A joint initiative by local authority, academia and businesses aims to accelerate the green economy in Oxfordshire.
A new online prospectus, Oxon Green Futures, sets out Oxfordshire's vision for a sustainable future and its commitment to net-zero targets. It showcases nature restoration projects as well as green investment opportunities within the county.
Launched at the end of June, the prospectus lists investment-ready projects in renewable energy, nature recovery, sustainable infrastructure and green technology.
‘We are aiming to grow our clean tech sector, enhance our green economy, and restore the natural environment,’ says Helen Ryan-Wallis, Head of Strategic Development and Programmes at Enterprise Oxfordshire. ‘At the end of last year, we put out a call for green initiatives looking for investment. We had a very encouraging response from 104 projects – an indication of the exciting and inspiring work going on in this region – and invited 38 of those to submit further information to demonstrate their environmental, economic, social, and infrastructure impacts and investment potential. Of those, we selected four immediately investable projects to be presented in the prospectus. There are others in the pipeline that will come through after further development.’
The initiative, and the first investable projects, were launched at 100 Together, an annual conference that discusses financing Oxfordshire’s green future and this year hosted an opportunity showcase to unlock investment for delivering environmental activity at scale in Oxfordshire.
Two of the projects in the prospectus, the Low Carbon Hub solar rooftop pipeline and the Green Construction Skills Centre at Abingdon & Witney College, come under the heading of green construction, where there is a focus on projects that improve energy-efficiency, support low-carbon development and ensure a skilled workforce.
The other two investable projects in this first tranche are concerned with nature recovery and biodiversity net gain. The Evenlode Landscape Recovery Project aims to restore the habitats of local rivers, while the Oxfordshire Nature Recovery Fund (ONReF) provides early-stage funding for natural capital projects that deliver biodiversity gains and financial returns.
The Oxon Green Futures prospectus also introduces some of the emerging opportunities such as a landscape transformation away from arable programme (Net Zero Landscape Blenheim), a sustainable housing project (OCLT) and a scheme for housing heat decarbonisation, among others to improve biodiversity and restore floodplains.
Oxfordshire encourages strong stewardship of its natural assets and has a track record of innovation and investment in the green economy. Last December, Oxfordshire County Council became the first local authority in the UK to set a target of going beyond net zero in relation to carbon emissions, looking at nature-based solutions and other methods of carbon dioxide removal.
Find out more about green investment in Oxfordshire at https://oxongreenfutures.co.uk/