Bristol City Leap is proud to announce that it has surpassed the halfway point in achieving its ambitious social value targets through the delivery of over £35 million of local social value. This marks significant progress in its mission to create a cleaner, fairer, and more inclusive city.

Launched in January 2023, Bristol City Leap is a pioneering public-private partnership driving city-wide decarbonisation while delivering measurable social and economic benefits for local communities. Over its first five years, the initiative aims to generate £61.5 million in social value, ensuring that the green energy transition delivers tangible benefits to Bristol’s people, communities and businesses.

Alongside the delivery of contracts, Bristol City Leap is committed to securing additional economic, social and environmental benefits for Bristol alongside financial investments delivered. These additional benefits are referred to as social value.

All social value contributions are independently verified by the Social Value Portal, which ensures transparent and accountable reporting. Activities contributing to this total include staff volunteering, investment in voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations, and the creation of new jobs, internships and training opportunities.

As of the summer of 2025, Bristol City Leap has achieved impressive milestones, including the creation of 152 new jobs and the allocation of £30,149,819 in spending with local suppliers. Additionally, volunteers have dedicated 895 hours to support Bristol communities, contributing to a remarkable total social value of £35,437,010 delivered to date.

James Sterling, Communications and Social Value Manager for Ameresco and Bristol City Leap, said: “Reaching 50% of our social value commitment well ahead of schedule is a major milestone.

“It demonstrates that decarbonisation and community benefit can, and must, go hand in hand. We are not only reducing emissions but also investing in people, skills, and the local economy.”

Empowering Communities and Building Skills

Bristol City Leap’s social value efforts have centred on collaboration with local communities to better understand their needs and priorities in the face of climate challenges. Through initiatives such as the Bristol City Leap Community Energy Fund, local organisations have been empowered to deliver bespoke energy projects that directly address community concerns.

Education has also been a key focus. Partnering with local schools and organisations, Bristol City Leap has developed workshops to help young people understand energy use, renewable sources, and sustainability, equipping the next generation with the knowledge to act on climate change.

Empowering Communities and Building Skills

Bristol City Leap’s social value efforts have centred on collaboration with local communities to better understand their needs and priorities in the face of climate challenges. Through initiatives such as the Bristol City Leap Community Energy Fund, local organisations have been empowered to deliver bespoke energy projects that directly address community concerns.

Education has also been a key focus. Partnering with local schools and organisations, Bristol City Leap has developed workshops to help young people understand energy use, renewable sources, and sustainability, equipping the next generation with the knowledge to act on climate change.

Driving a Holistic Approach to Decarbonisation

Bristol City Leap believes that embedding social value within decarbonisation projects leads to more sustainable, long-term outcomes. By promoting practices such as fair pay, upskilling and providing confidence to local organisations to invest in their workforce, the partnership is helping to transform local supply chains and foster a more resilient green economy.

Councillor Martin Fodor, Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee, said: “Social value is not an add-on – it’s fundamental to how we deliver decarbonisation and is part of our City Leap joint venture agreement with Ameresco/Vattenfall.

“Considering social value is about measuring and reporting the wider economic, environmental and social impacts. This can include the number of local people in employment, the amount of money put into the local economy, and training opportunities to upskill the workforce. We do this when making decisions to help reduce poverty and inequality, and to increase the city’s resilience and environmental sustainability. By investing in communities, education, and fair employment, we’re ensuring that Bristol’s journey to net zero has many wider benefits that can help our residents and businesses.”

For more information on Bristol City Leap’s social value initiatives, visit: https://www.bristolcityleap.co.uk/community/