Puma Property Finance’s Impact Lending Framework (ILF) has successfully delivered its first Impact Loan with Cedar Lodge in Whitchurch-on-Thames, becoming the first care home in the UK to secure EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) certification for green buildings. The home will benefit from improved energy and operational efficiency, delivering lower running costs in a sector where energy and operating costs remain a significant long-term pressure. Its EDGE Advanced certification, which recognises substantial reductions in energy use and carbon, demonstrates how higher-performing buildings can support both cost resilience and more stable, comfortable environments for residents.

Cedar Lodge was developed by Zephyr X, a UK-focused specialist care home developer, and is operated by EQ Care Group. The project was funded by Puma Property Finance and structured as an Impact Loan under the ILF, with sustainability performance embedded into the loan terms from inception. The home provides a clear blueprint for how sustainability-led finance can accelerate change within the UK care sector, where demand for new beds is growing alongside pressure to reduce environmental impact.

The 45-bed care home combines high-quality care provision with advanced building technology, including smart monitoring systems and app-controlled building management, supporting both resident wellbeing and long-term operational efficiency.

ILF: rewarding delivery, not aspiration

The ILF is designed to incentivise developers to adopt stretching sustainability measures by offering a tangible financial reward on delivery. Projects that meet independently verified sustainability criteria can receive a fee reduction of up to 1% of the total loan, paid on repayment.

For commercial developments, including care homes, EDGE certification is the qualifying sustainability standard under the ILF, with higher levels of certification reflecting stronger sustainability performance.

Cedar Lodge is the first development in the UK to complete as an ILF Impact Loan, showing how the framework can drive real-world environmental outcomes rather than relying on commitments alone. Under the ILF structure, stronger sustainability performance resulted in a lower cost of capital for Zephyr X, directly aligning financial incentives with environmental delivery.

Dee Korab, Head of Impact at Puma Property Finance, commented:

“We are delighted to see our first Impact Loan completed on such a fantastic development and would like to congratulate Zephyr X. Through our ILF, we agreed clear sustainability goals with Zephyr X meaning stronger environmental performance has been rewarded with a lower cost of capital.” 

Eleni Polychroniadou, CEO & Co-Founder of Sintali, commented:

“The care sector is under growing pressure to expand capacity while managing long-term costs and environmental impact, all of which ultimately affect the quality and resilience of care provision. Projects like this show that it is possible to address both, by embedding measurable sustainability into the design and delivery of new facilities. EDGE provides a clear, measurable framework for doing that, and this development shows how better-performing buildings can be delivered in practice, with real benefits for operators, residents and investors alike.” 

Sofi Zickerman White, Associate Director & EDGE Expert at LifeProven:

"We are proud to have supported Zephyr X and the wider team in achieving the UK’s first EDGE Advanced certified care home development. The collaborative effort between Zephyr X, Puma, LifeProven and the rest of the project team has delivered strong, evidence-based sustainability performance with direct financial benefits. This milestone sets a new benchmark for low-carbon developments in the UK.” 

EDGE certification: measurable, global, independently verified

EDGE certification is a global sustainability standard developed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group.

EDGE requires projects to demonstrate a minimum of 20% quantifiable reductions in energy and water use and embodied carbon in materials. For Cedar Lodge, they went beyond this and achieved EDGE Advanced certification, independently verified by Sintali to deliver the following savings when compared with a typical new-build care home:

•    42% lower energy use
•    20% lower water use
•    43% lower embodied carbon in materials 

These reductions not only lower environmental impact but also support long-term operational efficiency, helping to reduce running costs in a sector where energy and resource use are significant cost drivers.

The project’s sustainability credentials are further supported by a BREEAM In-Use ‘Very Good’ rating, reinforcing its strong operational performance.

Independent verification through Sintali 

As part of the ILF, Puma partners with Sintali, a global environmental certification body and specialist EDGE certifier, to ensure objective, third-party verification of sustainability outcomes.

Sintali acts as an EDGE global certification provider on behalf of IFC, providing accessible pathways to certification, verifying that developments meet the required performance thresholds and providing credibility and transparency for lenders, developers and investors alike.

This independent verification underpins the ILF’s credibility and ensures that financial incentives are awarded only once performance has been delivered and proven.