34 organisations support plan to align UK mortgage sector with net zero goals
The Green Finance Institute (GFI), in collaboration with the Green Mortgage Advice Initiative (GMAI), has introduced the Green Home Finance Roadmap (GHFR), a framework designed to integrate sustainability into the UK mortgage market.
The initiative seeks to address the financial and logistical demands of decarbonising the country’s housing stock, a key element of the UK’s net zero ambitions.
According to the UK’s Climate Change Committee, achieving net zero emissions in residential properties by 2050 will require an estimated £311.5 billion in investment, with much of the funding expected from private sources. The UK mortgage market, valued at £242 billion annually and with nearly £1.7 trillion in outstanding loans, is seen as central to mobilising this capital.
The GHFR has received backing from 34 organisations and industry groups across finance, energy, and the built environment, including the National Retrofit Hub, UK Green Building Council, Building Societies Association, Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association, Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI), and Equity Release Council.
Research from the GFI indicates increasing interest in green mortgages, with half of homeowners and 80% of first-time buyers in Scotland expressing willingness to use such products to purchase or upgrade to more energy-efficient homes.
The roadmap emphasises the need for collaboration across the sector, noting that individual lenders and intermediaries cannot drive the transition alone. Public engagement and access to appropriate financial products are identified as essential for the widespread adoption of clean technologies. The document also highlights the importance of resilience measures, such as flood and extreme weather protection, alongside decarbonisation efforts.
Developed using insights from the London Green Mortgage Summit, the Scottish Green Home Finance Summit, and input from lenders, brokers, retrofit specialists, and policy experts, the GHFR sets out five themes for industry action. It includes a one-page action plan and is intended to serve as a tool for tracking progress and translating industry discussions into tangible outcomes.
“We’re proud to launch the Green Home Finance Roadmap as an essential tool for channeling more of the £242 billion a year mortgage market towards future-proofing the nation’s homes,” said Chloe Timperley (pictured right), green mortgage campaign lead at the Green Finance Institute and winner of The CARA Mortgage Services Award for Woman of Distinction at the 2025 Scottish Mortgage Awards.
“Developed through industry consultation, the roadmap gives us a means to track progress, celebrate collective wins, and identify new priorities and areas of unmet need over time. It sets out a shared vision to help us move forward as an industry – and crucially, helps us avoid circling the same conversations or working in silos.”
Stephanie Charman, chief executive of the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries, noted that as around nine in 10 mortgages are now transacted via brokers, mortgage intermediaries are on the front line of the green transition; helping homeowners access the right support and guidance to make their homes more sustainable.
“The roadmap sets out what needs to happen if we want to make green finance part of everyday advice,” she said. “AMI is delighted to see so many broker firms supporting this document, and we will continue to ensure the advice sector remains at the forefront of this important issue.
Richard Merrett, managing director of mortgage brokerage Alexander Hall and chair of the Green Mortgage Advice Initiative, added that the roadmap is a timely and much-needed resource for both lenders and intermediaries.
“It brings clarity, direction and momentum to a complex and fast-moving space,” he said. “From the start we have championed a ’country not club’ approach to the green agenda, and this document embodies that ethos of collective action. We’re proud to support this initiative and will continue to champion the role of the mortgage industry in tackling the climate crisis.”
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