New guide to Greater Manchester’s green finance options launches

Greater Manchester’s Bee Net Zero partnership has launched a new guide to support local businesses to find green finance options to support their carbon neutral ambitions.

Energy efficiency measures, on-site renewables and other green tech can save businesses thousands in the long-term however, the initial outlay can be costly. In the current economic climate, businesses may struggle to afford this initial cost and access to finance is frequently cited among the greatest barriers faced by businesses looking to install green technologies.

The new online guide, launched by Bee Net Zero, brings together options available to Greater Manchester businesses in one place in a bid to simplify access to finance and funding.

Green finance can be used for specific projects including the installation of EVs, carbon reduction and energy efficiency projects and all options have their own requirements. For example sometimes, businesses will have to demonstrate successful carbon reduction and this makes navigating the green tech landscape harder for businesses also trying to manage their day to day.

The hub details options from national and high street lenders, like NatWest, Lloyds and HSBC, as well as local organisations and support programmes from across Greater Manchester. The site includes information from organisations like the Greater Manchester Business Board (LEP), the Chamber of Commerce, the Business Growth Hub, Transport for Greater Manchester, Electricity North West, the Manchester Climate Change Agency, Siemens and Mott MacDonald in a bid to make the transition to net zero as straightforward and cost-efficient as possible for the city-region’s businesses.

Bee Net Zero’s green finance guide can be found on the partnership’s website here.

The Bee Net Zero partnership launched in 2021 ahead of the COP26 global climate summit, and brings together business groups, local government and the local energy and green tech sector to support the region’s businesses to become carbon neutral ahead of Greater Manchester’s 2038 net zero target.