West Yorkshire Mayor partners with private firms to accelerate transition to net zero

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.”

Dan Rosenfield, managing director of Centrica Net Zero, said:

“Helping people live smarter, greener lives requires strong collaboration and partnerships. We’re delighted to work with West Yorkshire Combined Authority to support their net zero journey.

“Our purpose is to energise a greener, fairer future. We will work collaboratively with WYCA and other partners to help make net zero simple and affordable, utilising our Hive smart energy system and inhouse expertise.”

Hiro Ishikawa, managing director of Daikin UK, said:

“Daikin is delighted to be a strategic partner of the West Yorkshire Strategic Climate & Environment Partnership. 

“Switching to sustainable energy is critical to meeting net zero targets, and our heat pump solutions will help make homes greener, warmer, and more energy-efficient. This exciting new partnership means we will work together to support the region in its vital decarbonisation goals.

“We look forward to working closely with communities and wider stakeholders to develop and upskill the West Yorkshire region, and support the low-carbon transition." 

Neil Kirkby, managing director of Enterprise at SSE Energy Solutions, said:

“Our agreement to work closely with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) is further evidence of SSE’s commitment to engaging with local communities to ensure a fair transition to a sustainable future. Our expertise in decarbonisation and renewable energy together with the WYCA’s ambition to play its part in tackling climate change has enormous potential to drive change and this collaboration is one that can be replicated with regions throughout the UK and Ireland.

“At SSE we are investing in the communities where we operate, driving local economic growth, and working to unlock the potential of low-carbon technologies. If we can foster the development of a skilled green workforce, we will build a cleaner, greener future for generations to come.”

Derek Horrocks, owner of Sustainable Building Services (UK) Ltd, 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 ground breaking 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”.

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.

Our cities, placemaking, living and the net zero challenge programme is supported by E.ON, Equans and Mears