What we do / Mission Net Zero
Mission Net Zero
Supporting progress towards a more sustainable and inclusive city.
Accelerating a regional just transition
Mission Net Zero is a £5 million initiative funded by Innovate UK ‘s Net Zero Living programme. It aims to reduce the region’s carbon emissions by addressing some of the barriers to progress such as a lack of investment and not enough people trained in retrofit skills.
This collaborative project is supporting three communities to develop energy projects, exploring further funding opportunities for regional climate action, and creating green jobs and training locally.
Image © Dan Fox Photo
Creating the right conditions
One strand of this project is focussed on creating the right conditions for a fast and fair transition. One of these conditions is ensuring more people are involved in climate action.
Bristol has a strong culture of climate and nature action across the public sector, communities and businesses. It is crucial to build on this and make taking action more accessible to more people.
In spring 2025 we’ll be offering a series of workshops for community organisations to learn what tools and funding are available to help develop community energy projects, and how to engage residents.
Image © Shamphat photography
Championing inclusion
The transition to net zero represents an opportunity to reduce, rather than exacerbate, the inequalities that exist in our city and region, ensuring that all communities, including those most affected by climate and nature breakdown are able to shape our response.
The Mission Net Zero project holds the principles of a just transition at its heart, and our Inclusion Associate is acting as a critical friend, helping to ensure that project outputs and ways of working are steering us towards this goal.
Learn more about Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership’s work on a just transition.
Transforming Energy Together
Community leadership and action on climate is a vital part of how the city will meet its climate goals in a fair way that benefits local people. The Transforming Energy Together programme is providing funding and support to community partners to work directly with residents, building on our Community Climate Action Project.
Knowle West Media Centre, Southmead Development Trust and Eastside Community Trust are working with Centre for Sustainable Energy to develop community-based energy projects that generate clean energy locally and reduce energy usage in homes and neighbourhoods. Ultimately leading to reduced energy bills, improved home comfort, green job opportunities, and driving sustainable investment at a community level.
Image © Eastside Community Trust
“We are thrilled that Knowle West is part of Transforming Energy Together. The programme puts communities front and centre of generating creative and investable ideas to address the climate emergency. It opens the opportunity to go beyond one-off pilots, towards scalable, system-level change and make real progress towards a just transition for people and planet.”
Martha King
Knowle West Media Centre
Project partners
Mission Net Zero project partners are: Bath and North East Somerset Council, Bristol and Bath Regional Capital, Bristol City Council, Bristol City Leap, Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership, Bristol Energy Network, Centre for Sustainable Energy, National Grid Electricity Distribution, North Somerset Council, South Gloucestershire Council, West of England Combined Authority