Academy
Mentoring, training, and support for Futurenoughts
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE / ALL FUTURENOUGHTS
Collaborative consultation: Regional Energy Strategic Planner (RESP)
At July’s Future Ready Thursday, Regen, the Technical Assistance Partner for Policy & Regulation, hosted a preparatory workshop for the Regional Energy Strategic Planner (RESP) consultation.
Regen were joined by representatives from Ofgem and West Midlands Combined Authority, to set out the vision for the RESP and inform Future Ready participants on how they can contribute to the consultation response.
There will be further opportunities to participate in the RESP consultation, including through the Local Energy & Infrastructure Policy Working Group. Updates on how to be involved will be shared via the Community Platform.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE / ALL FUTURENOUGHTS
RETROFIT 24: Retrofit Challenges Forum
Innovate UK Business Connect joined Innovate UK’s Net Zero Heat Programme to host the Retrofit Challenges Forum, specifically designed to help local authorities connect with solution providers addressing the most significant retrofit challenges.
Around 100 participants from the public, private and charitable sectors attended, and 19 businesses presented pitches covering a range of topics, including retrofit decision making tools, alternative heating solutions and retrofitting heritage buildings.
City Science and Bankers Without Boundaries also delivered finance clinic sessions for both businesses and local authorities. The local authority session focused on current financing options outside of government funding and strategies for engaging retrofit consumers with various technical solutions.
All business pitches and presentations were recorded and will soon be available in the Business Engagement section of the Community Platform.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE / ALL FUTURENOUGHTS
Policy groups
These policy groups are spaces for you to connect with your peers on areas of similar policy interests or project areas. Regen will facilitate you to discuss and input into policy and regulatory enablers and barriers.
You can:
- Discuss and generate ideas for reform to particular areas of policy and regulation, which you can advocate to local, regional and national governments.
- Provide evidence and input views into policy outputs including briefings or consultations.
- Share with your peers any examples of best practices for processes, methods and models for net zero interventions, plans and delivery.
- Provide an additional forum for partners to obtain the 1:1 support or services of subject matter experts on specific topics or policy themes.
The five policy groups
- Retrofit: Retrofit of existing buildings as a key area for many projects that is lacking effective policy and regulation
- Heat networks: A significant new policy area with insights for local authorities inside and outside the cohort, linking with finance and planning policy agendas.
- Community energy: A significant area for cohort members from the EOI responses and linking with citizen engagement.
- Local energy and infrastructure: RESP and other critical areas such as retail reform and REMA expected over the next year; this is likely to be relevant to all cohort members.
- Transport and mobility: This is likely to be a smaller policy group but there are important policy areas (e.g. charging, bans and LEVI etc.)
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE / ALL FUTURENOUGHTS
Financing Net Zero for Beginners (Cardiff Re-Run)
City Science and BwB, Technical Assistance Partners for Finance ran a workshop focusing on how to finance a net zero programme, the importance of commercial and financial relationships and stakeholder communication.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE / ALL FUTURENOUGHTS
Foundations of Citizen Engagement (Cardiff Re-Run)
Involve, Technical Assistance Partner for Visioning & Citizen Engagement, delved into climate decision-making and how we can engage citizens to generate community-owned outcomes in climate strategies, policies and interventions.