Five organisations with a keen eye for reducing their emissions have been given the green light on their reduction initiatives.

The Low Carbon Acceleration Fund is available to any eligible legal entity such as a business, charity, incorporated society or trust, provided that the project is being implemented in Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt.

A total of $160,000 was available for co-funding in this round, with a maximum of $40,000 for each applicant.

Hutt City Council earns carbon credits under the Emissions Trading Scheme for forests in some of its reserves. The units can be sold and the revenue can be used to invest in carbon reduction opportunities. To ensure that the Low Carbon Acceleration Fund is cost neutral to Council, the financial envelope of the Low Carbon Acceleration Fund for each round is based on the number of credits earned in the previous year.

This is the first round of a new fund established by council to help deliver on its climate change commitments and support the city to decarbonise. The round was open from 15 February - 14 March 2024.

The five successful applicants are:

• Y Central - for installation of LED lighting in their managed accommodation facilities.
• Wesley (Wellington Misson Incorporated) Rātā Village in Naenae - for replacing a petrol vehicle with an electric vehicle for their staff and residents to use.
• He Puāwai Trust - for an electric van to transport locally produced food across the city, this will replace the use of a diesel ute for deliveries.
• Rudolf Steiner School Trust - for the replacement of single glazing with double glazing to reduce their requirements for heating.
• Youth Inspire - for the purchase of an electric vehicle to provide free driving lessons to rangatahi as part of their programme of helping youth access employment opportunities.

Chair of Lower Hutt’s Climate Change and Sustainability Committee Josh Briggs says the quality of applicants shows a commitment to reducing emissions from our not-for-profit sector and businesses.

"These recipients clearly are aware of their carbon footprint and want to really engage with emissions reduction in a meaningful way. This is something as a Council we are proud to support," he says.

"We all need to act, and funding these organisations for these initiatives is just one way Council is enabling positive change for both the climate and the community. We’re looking forward to seeing their funding in action."

The fund will be run every year so those who missed the first round are encouraged to prepare for the next round. The timing will be confirmed and updated on our website later in the year.

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