The legacy of Bristol as European Green Capital 2015 is in our minds as the city passes the mantel to Ljubljana in 2016. We’re proud that our £5 million solar fund-raise and our growing community of investors will contribute to helping Bristol reach its target to pursue carbon neutrality by 2050. And what a fitting impact that would be.Bristol was in the global spotlight as it co-hosted the Cities and Regions Pavilion at the international climate change conference, COP 21 last month. Mayor George Ferguson used this moment to show the world that Bristol was taking the lead and aiming for 100% renewables by 2050.
Our city has reduced carbon emissions per person by 24% since 2005 with targets of 40% by 2020, 50% by 2025, 60% by 2035, and 80% by 2050. Inspired by the COP 21 agreement, we’re happy to see that mayor, George Ferguson, has updated this target to 100% by 2050.
And 100% renewables is not just a pipe-dream. It’s happening and it’s do-able. Watch this inspiring video to see how three communities around the world are making the change.
According to recent research, the South West region has the renewable energy resources to meet more than 100% of its total energy needs, including replacement of liquid fuels and electrifying railways. Find out more in this report researched and written by the Resilience Centre, and commissioned by Molly Scott Cato, MEP.
Being part of the solution
As one of the 850 organisations, which make up the Green Bristol Partnership, we’re proud that our work played a significant part in helping Bristol win the title of Green Capital and will continue to help the city meet its ambitious 100% target.
As the year comes to an end, we’ve raised our ambitions too with our biggest fund-raise to date to make a difference to the city’s economy, individual investors and the community. We’ve already raised over £1M in our solar bond and share offer together.
With this amazing grassroots response, we’re energised to make a difference. We all know that Bristolians like to do things differently, and we’re looking at a new ways of powering our economy and communities.
We’ll bring two solar farms into community-ownership and install solar panels on 20 community buildings across the Bristol region. Investments help the community take control of their energy, and the buildings can:
- Save money on energy bills
- Tackle climate change
- Address fuel poverty
We also support the reinvestment of profits back into the community; projected to be up to £4.2 million over the 25 years of the projects.
Strong track record
Our previous two share offers have helped community buildings in Bristol to reduce their energy costs and carbon footprint including Knowle West Media Centre and Easton Community Centre.
Rachel Clarke, Communications and Press Officer for Knowle West Media Centre, said:
“In the first year after installation, we saw our use of mains power drop by a massive 25%. Combining the solar panels with a collaborative effort to reduce energy just goes to show what you can achieve when new technologies and personal action come together.”
We need your help
But we need further investment to continue our work. There are two opportunities to invest in our clean energy portfolio:
· Our share offer with a minimum investment of £50 up to £100,000
· Our bond offer to finance a solar farm near Puriton
We hope that you will join our community or re-invest, and look forward to an exciting year for Bristol 2016. We have the power to make a difference – be part of the solution.
