Businesses urged to engage with D2N2 on low-carbon plans

BUSINESSES and stakeholders in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire are being urged to engage with the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership on its low-carbon plan which is now out for consultation.

D2N2 – which represents Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire – has outlined specific programme area opportunities where it can make the biggest economic impact when it comes to low carbon.

And Chief Executive David Ralph has revealed up to £100m will be earmarked for use by D2N2 in driving the low-carbon and innovation agenda in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire between 2014 and 2019.

The three key strands highlighted in the consultation plan are:

Low-carbon energy

Vehicles

Support to SMEs

Mr Ralph said: “The commitments we have made put low carbon right at the very heart of what we are doing going forward as a Local Enterprise Partnership, as we look to drive economic growth in our area.

“Through our EU funds and the Single Local Growth Fund, which start to flow from next year, we will be putting substantial resource into this sector as it is of vital importance.

“Our ambition is to be the ‘go-to’ place for delivering effective low-carbon economic growth. We think we are already in the top six LEPs and we want to be nationally renowned for delivering that agenda.

“We’ve made a long-term commitment to delivering sustainable jobs, with our plan to help create an extra 55,000 jobs in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire by 2023, and we believe that low-carbon goods and services is an area where we already have an advantage.

“The D2N2 low-carbon plan uses examples of good practice in the area and starts a dialogue about how our aims could be achieved whilst establishing clear priorities regarding where we might best start.

“That is why we want to engage with businesses and stakeholders across the D2N2 area to receive feedback that can help shape the plan before it is submitted as part of our Growth Strategy to Government at the end of March next year.”

To view the low-carbon plan for consultation, go to www.d2n2lep.org/lowcarbon and to give feedback, please email [email protected]