£154m to help region meet UK ‘net zero’ target

MORE THAN £150m is being handed to schools, hospitals and council buildings around Yorkshire and the Humber for technology such as solar panels, LED lighting and low-carbon heating systems as part of efforts to meet the country’s ‘net zero’ ambitions.

The £154.3m allocated to public bodies is a bigger total than any other region in the country from the Phase 1 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, which has so far awarded £932m for energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation projects.

Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng yesterday published the Government’s Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy as part of plans to reverse the climate crisis. The announcement – which includes multi-million pound funding for a zero carbon scheme in the Humber – was billed as a major blueprint to help reach the target of reaching net zero by 2050 that will also create 80,000 jobs over the next three decades.

One of the biggest beneficiaries is Leeds City Council, which secured £25.3 million to decarbonise 38 publicly owned buildings, slashing the city’s carbon emissions by nearly 4,000 tonnes.

Civic buildings, leisure centres, primary schools, children’s centres, homes for older people and offices across the city will all benefit from a range of low carbon heat and energy upgrades carried out by the council and partners.

Air source heat pumps, new connections to the district heating network, solar photovoltaic panels, LED lighting, and double glazing will all be installed by the end of the year.

Labour-run Leeds City Council – one of several with the target of reducing carbon emissions to net zero by 2030 – says that by reducing the council’s energy usage the measures will save 3,951 tonnes of carbon and save money for vital frontline services.

Solar photovoltaic panels will be installed across 35 leisure centres, primary schools, and other council-owned buildings. The panels mean popular destinations including John Charles Leisure Centre, Tropical World and Temple Newsam will be part powered by renewable energy generated on site.

James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “Upgrading dozens of schools and council buildings to be fit for the future mean that we’ll be able to spend less on fossil fuel energy, and more on protecting vital frontline services.”

Elsewhere, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has been given £12.6m to install solar panels, heat pumps and new roof insulation.

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust was awarded more than £40m, the University of Bradford £3,4m, Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust more than £14m, and the British Library at Boston Spa £8.5m.

Mr Kwarteng said yesterday of the overall strategy: “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.”

Less on fossil fuel energy, more on protecting vital services. James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council.