Community Energy in Action With Real Stories and Real Impact

By far the best thing about my role at Younity is the amount of conversations I get to have with community energy practitioners across the UK. You can’t help but be inspired when you hear of the work they are doing and how they are battling against an antiquated energy system in order to ensure the move towards a sustainable, low carbon future is equitable, operated by and for the communities in which they sit.

Younity are excited to see that the government has taken the recommendations of the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC) Sixth Carbon Budget on board and have confirmed a statutory target to cut UK territorial emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels, expected to become enshrined in law by the end of June 2021.

The Westmill solar park started to generate electricity in July 2011. Westmill’s members came together to make a practical contribution to decarbonisation – and pioneered what was, at the time, the world’s largest community-owned solar park.

In 1844, faced with expensive and often adulterated foodstuffs, the Rochdale Pioneers came together to open a single shop selling good quality food. Within three months this group had become known for selling high quality foodstuffs, and a co-operative movement began to rapidly grow. Those pioneers designed a series of principles which still govern the cooperative movement today.

The  Co-op and Octopus Energy have today announced the launch of a new community energy firm.