The Government has announced a £19m pilot programme built on Bristol City Leap’s public-private partnership model.
Local authorities in York and North Yorkshire will replicate City Leap’s approach utilising experts from the partnership including representatives from Bristol City Council, Ameresco and Vattenfall Heat.
Bristol City Leap is a partnership formed between Bristol City Council, Ameresco, and Vattenfall Heat UK, that will deliver nearly £500m of investment over the next five years in Bristol’s clean energy system, including solar, wind, heat networks, heat pumps and energy efficiency measures across the council’s estate. The partnership will also create around 1,000 jobs by 2028 and cut 150,000 tonnes of emissions.
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The two Local Net Zero Accelerator pilots in Yorkshire will provide funding for the combined authorities to select carbon-reducing projects that will benefit their communities including housing retrofit and renewable energy and transport projects.
Experts from Bristol City Council and Bristol City Leap partners, are to said be playing a "key role" in supporting the pilot project and develop the core structures,
Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said: “Our Bristol City Leap partnership represents a bold and innovative approach to help tackle the challenge of decarbonising our city’s economy and securing a just transition to net zero. The pioneering model developed in Bristol was purposefully designed to allow for it to be replicated elsewhere. Not only can we benefit from the finance, expertise and technical ability of the private sector at home, we can share that experience with others and help drive the national activity required to reach net zero. Today’s announcement is a strong endorsement of our vision and endeavour, and I am delighted we can work with York, and North Yorkshire Combined Authority and others to help decarbonise their economy."
In addition to the pilot due to launch in York and North Yorkshire, the Government have also announced two other projects in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the West Midlands Combined Authority, reflecting the principles of the Bristol City Leap approach.
Mark Apsey, managing director for Ameresco UK and Bristol City Leap added: “This is fantastic recognition for our innovative, world-first Bristol City Leap approach. We have created something truly special that can enable mass-decarbonisation for towns, cities and regions all over the UK and this new funding will enable a wave of councils to follow in Bristol’s footsteps and take a significant leap forward on their journeys to net zero.”
