Recorded at Futurebuild 2026, this panel discussion explores the progress made so far, the role of retrofit in the region’s transition to net zero, and the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for Bristol and the wider South West.

Chair:
Cllr Martin Fodor, Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee, Bristol City Council

Speakers:
Hannah Spungin, Director, Bristol City Leap
Craig Madders, Managing Director, Value Optimised Retrofit (VOR)
Matt Jones, Project Coordinator (Energy), Bristol City Council

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The event marked an important milestone in the collaboration between Bristol City Leap and We The Curious, which aims to make Bristol’s low-carbon energy future more accessible, engaging and inspiring for visitors of all ages.

Guests were welcomed by Hannah Spungin, Director of Bristol City Leap, Jon Sankey, Head of Business Development at Vattenfall Heat UK, and Chris Dunford, Sustainability Director at We The Curious, who spoke about the importance of bringing sustainability education to life through hands-on experiences that connect people with the city’s decarbonisation journey.

Among those attending were Cllr Tony Dyer, Leader of Bristol City Council, Cllr Abi Finch, Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee, and representatives from organisations including Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership, SevernNet, Bristol Temple Quarter, Bristol BID, the NHS, Women in Property, Airbus, The Bristol Dockyard, Materials In Mind and Real Growth.

Following the introductions, attendees had the opportunity to experience the exhibit for themselves, and it’s safe to say it was a hit!

Bringing Bristol’s Energy Future to Life

The new exhibit has been designed to raise awareness of Bristol’s growing low-carbon energy infrastructure through a playful, inclusive and sensory experience.

Visitors can post coloured ‘scarves’ into the exhibit’s inlets, adjust airflow using valves, and watch as their scarves travel through a maze of tubes representing Bristol’s energy networks before emerging overhead. Along the way, they encounter recognisable Bristol landmarks, helping connect the experience directly to the city around them.

The exhibit celebrates the extensive network of pipes and cables that are helping deliver renewable electricity and low-carbon heat across Bristol, while demonstrating how innovative infrastructure can help create a more sustainable future.

By transforming a complex topic into a fun and social experience, the installation helps visitors better understand the role that low-carbon energy systems play in everyday life and the positive changes already taking place across the city.

A Hit with Visitors

Even before its official launch celebration, the exhibit had already become a favourite with visitors to We The Curious.

In fact, staff have had to place a bench facing the installation after parents, grandparents and guardians had asked for somewhere to sit while their children continued playing with the exhibit.

The anecdote perfectly captures the ambition behind the project: to create an experience that isn’t just educational, but genuinely enjoyable, encouraging curiosity, exploration and conversation about Bristol’s sustainable future.

Demonstrating the Power of Partnership

The exhibit is the result of a close collaboration between Bristol City Leap and We The Curious, combining expertise in sustainability, education and visitor engagement.

Bristol City Leap is helping to accelerate Bristol’s journey to net zero by delivering large-scale investment in low-carbon energy infrastructure through its partnership between Bristol City Council, Ameresco UK and Vattenfall Heat UK.

Meanwhile, We The Curious continues to inspire curiosity and learning through experiences that help people engage with science and the world around them.

Together, we have created an exhibit that not only highlights the innovative work taking place beneath Bristol’s streets, but also encourages visitors to imagine the role they can play in creating a greener future.

As the newest addition to We The Curious’ North Gallery, the exhibit is expected to engage hundreds of thousands of visitors over the coming years, helping build awareness, understanding and confidence in Bristol’s transition to a low-carbon city.

The launch event was a celebration not only of a new exhibit, but of what can be achieved when organisations come together with a shared commitment to sustainability, education and community engagement.

The post Bristol City Leap and We The Curious Celebrate Launch of New Interactive Sustainability Exhibit appeared first on Bristol City Leap.

On 13 June will be attending Bristol Green Capital Partnership‘s Gathering – a city conversation on just transition.

The importance of a ‘just transition’ is increasingly gaining traction. It recognises that climate action and social justice are interlinked and need to be tackled together. As Bristol, the UK and the world continue to decarbonise, efforts must be made to ensure this happens in a way that improves rather than worsens existing inequalities. Bristol City Leap is supporting the event and we’ll speaking on how we can play our part in just transition.

Bristol Green Capital Partnership’s Gathering event is taking place on Tuesday 13 June at The Trinity Centre to hold a city-wide conversation about the just transition – what it means for Bristol, its residents, and organisations; why it’s important, what’s happening already and what change is needed.

It will be a space for people with a range of perspectives and experiences to share ideas, learn from others and come away feeling inspired and motivated to help ensure climate action has fairness and equity at its heart.

The host for the event is Manu Maunganidze, who amongst many roles is a Partnership Director and the day’s keynote speaker will be Ed Atkins, a senior lecturer working on energy transitions and energy justice at the University of Bristol, who will give an overview of just transition.

You will hear from a range of speakers on how a just transition relates to energy, racial equality, business, jobs, power and participation, and Disability. Attendees will be able to discuss issues important to them in small groups. There will also be some creative contributions on the theme of just transition from the Bristol City Poet Kat Lyons and Ian Solomon-Kawall performing as KMT Freedom Teacher.

All are welcome and there is a keen interest for there to be representatives from business, community groups, the public and the third sector. It’s free to attend, but spaces are limited, so reserve your place.

After the main event has finished at 5pm, attendees are welcomed to stay until 7pm for drinks, light snacks and to continue conversations.

To reserve a spot at the event, please click here.

The post We’re supporting ‘A just transition for Bristol’ appeared first on Bristol City Leap.

Future Leap gives organisations the space, knowledge, contacts, and tools to accelerate their sustainability journey and progress toward net zero. The team has been working with Bristol City Leap colleagues for several years now, building a fantastic partnership. This collaboration is a great fit given their shared ambition towards accelerating the city’s transition to net zero.

Bristol City Leap is an innovative partnership between Bristol City Council and Ameresco that will accelerate green energy investment in Bristol and help towards decarbonising the whole city by 2030.

Bristol City Leap will bring in over £1bn of investment to rapidly increase the scale and pace of investment in low-carbon energy infrastructure such as wind energy, solar energy, low-carbon heat networks as well as other energy efficiency measures and smart energy systems.

During the first five years of the twenty-year partnership, there will be an investment of at least £424m in a range of large infrastructure projects to reduce Bristol’s carbon footprint by 140,000 tonnes.

The Partnership has included the following:

• Future Leap has collaborated with colleagues throughout the procurement process of Bristol City Leap, keeping its network of businesses informed about the progress made.
• To achieve this, they regularly hosted events focused on the city’s decarbonization progress, inviting key players to share their insights and answer questions.
• So far, Future Leap has successfully organized seven Bristol decarbonization events, with 526 members of the community attending. These events will continue to be held regularly, ensuring that everyone can contribute to the city’s sustainable trajectory.
• Bristol City Leap has been a crucial supporter of Future Leap’s Festival of Sustainable Business, sponsoring important components of the conference (such as the Biodiversity seminar), the exhibition (the Just Transition Stage), and the awards dinner (as the Dinner Sponsor).
• Last week’s Bristol City Leap launch was organized by Future Leap’s event management team, ensuring that sustainability was at the core of the facilitation. The launch was attended by 130 representatives from community groups, business, academia, government and more.
• In April and May, the Future Leap events team will conduct a series of community roadshows to ensure inclusivity on the city’s decarbonization journey.
• Bristol City Leap and Future Leap colleagues will continue to meet quarterly to support each other in their shared mission of accelerating decarbonization and sustainable business practices.

James Sterling, Communications and Engagement Manager for Bristol City Leap said “Strong partnerships will be key to Bristol’s success in reaching carbon neutrality by 2030 and it is clear that Bristol City Leap and Future Leap are fully aligned (not just in the name!) in our shared dedication to building inclusive, green growth. Organisations like Future Leap have an important role to play in creating networks like-intended organisations that can drive decarbonisation forward, but also in sharing news and success stories that inspire us all to take action on the climate.”

Katherine Piper, Future Leap’s Director of Partnerships and Sustainability commented “We are delighted to partner with Bristol City Leap, working together to ensure that our community of organisations are fully involved in the changes we will see as a city. It is important to us that all organisations can play a part in this green transition, and we look forward to continuing to support our business community.”

To join any of the roadshow events make sure to follow these links.

25 April 2023 – Lawrence Weston Community Centre: https://lnkd.in/efSQvYCk
03 May 2023 – St Paul’s Learning Centre: https://lnkd.in/eNNS9Rnh
12 May 2023 – Lockleaze Hub: https://lnkd.in/es5gAp2c
19 May 2023 – Southmead Community Centre: https://lnkd.in/eb46t_mF
22 May 2023 – Heart of BS13 – Roundhouse: https://lnkd.in/eG_2PZNY

The post Bristol City Leap Announces Partnership with Future Leap appeared first on Bristol City Leap.

Attendees can learn more about the £1 billion energy partnership and what it will mean for the city over the next five years and beyond. They will also be able to meet and ask questions of the team behind this world-first initiative.

The 90-minute sessions will take place across the city in April and May at the following venues, and are open to all members of the public to attend:

• 25 April 2023 (10:00-11:30) – Lawrence Weston Community Centre
• 03 May 2023 (12:30-14:00) – St Paul’s Learning Centre
• 12 May 2023 (17:00-18:30) – Lockleaze Hub
• 19 May 2023 (10:00-11:30) – Southmead Development Trust (Greenway Centre)
• 22 May 2023 (18:00-19:30) – Heart of BS13 Roundhouse

James Sterling, Communications and Engagement Manager at Bristol City Leap, said: “We’re really looking forward to taking Bristol City Leap on the road and speaking with local people about how we are putting communities at the heart of our ambitions.  I’d encourage anyone who is interested in hearing more and getting involved in our city’s decarbonisation journey to join us.

Delivering a better quality of life for residents is at the heart of Bristol City Leap, which is why we will provide a minimum of £61.5million of social value over the next five years. This includes creating over 1000 jobs and a £1.5 million Community Energy Development Fund which community groups are encouraged to apply for to support their valuable work across the city.”

Bristol City Leap will also provide support to improve energy efficiency for homes, businesses and public buildings. This will reduce carbon emissions as well as energy bills – contributing to the green revolution supporting hundreds of homes during the cost of living crisis.

To book your place at one of the events, please follow the relevant link:

• Bristol City Leap Roadshow – Lawrence Weston Tickets, Tue 25 Apr 2023 at 10:00 | Eventbrite
• Bristol City Leap Roadshow – St Pauls Tickets, Wed 3 May 2023 at 12:30 | Eventbrite
• Bristol City Leap Roadshow – Lockleaze Tickets, Fri 12 May 2023 at 17:00 | Eventbrite
• Bristol City Leap Roadshow – Southmead Tickets, Fri 19 May 2023 at 10:00 | Eventbrite
• Bristol City Leap Roadshow – Hartcliffe Tickets, Mon 22 May 2023 at 18:00 | Eventbrite

The post Bristol City Leap launches roadshow of community events appeared first on Bristol City Leap.