We’re proud to announce we’re one of the four firms in The West Yorkshire Strategic Climate Environment Partnership to accelerate delivery of the region’s net zero plans to become “greener, quicker”.
The groundbreaking partnership between the private and public sector was announced by West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin during UKREiiF, the major international investor conference.
We’ll be delivering green skills, decarbonising homes and businesses, and putting the region on the path to net zero carbon by 2038.
Our owner Derek Horrocks said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been selected by The West Yorkshire Strategic Climate and Environment Partnership as one of the four major private firms to come together with them to form this groundbreaking Public/Private strategic partnership to create large scale green communities with a central ethos of ‘greener quicker for future generations’ across West Yorkshire.
“We look forward to bringing our expertise to this collaboration in delivering building decarbonisation at scale and speed, alongside our wider group offering of blending private/public sector funding and vision to offer every household a financially viable solution to decarbonise their homes, alongside our extremely innovative Fintech and Proptech offerings to support the funding of solutions for all and to provide the ability to monitor and evaluate closely the outcomes of the decarbonisation interventions we install.”
Tracy Brabin, mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “During my first term, I was proud to invest over £200 million in green projects. Working with partners, we insulated social homes, match-funded businesses to green their processes, put electric buses on our roads, and provided direct grants to communities to lower their carbon footprint.
“But we will not deliver net zero without bringing the private sector with us. This groundbreaking new partnership will help us become greener, quicker and deliver net zero at scale and at speed, cutting energy bills in a cost-of-living crisis, and building a brighter region for future generations.”
The other three firms involved with us in the climate partnership with the mayor are:
- Centrica, the owner of British Gas and energy supplier to over 10 million homes and businesses
- Daikin, the multinational heating and cooling manufacturer
- SSE, the leading clean energy company
To turbocharge the road to net zero, the Combined Authority will also deepen its relationship with the Green Finance Institute, Leeds Building Society, and the Energy Saving Trust.
The three organisations will advise and support the mayor to deliver on her most recent election pledges. Mayor Brabin has promised to put in place a programme to retrofit every social home in West Yorkshire, and to set-up a retrofit “one-stop-shop” to help every household reduce their energy bills.
Leeds Building Society’s Senior Strategy Manager, Nicola Glover, will be working closely with the mayor over the next three months to explore the financial options for West Yorkshire residents to deliver retrofit work that improves the energy efficiency of their homes and reduces their energy bills.
Andrew Greenwood, deputy chief executive officer at Leeds Building Society, said: “We are proud to contribute Nicola’s time and expertise to simplify the finance options for greener home improvements within our heartland. We hope this partnership will help to simplify the process for those considering starting any retrofit work on their home.
“Leeds Building Society is committed to an orderly transition to net zero. We were the first lender to reward buyers opting for greener homes by factoring in lower energy bill commitments into our lending decisions. Through this partnership, we hope to be able to help more people to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.”
Emma Harvey-Smith, chief of staff at the Green Finance Institute, said: “Local and Combined Authorities have a deep understanding of their residents’ needs and are increasingly acknowledging the potential of partnering with the private finance sector to ensure fair access to finance for their communities.
“We are thrilled to engage in the collaboration with WYCA and Leeds Building Society to support the Better Homes Hub programme. Together, we will delve into catalytic financial models which can offer the opportunity to empower a diverse range of consumers when it comes to retrofitting their homes. This initiative stands as an exemplar of effective public-private partnerships in action.”
Find out more about our approach to retrofit decarbonisation by visiting: https://www.sustainablebuildinguk.com/retrofit-decarbonisation/pas-our-approach/
