Piers Williamson appointed new chair of Sustainability for Housing

Sarah Forster, co-founder and chief executive of The Good Economy, which is the secretariat to SfH and ran the recruitment process, said that Mr Williamson stood out for his “wealth of experience in both the social housing and financial sectors”.

She added: “His commitment to the social housing sector is well known and we also note that, under his leadership, THFC was an avid supporter and early adopter of the SRS.”

Mr Williamson said: “The ESG and sustainability agendas have never been more important and I’m excited to build on the momentum that SfH has already created in the sector.

“Despite extreme financial challenges, housing associations have made strong progress on ESG over the last three years, thanks to the SRS. I am determined to expand on this progress and help social landlords rise to the challenge that net zero poses.”

Mr Sarsfield said that Mr Williamson’s appointment is “great news for the ESG movement in social housing”.

“His deep knowledge of the sector will stand SfH in good stead along with the expertise provided by the existing board members,” he said.

Last October, SfH launched SRS version 2.0, which places a greater focus on stock quality; net-zero targets; and equality, diversity and inclusion.

Mr Williamson spoke to Social Housing last month to reflect on his time in charge of THFC.