The Green Finance Institute (GFI) is seeking to catalyse rapid growth in the UK green mortgage market by establishing a green mortgage training programme to drive the decarbonisation of the built environment.
“The GFI Certificate in Green Mortgages”, provides first-of-its-kind training on the real-economy opportunities provided by green finance solutions. It’s designed to help educate mortgage professionals to understand, define and sell green mortgage products.
The training scheme which is accredited by the London Institute of Banking and Finance (LIBF) and eligible for CPD certification, has been created by the GFI, which is the UK and Europe’s principal forum for innovation in green finance.
The programme covers the impact of climate change, specifically on UK housing, as well as the broader green finance landscape and how it impacts the mortgage sector; the vital role of housing in tackling climate change; emerging technology, grant funding and EPCs.
With 23% of the UK’s total carbon emissions attributed to buildings, there is an urgent need to decarbonise the built environment at pace and scale. However, there is a knowledge gap around green mortgages among customers, intermediaries and brokers.
- 83% of advisers said their clients had no understanding of green mortgages, and 14% only partially understand them.
- The majority (84%) of mortgage transactions are completed via mortgage brokers, illustrating the need for brokers to understand and be able to educate customers on green mortgages and other green products.
Having successfully piloted the green mortgage training programme with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), the GFI is now offering training sessions more widely as it looks to support the industry through its green transition.
Rachael Hunnisett, Associate Director for Built Environment at the GFI, who leads the training, said: “Decarbonising UK properties remains an integral part of our transition to a net zero economy. Our new CPD-accredited training programme will equip brokers with the core information and skills they need to develop a deep understanding of financing green home upgrades, and how to navigate and support customers as they seek to invest in home energy efficiency improvements enabling them to save money on energy bills.
“We continue to proudly partner with finance professionals to support homeowners to make informed decisions, while driving the decarbonisation of buildings through education, insights and embedded skills.”
Councillor Tom Ross, GMCA’s Portfolio Lead for the Green City Region, said: “Improving the energy efficiency of our homes and buildings is vital, not just to tackling climate change but also to reduce bills for residents across our city-region. Our work with the Green Finance Institute is helping turn green mortgages into a mainstream solution to financing home upgrades, ensuring more homeowners can support our ambitious environmental vision – to be carbon neutral by 2038. The launch of the GFI Certificate in Green Mortgages is an integral part of delivering solutions that will drive benefits for the economy and the planet.”
Gordon Reid, Learning & Development Specialist at London Institute of Banking and Finance (LIBF), said: “For many mortgage brokers, the subject of green finance remains shrouded in mystery. The GFI Certificate in Green Mortgages is an invaluable tool in educating brokers and enabling them to have effective conversations about green finance options with their customers. Here at LIBF, we are delighted to accredit the workshop in recognition of the quality of the learning materials and its contribution to the continuous professional development of advisers.”
The GFI has been leading green mortgage sector innovation since it was founded in 2019. Last year the GFI launched the Broker’s Handbook, a tools to support mortgage intermediaries on sustainable financing options.
In September 2020, as part of its built environment focus, the GFI launched theGreen Home Finance Principles (GHFPs), a framework of guidelines that promote integrity in the market by providing financial institutions with a consistent and transparent methodology for the allocation of finance towards retrofitting works in the UK’s domestic buildings.
