Green Summit 2026: Low-carbon heat isn’t just a housing issue. It’s a people issue.

When we talk about decarbonising homes, it’s easy to default to technology. Heat pumps, controls, system design, funding mechanisms and performance data. These are all essential parts of the picture.

But our experience in Greater Manchester has shown us that focusing on technology alone isn’t enough.

That belief has shaped Daikin’s collaboration with GMCA, and it’s why we continue to support the Green Summit. Decarbonisation isn’t an abstract target or a policy headline. It shows up in people’s homes, in how warm they feel, how confident they are using new systems, how predictable their energy costs are, and whether there’s local expertise available when something needs attention.

If we want carbon reduction at scale, we have to pay as much attention to people, skills and long-term support as we do to equipment.

Homes are where climate policy becomes lived experience

Housing is one of the most powerful levers local authorities have to reduce emissions. It’s also one of the most personal. Heating decisions affect comfort, health, affordability and stability, particularly for people living in social or supported housing.

Through our Memorandum of Understanding with GMCA, the focus was never simply on deploying low-carbon technology. From the outset, the ambition was broader. It was about creating the right conditions for systems to perform well over time, and for residents, housing providers and local authorities to feel confident in the transition.

That meant working closely with housing teams, sustainability leads and delivery partners to understand the realities they face. Varied housing stock, differing levels of technical knowledge, pressures on maintenance teams, and the importance of resident engagement all shaped how projects were designed and delivered.

Across Greater Manchester, this approach has translated into large-scale heat pump installations, targeted awareness sessions for housing and retrofit professionals, and a clear focus on building understanding alongside infrastructure. When people feel informed and supported, systems are more likely to perform as intended.

Embassy Village shows what people-centred decarbonisation looks like

In Manchester city centre, one project brings this approach into particularly sharp focus.

Embassy Village, due to open in February 2026, is a purpose-built community designed to support people moving on from homelessness. It provides more than accommodation. It offers stability, dignity and a supportive environment where residents can rebuild their lives.

Daikin’s role within this project has been to supply low-carbon heating and cooling for every home and the village hall, alongside ongoing maintenance support. The choice of sustainable systems was deliberate. These homes are designed to be efficient, comfortable and resilient, with long-term performance and running costs in mind.

What sets Embassy Village apart is the intent behind these decisions. Decarbonisation here isn’t treated as a separate objective. It is integrated into a wider approach focused on long-term outcomes for residents.

Future plans go further, linking the infrastructure to training, mentoring and skills opportunities. This helps residents build confidence and explore pathways into employment in the growing low-carbon sector, reinforcing the idea that environmental action and social progress can move forward together.

Social value isn’t an add-on. It’s part of delivery

How does building in social value from the start improve outcomes?

One of the clearest lessons from our work with GMCA is that social value delivers the greatest impact when it is embedded from the outset. When it’s treated as a core part of delivery rather than a separate requirement, it strengthens outcomes across housing, skills and community benefit.

Through the MoU, activity was designed to deliver tangible benefits for Greater Manchester communities. This included investment in housing, skills development, education and innovation, alongside measurable social value outcomes.

Projects like Embassy Village sit within a wider programme that includes training college tutors, supporting schools with renewable heating curriculum content, and delivering awareness sessions for local authority and housing professionals. Together, these initiatives build understanding, capability and confidence across the system.

For local authorities and social housing providers, this approach supports better quality, reduced risk and longer-term resilience. It also helps ensure that the benefits of decarbonisation are felt by the people who need them most.

Skills are the bridge between ambition and delivery

Another consistent theme across Greater Manchester has been the importance of skills. Technology alone doesn’t deliver carbon reduction. People do.

That’s why skills development has been central to Daikin’s collaboration with GMCA. From training further education college tutors, to delivering heat pump awareness sessions for housing professionals, the focus has been on building capability at every level of the delivery chain.

Retrofit programmes and low-carbon housing strategies only move as fast as the people designing, installing, commissioning and maintaining systems. Without the right skills in place, even well-funded programmes can struggle to scale.

By investing in training capacity and knowledge sharing, the partnership has helped address gaps that often slow progress. It has also supported clearer, more confident decision-making among those responsible for planning and delivery.

Joined-up thinking delivers stronger outcomes

Greater Manchester has shown the value of a joined-up, place-based approach to decarbonisation. Policy, delivery, skills, innovation and community engagement work together, rather than in isolation. This way of working directly supports the ambitions set out in Greater Manchester’s Five-Year Environment Plan, which places strong emphasis on collaboration, delivery at scale and practical action across homes, buildings and communities.

The Memorandum of Understanding provided a framework for this collaboration. It created clear governance, shared objectives and regular engagement at a senior level. It also allowed space for learning and adaptation as projects progressed.

Some initiatives scaled quickly. Others needed adjustment as new insights emerged. That flexibility has allowed partners to respond to real-world challenges and opportunities, rather than sticking rigidly to initial plans.

Innovation supports people when it’s applied thoughtfully

Innovation has played an important role across the partnership, particularly where it supports better outcomes for residents and housing providers.

Projects exploring smart monitoring, connectivity and data-driven performance are focused on improving reliability, reducing disruption and supporting more efficient maintenance. For residents, this can mean quicker response times and more consistent comfort. For housing providers, it offers better visibility of system performance and reduced operational burden.

The value comes from applying innovation in ways that support delivery and day-to-day use, rather than adding unnecessary complexity.

A question for everyone attending the Green Summit

As we head into this year’s Greater Manchester Green Summit, the experience of Greater Manchester points to a simple but important challenge.

Are we building systems that people can live with confidently for years, not just projects that meet today’s targets?

The experience of this partnership suggests that the answer shapes everything that follows. If we want low-carbon housing to succeed at scale, we have to design it around people. And that includes confidence, understanding, skills and long-term support.

The systems matter, but it’s the people around them who ultimately determine whether climate ambition becomes everyday reality.