The commendation comes in a new report from Planet Mark, the UK’s leading sustainability body.

The report found Wheatley’s environmental efforts since 2021 reduced carbon emissions by 312 tonnes – the equivalent of a journey of around 780,750 miles in an average petrol car or driving around the world 31 times.

In 2021, Wheatley became the first housing group in Scotland to gain the prestigious Planet Mark accreditation and was hailed as a leader in the housing industry for its commitment to reducing carbon emissions.

Wheatley Group chief executive Steven Henderson, said: “We welcome the latest findings from Planet Mark which shows Wheatley is continuing to lead the way across the housing and care sectors in Scotland.

“The programmes we’ve put in place not only benefit the environment but importantly make a real and lasting difference to the lives of people living in our communities. These initiatives sit alongside our investment to make our homes more environmentally friendly and reduce heating costs for tenants including installing new energy-efficient heating controls in our multi-storey flats and solar panels.”

Initiatives highlighted by Planet Mark included the installation of 73 electric vehicle charging points within Wheatley communities for customers and the public to use.

Wheatley Foundation’s Home Comforts programme – which upcycles donated furniture and white goods and passes them free of charge to tenants who need help furnishing their homes – diverted over 132 tonnes of items from landfill.

Planet Mark’s report also featured Wheatley programmes to install nearly 1000 free-to-use bike shelter spaces, tree planting and work to create local community larders.

The findings also recorded almost 3600 hours of community volunteering by staff and other projects which created a social value of at least £1.36 million.

Steve Malkin, CEO and founder at Planet Mark, added: “We are proud to have been working with Wheatley Group to measure and reduce its operational carbon footprint for the past four years and it’s fantastic to see the housing provider’s commitment to improving the efficiency of homes and introduce continuous improvements in its customers’ neighbourhoods.

“We know at Planet Mark that every employee is key to driving forward an organisation’s social and environmental goals and it’s clear that the employees at Wheatley Group are proud of the initiatives introduced to date and are committed to the company’s ethos of ‘making homes and lives better’.

“These employees, with their passion and commitment, will be integral to Wheatley Group achieving its ambitious net zero goals. Their collective efforts and enthusiasm are vital in propelling the organisation toward a more sustainable future. We look forward to continuing our partnership and witnessing the positive impacts of Wheatley Group’s initiatives on both the environment and the communities they serve.”