Greater Manchester is working towards an ambitious target of becoming carbon-neutral by 2038.
Several initiatives have been launched across the conurbation:
- Social Housing Retrofits: A major funding scheme to upgrade older, energy-inefficient social housing units with high-grade wall insulation, double glazing, and low-carbon air-source heat pumps.
- The Bee Network: A £1.5 billion project to create an integrated, low-carbon public transport system, featuring a fleet of zero-emission electric buses and 1,800 miles of protected cycling and walking routes.
- Civic Quarter Heat Network (CQHN): A state-of-the-art district heating system utilizing a high-efficiency combined heat and power (CHP) engine and shared pipes to deliver low-carbon heat to iconic civic and commercial buildings in the city centre.
- Decentralised Solar & Battery Storage: Installation of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays paired with commercial-scale battery storage units at public depots, leisure centres, and offices to store and manage renewable power.
- SME Energy Support: Facilitating energy-saving audits and clean-technology grants for local small-and-medium enterprises to transition away from fossil-fuel-intensive manufacturing and heating.