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Visit to Octopus, busy room
Energy
Published: 25/06/2025
News
Planning for heat pumps with Octopus and MCS

With recent updates to national heat pump policy and guidance, planners from across Greater Manchester came together to discuss the updates, share best practice and unlock barriers to heat pump deployment.

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People behind the Wellington School project
Energy
Solar PV
Published: 24/06/2025
News
GMCR 2025 – Community Solar Share Offer

Greater Manchester Community Renewables (GMCR) has launched a share offer to raise £250,000 by 20 July to fund solar arrays on 3 schools and a leisure centre, find out more…

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ENWL Powering Our Communities logo
Energy
community
Published: 13/05/2024
News
Power Up Your Community Energy Project with funding from Electricity North West

Electricity North West is calling for applications to its Powering Our Communities fund, now in its seventh year. With a total of £100,000 available, this initiative grants funding to groups and organisations looking to develop community energy projects across the North West region.

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Solar
Energy
Buildings
Published: 06/12/2023
News
North West Net Zero Funding for Community Energy Projects

Regional funding available for community energy projects, with North West Net Zero Hub providing advice for eligible groups and third sector organisations

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Salix Homes customer Julie Pemberton
Retrofit
Solar
Energy
Housing
Buildings
Published: 29/11/2023
News
Solar panel project shines bright in Salford

Housing Association, Salix Homes has recently completed solar panel installations to 49 properties after securing funding through the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund

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Retrofit
Skills
Energy
Housing
Buildings
Published: 20/11/2023
Blog
Southway Housing Trust and Cara EPS: Delivering Home Energy Efficiency Measures in South Manchester

In this article, Manchester housing provider Southway Housing Trust and Cara EPS, a multi-disciplinary net zero and retrofit business from Salford, provide an update on their partnership delivering on the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund…

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The Ultimate Guide to Green Finance
Energy
Homes & Workplaces
Published: 19/04/2023
Blog
Why NEW Government home energy efficiency funding may benefit YOU

ECO Flex is new Government and Energy Company funding which in Greater Manchester, now includes homes with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of a Grade D or below

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Energy
Retrofit
Published: 28/03/2023
News
Installers appointed for ECO4 Local Authority Flexible Eligibility Scheme

GMCA has put in place a list of three qualified installers to deliver whole house energy efficiency improvements funded by the Energy Company Obligation Local Authority Flexible Eligibility Scheme.

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solar panels being installed
Energy
Published: 10/02/2023
News
GM Local Area Energy Plans receive Innovate UK funding boost

Greater Manchester has been announced as one of the successful projects funded by Innovate UK’s Net Zero Living programme, receiving around £70k to help accelerate the delivery of the city-region’s […]

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Minaka san, Daikin Chairman and Andy Burnham Mayor of GM
Energy
Business
Zero Carbon Business
Published: 07/02/2023
News
Daikin x GMCA Partnership Announcement

Daikin joins forces with Greater Manchester Combined Authority to ramp up decarbonisation by signing a memorandum of understanding for mutual cooperation.

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NW Regional Construction Awards logo
Energy
Homes & Workplaces
Published: 25/07/2022
News
North West Construction Awards – Three Greater Manchester Winners!

On Thursday evening (21st July) the North West Construction Awards staged their sixteenth celebration of best practice and best value in the North West – GMCA funded projects scooped three awards…

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Carbon Coop at The Boiler House
Energy
Home & Workplaces
community
Published: 12/07/2022
News
GM Local Energy Market: What the people think

Rachel Lewis, staff member at Manchester’s Carbon Coop, provides an overview of the work asking people in GM their thoughts and views are on the Local Energy Market project and involving them in decision-making on the project…

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Take action…

To make a big change, we must all take small actions. Becoming greener and making an impact is easier than you might think. We have put together a range of blogs, articles, toolkits and checklists to help you make a start.

Explore resources

Although we set out with a simple mission to reduce plastic waste, we’ve quickly realised that it’s just one piece in the sustainability puzzle. One of the biggest, but most easily attainable actions we can achieve is to look at where our goods come from and reduce the carbon footprint needed to get a product from manufacturer to consumer. Many of the products we stock are made by local, independent manufactures, who provide us with a wide range of things from reusable face wipes, wax food wraps, face coverings, soap bars, plant pots, kitchen cloths/sponges and butty bags.

Carl from Lentils and Lather

Our aim is to start changing the habits of families in Greater Manchester by getting them to ‘borrow’ rather than ‘buy’ brand new toys. We’re making sure that toys can be reused again and again by children who need and want them – and they are not just sitting in a cupboard or under someone’s bed.

Kim from That Toy Thing

The best part of upcycling is that old furniture is often better made than the equivalent flat-packed furniture we get today and with a little bit of time, love and care, you can create a completely unique piece of furniture for your home that no one else will have. I also love that these pieces of furniture have a history of their own and through transforming and updating them we can breathe a new lease of life into them.

Hannah from Tread Softly

The Green Recovery Challenge Fund is providing a further boost to the ambitions of the Great Manchester Wetlands Partnership to create a thriving, inspirational and connected landscape. It supports the recovery of wildlife through habitat creation and improvement as well as community recovery through providing opportunities for local people to develop skills, knowledge and beneficial connections to their local natural environment.

Jo Kennedy, Coordinator of the Great Manchester Wetlands Partnership

The reason I signed up to the Green Homes Grant scheme was two-fold, selfishly the measures will add value to the properties and make them more valuable in the future. But more importantly it benefits the tenants, keeping them warmer and prevents problems like damp and condensation. Ultimately measures like external wall insulations should keep tenants happier and ensure they remain in the house for longer.

Neil, Rochdale property owner

We used to think we didn’t have enough time to shop on our local market because we were working; how wrong we were?  We discovered it is an amazing place to shop for plastic free. We swapped tea bags for tea leaves and coffee jars for beans which we buy from The Market Grounds on Ashton Market – well worth a visit as the homemade cakes are delicious. All the stall holders have been amazing, not one of them minds us taking our containers to be filled with meat from the butchers. We get our bread, cheese, fruit and veg from the market too.

Julie from Ashton-under-Lyne

Kat Mulhall, Events Manager at Victoria Baths Trust in Manchester

Although becoming carbon neutral is important to our organisation, it’s a lot of work for a small team to put the measures into place. The Journey to Net Zero course has given me practical, step-by-step advice that has made it easy for me to lay the foundations for our organisation to be able to take action and achieve our goal of becoming carbon neutral.

Kat Mulhall, Events Manager at Victoria Baths Trust in Manchester

Kat Mulhall, Events Manager at Victoria Baths Trust in Manchester

The Business Growth Hub has given us focus and extra knowledge. They’ve helped us form the base to grow sustainably and work efficiently as a team while making us conscious of our environmental impact as a business.

 

Ollie Birchall, Founder of Nutri Bar

I’ve not really been a cyclist throughout my life, more of a runner to be honest. And certainly not commuted. But I just thought if I’m going to change, surely now is the moment to change. I’m feeling the personal benefits of doing it. You just feel better when you come into work. It clears your head. There are benefits of cutting congestion, cleaning up the air. Everyone benefits when people cycle.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester

We think our water fountain is INCREDIBLE, it’s the perfect place for people to ‘refill’ and help themselves to any of the free edibles we’ve got growing in Market Place. We’re so grateful to all the organisations that helped make this happen. Alongside the plastic free motion that was passed by council and helped us achieve our first Surfers Against Sewage objective and in turn our Plastic Free Community status, it shows real commitment in reducing plastic waste and supporting our community.

 

Pete Fillery, Plastic Free Rammy and Incredible Edible Ramsbottom

I guess I’ve always been what you would call a conscious consumer. I’ve always detested plastic bags, all of my skin care products at home are plastic-free, vegan, and sustainable. My toothbrush is made of bamboo, there’s no plastic anywhere in the house. Everything in the salon has to be vegan – that was the first rule for me. We started with one brand of haircare products that was vegan, organic, and Fairtrade, but the distributor in the UK was wrapping all of the deliveries in plastic, and it felt really needless, so we ditched them.

 

Rachael, Gronn eco-salon in Bury

Although becoming carbon neutral is important to our organisation, it’s a lot of work for a small team to put the measures into place. The Journey to Net Zero course has given me practical, step-by-step advice that has made it easy for me to lay the foundations for our organisation to be able to take action and achieve our goal of becoming carbon neutral.

 

Kat Mulhall, Victoria Baths Trust, Manchester

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