West Yorkshire is set to become “greener, quicker” thanks to a new partnership between the public and the private sector, says Mayor Tracy Brabin.
The West Yorkshire Strategic Climate and Environment Partnership was announced at the major international investor conference, UKREiiF. It will see the re-elected West Yorkshire Mayor team up with four major private sector firms to accelerate delivery of the region’s net zero plans.
The four firms which make up the new 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
- Sustainable Building Services, one of the UKs largest retrofitters of homes.
The companies will work alongside the Mayor on targeted activity to deliver green skills, decarbonise homes and businesses, and put the region on the path to net zero carbon by 2038. In return, the firms will benefit from the Mayor and Combined Authority’s influence and leadership on climate and the environment, giving them the confidence to invest in West Yorkshire at scale.
Tracy Brabin said: “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 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.
