Bradford, Manchester, Bristol, London and Birmingham are the first cities to host annual 'Energising Britain' events.
Across the country today, communities are coming together to showcase how they are accelerating clean energy, nature protection and tackling climate change, as the government today (Monday 6 July) launches its first ever wave of 'Energising Britain' events.
Through local action, communities are helping deliver the benefits of climate action for British people - from clean, homegrown energy and lower bills to nature restoration and cleaner air.
As families and businesses across the UK brace themselves for what is expected to be the third heatwave of the summer this week, the government is launching its first ever series of events to connect with local communities on climate and nature action, bringing together over 500 people in climate and nature leadership, local business, civil society, education and more to ensure people's voices help shape the UK's net zero agenda.
In Bradford, the Minister for Climate, Katie White, opened the inaugural 'Energising Britain' event at Bradford City FC. The event will include speakers from the football club and Feversham Primary School who have saved money on their energy bills by rolling out rooftop solar panels.
In Manchester, Minister White opened the afternoon session ahead of a panel on culture, youth and faith, where Liverpool FC will speak about their role engaging large audiences on climate change, the Youth Focus North West on how the young can engage adults around them, and the Carbon CO-OP on energy cost savings in the home.
Bristol's event focused on how community-led climate and nature action is improving lives locally. Sessions will take place on the Creative Clean Power Pilot project powering live events with renewable energy, practical electrification projects, future energy systems and effective climate communication, as well as boat tours of Bristol Harbour visiting England's largest harbour-based water source heat pump and a floating ecosystem with more than 6,000 native aquatic plants and trees to support wildlife.
In London, local partners came together to explore how communities can help accelerate electrification across homes, buildings and transport.
In Birmingham, local partners came together to explore how local action can support electrification and climate and nature action. There will be a focus on regional activity across local authorities, communities, businesses and sector partners, connecting electrification to rural communities, faith groups, culture, music and the arts.
The events are being organised by the Local Net Zero Hubs, the national network of local partnerships to support local authorities and the communities they serve develop clean energy projects local people see and feel the benefit of.
Minister for Climate, Katie White, said:
Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent as our climate changes - from heatwaves in summer to flooding in the winter.
The need to take climate action has never been clearer, and through our 'Energising Britain' events, we're making sure local communities across the country have their say on climate action and clean, homegrown energy.
We know government cannot drive this mission alone - by working together with local communities, we can accelerate our work on climate action and clean power to deliver lower bills, good jobs and cleaner air now and for generations to follow.
Rachael Orr, CEO of Climate Outreach said:
We've made incredible progress in tackling climate change - but too few people know about it. The 'Energising Britain' events are a brilliant opportunity to celebrate how far we've come in lowering our emissions and electrifying our energy supply - and energise the people leading the charge to build on this momentum.
We also know there's so much more to do. Recent heatwaves across the UK have reinforced the importance and urgency of tackling climate change and restoring nature so we can protect the people and places we love. The events today can also help us think about how people and communities can come together and rise to this challenge together.
Dr Sue Griffiths, CEO of The Young Foundation, said:
Across the country, communities are already demonstrating what a fair and inclusive green transition can look like, and the 'Energising Britain' events shine a spotlight on that leadership. The transition to a cleaner, greener future will only succeed if people feel part of it.
By bringing together communities, practitioners and local leaders to share ideas, build relationships and shape solutions that reflect the realities of different places, these events show how local knowledge, participation and collaboration can help turn national ambition into lasting change on the ground. Involving people in shaping the future of their communities helps ensure that the benefits of the transition are felt widely, fairly and in ways that strengthen communities.
James Johnson, Head of Regional Programme at the North West Net Zero Hub, said:
The transition to clean energy is vital if we are to achieve a sustainable future, and that transition cannot happen without the support and inclusion of our citizens. This is why the Public Participation Strategy is such an important part of the country's work on climate and nature action. We are delighted to celebrate some of the best engagement practitioners from the North West as part of 'Energising Britain', and we look forward to the new approaches and partnerships that this event will help to create.
North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub Manager Karen Oliver Spry, said:
The government and Great British Energy have set the ambition of every community in the country having the opportunity to benefit from locally-owned energy by 2030, and this event is a sign of the extent to which this has been embraced by our region, with communities in every corner of Yorkshire and the North East generating clean electricity which local people see and feel the benefit from.
When the Hub was created there were only 9 community energy groups in the North East and Yorkshire and today we're working with close to 150 - growth of over 1,000% - and we're delighted to have had the opportunity to bring so many of these energy communities together to learn from and inspire each other and the next generation of community energy projects, and to welcome the Minister to see the progress which is being made.
Steve Ransom, Head of Net Zero Delivery, West of England Combined Authority said:
We are very excited to be working with DESNZ and The South West Net Zero Hub to deliver this flagship event. 'Energising Britain' will showcase some of the amazing work on climate change and nature recovery already happening across all sectors in the South West. We look forward to meeting the passionate communities already involved for an inspiring day to explore how we can strengthen public participation and communicate the benefits of the transition to clean energy for all.
Maxine Narburgh, Regional Director, Greater South East Net Zero Hub said:
Communities across the Greater South East are already showing that the transition to clean energy is something that happens with people, not to them. From local organisations and community energy groups to businesses and public sector partners, there is real momentum behind community-led electrification.
'Energising Britain' is an opportunity to bring those voices together, celebrate what's already working, share practical experience, and build the partnerships needed to accelerate progress. By working collaboratively, we can ensure the transition to clean, affordable energy is inclusive, delivers tangible benefits for local people and places, and leaves a lasting legacy for communities across our region.
