mobility severely affected, she found she could no longer live in her former 
home and was moved into temporary accommodation. Aster stepped in and offered her a level 
access bungalow. Unfortunately, because of her change in circumstances she could no longer work 
and was forced to claim Universal Credit.
Our Financial Wellbeing team helped Pauline navigate the processes and applications for grants and 
the additional financial support she was entitled to.
Pauline was over the moon.
I couldn’t have done this without all your help and 
support, and I am very grateful.
Social

27
Environmental,  
Social & Governance  
(ESG) Report
2019 / 2020
Placemaking
This theme seeks to highlight the wider set of activities that housing providers undertake to 
create well-designed homes and places that meet local needs and provide great places 
for people to live and enjoy.
Our partnerships with Community Land Trusts (CLTs) help provide homes that are 
shaped by local people, for local people, putting community needs ahead of profit. 
65 homes were built in the year to 31 March 2020, to support rural communities in 
partnership with CLTs. Two more schemes are due to complete in 2020/2021, with 
a further 15 schemes in the pipeline. In 2020/2021 so far, one of three partnerships 
have been set up to deliver environmental improvements to our communities.

28
Governance
Structure & governance
This theme seeks to assess the housing provider’s overall structure and approach to governance.
Aster is a charitable registered society, registered with the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH). We hold 
the highest possible ratings for governance (G1) and viability (V1), which was reaffirmed by the RSH in 
December 2020.
Our governance framework is structured on the UK Corporate Governance Code. This is a set  
of principles of good corporate governance that we follow in our governance arrangements,  
including those around board leadership and effectiveness, remuneration, accountability and  
stakeholder relations.
Board & trustees
Our Overlap Boards (the Board) are responsible for making sure we meet our social purpose, vision and 
values, and is supported by our Executive Board. The overall role and purpose of the Executive Board is to 
ensure that there is effective leadership of, and a system of assurance between, the operations of the Aster 
Group and the Overlap Boards and their sub-committees.
One of the key success factors of our Board, is the balance of skills and experience that our Non-Executives 
bring. As part of the ongoing skills assessment of our Boards and Committees, we introduced the Board 
Skills Vision, which aims to quantify the key skills and characteristics we are looking for at Aster. The Board 
Skills Vision is a holistic set of criteria focusing on everything from fact-based judgements to emotional 
intelligence, teamwork and values. We recruit on cultural fit and value alignment, just as much as we do on 
experience.
The Board recognises that effective succession planning is not only a fundamental component of 
board effectiveness but is also integral to the delivery of Aster’s strategic plans. It is essential in ensuring a 
continuous level of quality in management, in avoiding instability by helping mitigate the risks which may 
be associated with any unforeseen events, such as the departure of a key individual, and in promoting 
diversity.
The Board has approved a Board Membership, Recruitment and Succession Policy endorsed a succession 
policy and the Group Remuneration & Nominations Committee routinely reviews the succession plan 
for the Overlap Boards and the Committees to facilitate future recruitment in a timely manner. The 
Committee works to ensure a continuous flow of talent is available through developing existing directors 
and independent members, and also by identifying suitable external candidates to ensure a refreshing  
of talent and ideas, and the ongoing maintenance of skills.
When recruiting, by mapping our Board skills we can get a clear idea of what we are looking for in our 
applicants and what each of them could bring to the collective. From our most recent recruitment in  
the latter part of 2019, our successful applicants have brought a wealth of experience from very  
different sectors and have been able to add value immediately. As with all of our decisions, the  
long-term sustainability of the business is central and the skills we have recruited in risk, digital 
transformation, compliance and a whole new range of experiences will help our Boards and  
Committees make better decisions as a result.
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Report 2019 / 2020

29
Environmental,  
Social & Governance  
(ESG) Report
2019 / 2020
A
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39months
Board demographic
33+67F
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      Female
67%
    Male
Gender
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Auditors - KPMG
Independent Chair and CEO
Non-executive remuneration committee
Conflicts of interest – managed under the Board Code of Conduct
Board representation on Audit Committee with relevant experience
Charitable registered society
*Executives unlimited
**in the last two years

30
Governance
This theme seeks to assess how staff are supported and how their wellbeing is 
considered.
One of the six pillars of our Corporate Strategy is our Transformation Strategy. In it 
we say the purpose is “enabling sustainable transformation across the business 
and our communities. Ensuring people have the technology they need, pro-actively 
communicating internally and externally, and empowering our employees to  
create a fair and inclusive culture.”
We have undertaken a full review of role profiles and job evaluation, market 
benchmarking and an equal pay review. This information has enabled us to  
establish a framework which will allow us to achieve a balance between  
flexibility and control in pay decision making. Our new pay framework will  
be implemented in April 2021 and will demonstrate fairness and  
transparency in the way that pay is set and reviewed.
 We have recently published our Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) policy and  
principles. Launched during National Inclusion Week, our aim was to  
raise the profile of D&I by starting to raise awareness, give people  
the opportunity to educate themselves and to start a narrative in the  
business which will enable representation, involvement and action.
We continue to make excellent progress in this area with some  
notable achievements listed below:
•	
Test Valley Employer of the Year award for our work around  
mental health first aid
•	
Held a series of mental, physical and financial wellbeing  
road shows with over 400 colleagues attending
•	
Best Mental Health Wellbeing Strategy in the  
Reward & Employee Benefits Association (REBA)  
Employee Wellbeing Awards 2020
•	
Prioritised the conversion of our programme of  
wellbeing interventions and training to a fully  
online, digital delivery at the outset of the  
COVID-19 pandemic
•	
In our November 2020 Employee Engagement  
Survey results, 84% reported that they felt Aster  
was committed to their wellbeing. 88%  
reported that they believe Aster is truly  
committed to the health and safety  
of colleagues.
Staff wellbeing
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Report 2019 / 2020

31
Environmental,  
Social & Governance  
(ESG) Report
2019 / 2020
Percentage
2017
20.3%
2018
17.9%
2019
9.0%
2020
10.2%
Since April 2017, the Gender Pay Gap report has been 
an annual compliance requirement of all employers of 
more than 250 employees. The assessment is based 
on company data at a single point in time (5 April) each 
year. The reported gender pay gap shows the difference 
between the average earnings of men and women and is 
expressed as a percentage of male earnings. 
Since its introduction, our gender pay gap has been 
decreasing except for 2020, where the metric was affected 
by the impact of a specific recruitment campaign in our 
maintenance operations.
As a result of this campaign, which saw more men than 
women join Aster within one grouping, there has been a 
notable impact on one of the reported quartiles, resulting 
in a small upward shift in the overall pay gap for the 
business. This is indicative of the sensitivities of the Gender 
Pay Gap methodology to fluctuations in organisational 
demographics.
 
 
 
Although our Gender Pay Gap compares well to the UK 
average of 15.5% in 2020, addressing the pay gap never 
stops and our Diversity & Inclusion action plan helps to 
embed inclusivity at the heart of the organisation.
To date, key achievements outside of the work on the 
development of a new pay framework, include:
•	
MumsNet accredited flexible employer
•	
Implementation of flexibility principles that 
recognise colleagues have many demands on their 
time, enabling work to be done alongside other 
commitments
•	
146 women occupying leadership roles out of 294
•	
Structured and tailored leadership development offer 
for aspiring and new leaders
•	
Well-established links with a range of schools and 
colleges to promote the breadth of careers on offer 
across Aster and the wider sector
•	
Embedding Restorative Practice within The Aster 
Way themes of transparency, freedom and trust, and 
experiment and adapt.
Our focus now includes:
•	
Blind (to all protected/non protected characteristics) 
recruitment and selection processes
•	
A focus on family leave, rather than just maternity leave, 
and encouraging either parent/carer to have time off to 
support their family
•	
Job pricing process to be embedded and linked to 
workforce planning, ensuring salaries advertised are 
evidence based on independent data
•	
An updated talent and resourcing approach to 
ensure our default position is to share all vacancies 
with internal candidates first and are prioritised for 
development and access to opportunities
•	
Leadership development offer for established and 
senior leaders
•	
Further extending our approach to flexibility, including 
our involvement in the national Flex Appeal campaign.
1.	 Gender pay gap

32
Governance
2.   CEO to worker pay ratio
We have included the CEO to worker pay ratio based on option B of the BEIS methodology5. The 
methodology uses the Gender Pay Gap (GPG) data to calculate the ratio in three steps.
Step 1 - Rank the remuneration of our employees from lowest to highest based on the pre-existing 
GPG pay data, and identify those employees at the 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles of the employee 
population based on this pre-existing data.
Step 2 - Calculate the three employees’ pay and benefits for the year.
Step 3 - Calculate pay ratios for employees at each percentile using the latest CEO Single Total Figure 
of Remuneration (STFR) and the employee pay and benefits figures identified at the 25th, 50th and 
75th percentile points for the relevant financial year.
Our CEO to worker pay ratio compares favourably to FTSE 100 median ratio which was 84:1 in the 
same period. The data below sets out the CEO to worker pay ratio for the various percentiles:
7
5
t
h
 
p
e
r
c
e
n
t
i
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e
6.6:1
M
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8.1:1
2
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10.3:1
We aspire to become a Living Wage accredited employer committed to diversity and inclusion and will 
be investigating this in more detail following the implementation of our new pay framework in April 2021.
3.   Aspiring Living Wage employer
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Report 2019 / 2020
5     The Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018 Q&A

33
Environmental,  
Social & Governance  
(ESG) Report
2019 / 2020
4.   Programme experience
Building on our transformation journey over the past six years; Programme Experience will 
improve and modernise our customer and colleague experience. 
Through five key workstreams, we’ll work collaboratively to ensure we can respond to 
rapidly changing customer and colleague expectations and can continue to succeed 
long into the future. 
Specifically, it brings together five key workstreams:
•	
The Aster Offer, which focusses on transforming our colleague offer and 
experience
•	
Project Dynamics, the technology enabler for business transformation
•	
A new Customer Experience strategy designed to create effortless, 
end-to-end customer journeys
•	
Our sustainability focus to maximise working in different ways to 
ensure true sustainability going forward
•	
The Aster Foundation, which focusses on innovative investments 
in our customers and communities.

34
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Report 2019 / 2020
        Supply chain
This theme seeks to assess if the housing provider procures responsibly.
We aim to ensure Sustainable Procurement meets the requirements for goods, services, utilities and works not on 
only on a cost–benefit analysis, but with a view to maximising net benefits for Aster and the wider world.
There are three areas of focus:
•	
Economic (e.g. corporate governance, ethical trading, payment on time)
•	
Social (e.g. diversity, human rights)
•	
Environmental (biodiversity, carbon footprint, climate change).
To support Sustainable Procurement, we insist on adherence to the following Aster Policies from all  
of our suppliers on all tenders with an estimated contract value of £50,000 and over:
•	
Aster Group Data Protection and Confidentiality (inc GDPR).
•	
Aster Group Equality and Diversity
•	
Aster Group Environmental Sustainability
•	
Health and Safety Declaration
•	
Modern Slavery Act Compliance.
Going forward, it is imperative that Sustainable Procurement is a key consideration 
when producing any tender. This is expected to bring the following advantages:
•	
Cost savings - focusing on following a whole life costing methodology when 
sourcing goods and services
•	
Enhance our corporate image
•	
Creating markets for new products and services, by using technology 
to develop and market sustainable products.
Governance

35
Environmental,  
Social & Governance  
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36
Sarsen Court,  
Horton Avenue,  
Cannings Hill,  
Devizes, Wiltshire. 
SN10 2AZ
T: 0333 400 8222 
www.aster.co.uk        @AsterGroupUK        AsterGroupUK