Runnymede Borough Council is pleased to be part of a consortium which has secured £72,000 of government funding towards decarbonisation research in the Heathrow region.
Innovate UK have approved the bid, co-written by Runnymede Borough Council, to facilitate working alongside Heathrow Airport, London Borough of Hounslow and City Science, to enable research into decarbonisation methods in areas benefitting from and affected by the airport.
Cllr Tom Gracey, Council Leader said:
As the Council moves towards our 2030 net zero goals, we face the dilemma of how to tackle carbon emissions of nationally significant infrastructure nearby, notably Heathrow, the M3 and M25.
Access to these assets makes Runnymede a desirable borough to live and work, but also brings questions about how we can help mitigate their impact on the surrounding area.
I am very pleased that Runnymede Borough Council is showing itself to be a leader in the field of Climate Change, and taking bold steps to protect our environment, our communities and our economy.
Runnymede Borough Council is the lead partner in this trailblazing research, receiving a proportion of the total to fund officer working hours facilitating the project, with the rest going to Hounslow and City Science, chosen to deliver on the ground due to their decarbonisation research track record.
Successful delivery of this Phase One project would see Runnymede Borough Council and partners well-positioned to apply for Phase Two funding, with up to £8 million available to implement findings and contribute further to innovation towards a fair and equitable transition to net zero.
Commenting on the launch of the programme, Innovate UK’s Mike Biddle, Executive Director for Net Zero said:
Many of the solutions needed to reach Net Zero are starting to become available, but making it happen isn’t easy. Local authorities have a key role to play in addressing up to 30% of our carbon emissions, and even more through their influence on planning and policy decisions.
It is so exciting to see this work begin because of the huge potential it has to make a real impact for our communities. We're eager to see the results of the feasibility studies and take the most promising projects to the next stage.
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