The UK's fastest-growing property services provider, Apollo has signed up as principle sponsor of nationwide sustainability initiative, SHIFT.

The only organisation to provide a comprehensive environmental benchmark for affordable housing providers, Sustainable Homes Index For Tomorrow (SHIFT) counts the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), WWF and UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) among its supporters, while its 36 members represent over one million homes in total.

David Sheridan, Apollo's CEO, said: "Apollo has set its sights on becoming the leader in sustainable property services. As part of this, we are not only committed to improving our own environmental performance but also to helping our clients do the same. SHIFT provides the only solid environmental benchmarking system in the industry, as well as excellent training in sustainability, and therefore has great synergy with Apollo's vision. We are proud to be helping SHIFT achieve their goals and look forward to benefitting from their expertise in return."

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Andrew Eagles, Managing Director of Sustainable Homes also welcomed the sponsorship, saying: "We are very pleased to have Apollo on board. They demonstrate a keen awareness of the importance of environmental issues and the ability to lead change on a large scale. They have acted to reduce impacts both from homes and from their own operations."

Apollo places much emphasis on environmental improvement. While all of the company's projects and offices are already accredited to ISO 14001, Apollo has also set challenging reduction targets, including becoming a Planet Positive business by the end of 2010; achieving zero Waste to Landfill by 2012; and gaining Gold Status in the Mayor of London’s Green Procurement Code by 2012.

Current sustainably-focused projects for Apollo include a low-carbon retrofit of over 100 homes with SHIFT members Affinity Sutton and a Green House refurbishment scheme with Huntingdonshire District Council.

SHIFT is the comprehensive environmental benchmark for affordable housing providers. Members are accredited on a scale of Bronze to Platinum. SHIFT was launched in 2008 with 16 members. Results of the current assessment year will be announced in February 2011.

For further information Visit: www.theapollogroup.co.uk

(CD/KMcA)