Net zero finance for community buildings
Continuing our workshop series ‘Introduction to Community Action on Climate and Energy’, Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership brought together 12 community organisations to explore the opportunities for financing decarbonisation projects they have identified.
We welcomed Tom Beale, an independent advisor to social enterprises, who explained how blended finance offers such as Social Investment Business’ Energy Resilience Fund can make repayable investment accessible to community organisations. Predictable savings made on energy bills help to build the argument for investment.
Molly Byrne from BBRC also joined us to explain what impact investors are looking for when they assess project proposals and highlighted their Investment Readiness Advisory Service.
We then heard from Lorna Humphreys about the innovative Bristol City Leap public-private partnership, and the grants and loans that are available to organisations through their Community Energy Fund, and from one of their grantees, Resilience Network who are developing a novel approach to community-owned solar that aims to deliver a return to voluntary and community sector asset holders.
The workshop series continues in April and June, with a session on data tools and community engagement, and another to uncover the opportunities around green skills.
There are a limited number of spaces remaining, find out more and apply.
This workshop series is part of Mission Net Zero and is funded by Innovate UK’s Net Zero Living programme. Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership, Centre for Sustainable Energy, Bristol Energy Network, and Bristol City Council are working together to deliver this workshop series.
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