Greater Manchester is set to receive £7 million in funding over the next two years to accelerate net zero ambitions across the region.

The funding comes from a larger £19 million pilot, The Local Net Zero Accelerator, aiming to accelerate climate action in selected councils. The pilot is situated in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the West Midlands Combined Authority.

The additional £7 million funding will build on the already established Local Area Energy Plans which identified £12.5 billion of investment in infrastructure necessary to achieve carbon neutral targets by 2038.

The funding programme aims to unlock private investment and accelerate efforts to tackle climate change by delivering green initiatives such as retrofitting commercial and domestic properties or investing in greener transport.

The combined authorities will choose how the funding is allocated based on which projects stand to benefit the community, significantly cut emissions, and expand decarbonisation work across the region.

By combining multiple green projects across various regions, it is hoped that the Local Net Zero Accelerator will make it easier to secure long-term private investment and enhance net zero efforts.