Green technology
Transforming Leeds City Region to a low carbon, sustainable economy based on innovative, clean energy is one of our core priorities.
We believe this kind of wholesale change will help to drive and support the growth of the city region economy.
Working with key partners, we will make targeted investments and support innovations to make the city region a leading edge centre for zero carbon energy, as well as making climate change adaptation and high quality green infrastructure integral to improving the city region economy and its spatial priority areas.
Supporting low carbon projects
One of our headline initiatives is the LEP’s Energy Accelerator – an innovative programme designed to help low carbon and energy efficient projects become a reality where they may otherwise not have been completed due to a lack of capacity, expertise and funding.
We also provide advice and grants to small and medium-sized businesses to help them lower their carbon footprint, energy use and water and waste costs, and are bringing low carbon, lower cost heating and hot water to the city of Leeds, while also cutting 22,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
Our Growth Deal-funded Tackling Fuel Poverty programme is helping households across the Leeds City Region lower their energy bills and heat their homes more efficiently.
We are also retrofitting emission control technology onto older buses across West Yorkshire to significantly improve tailpipe emissions and reduce the amount of Nitrogen Oxide emitted by existing bus fleets.
Promoting long-term growth
Over the long term, investing in green technology will lower carbon emissions, lead to increased GVA, employment, innovation and productivity in the clean energy and energy intensive sectors, reduce fuel poverty, leading to improvements in health and spending power, and increase the quality and extent of green infrastructure, including climate and carbon sequestration benefits related to tree cover.
To ensure long term economic resilience and success, the City Region needs to plan for and manage future climate change impacts. Green Infrastructure can assist with this and help to attract and retain investment, skilled people and tourism.