Oxford & Oxfordshire

New mechanisms unlocking markets for local businesses providing Net Zero services in Oxfordshire

Local authorities in Oxfordshire are showing that doing things differently can unlock new local markets.

In Oxford, the Local Carbon Oxford scheme raised over £200,000 in just eight weeks by matching businesses looking to offset emissions with SMEs and charities needing upgrades to ageing buildings. This improved energy efficiency, cut bills, and boosted demand for retrofit suppliers.

Across the county, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, Cherwell and West Oxfordshire councils are piloting nature-based offsetting alternatives, such as wetlands and biodiversity corridors. These overcome limits to the land available for traditional tree-planting offsetting, while offering benefits like flood prevention.

Oxfordshire County Council is also working with Cenex, a specialist in low-emission transport infrastructure, on the Paua PINS project. This enables businesses to share underused electric vehicle depot chargers, cutting costs for fleet managers and improving investment returns for depot owners.

Find out more

If you are interested in learning how to transform your community, town or city, then read the Blended Finance Regional Funds for Net Zero report. If you would like to speak to someone about this project, contact the Net Zero Living team.