Ben Earl, Head of Partnerships and Sustainability, Abri
Ben is Head of Partnerships and Sustainability at Abri, a leading Housing Association who manage over 40,000 properties across the south, employ over 1,500 staff and are part of the Greener Futures Partnership. Ben is delivering corporate sustainability targets that Abri has adopted, including reaching ‘net zero’ for carbon across the business by 2030 and crucially for all customer properties and the wider supply chain by 2050. Retrofitting the Abri estate is a key part of the strategy to deliver against these science-based targets, as is building new homes to ensure warm, affordable and sustainable housing for residents.
Before working for Abri, Ben delivered the ‘Target 100’ water demand reduction programme across the Southeast for Southern Water. In addition, he was Climate Change Advisor and then Environmental Affairs Manager for high street retailer B&Q, where he delivered early retrofit trials with Government, key business sustainability targets and improvements to products purchased by customers.
Ben’s early career was spent working for several politicians as well as positions for charities such as the Woodland Trust and the Forest Stewardship Council. He is currently Chair of ‘Future South’, a public/private partnership promoting a zero-carbon economy across the Solent.