City-region awarded £78 million to decarbonise as part of £1 billion government blueprint

Greater Manchester Combined Authority has been awarded £78.23 million to decarbonise city-region services as part of a government investment of £1 billion to support a greener economy.

The funding has been offered to allow the city-region to decarbonise its institutions and services, including transport system, emergency services, schools and leisure centres. GMCA will use the funds for extensive green upgrades to properties including use of air source heat pumps, energy efficient lighting and installation of solar panels to generate electricity.

The money for Greater Manchester is part of a wider package of national government investment into delivering on meeting the UK’s 2050 target to achieve carbon neutrality, and will see the £1 billion also invested in green energy, as well as the previously announced Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge. The UK government estimates that the transition to net-zero carbon will support 80,000 jobs over the next 30 years.

Also receiving support is HyNet North West, a project to develop hydrogen manufacturing and carbon capture facilities and associated infrastructure in Cheshire that will service the surrounding areas of Greater Manchester, Merseyside and North Wales and develop the region into the UK’s first low-carbon industrial cluster.

Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said:

We were the first major economy to put into law our target to end our contribution to climate change, and today we’re taking steps to be the first major economy to have its own low carbon industrial sector.

“While reaching our climate targets will require extensive change across our economy, we must do so in a way that protects jobs, creates new industries and attracts inward investment – without pushing emissions and business abroad.

“Backed by more than £1bn investment, today’s plans will make a considerable dent in the amount of carbon emissions emitting from our economy and put us on the path to eliminate our contribution to climate change by 2050.”