the challenge

A key challenge was moving beyond individual project opportunities to create a consistent, region-wide process for identifying, assessing and progressing clean energy projects towards investment. The partnership needed a practical framework that could work across different organisations, governance structures, funding routes and levels of project maturity.

Working as part of Arup’s delivery team for Work Package 2, the Regional Climate Investment Plan, GCF supported the design of the systems, governance and processes needed to turn regional net zero ambitions into investable propositions.

developing The model

The operating model considered:

• governance and decision-making routes;

• business case requirements;

• project bundling opportunities;

• procurement and delivery approaches;

• ownership and stewardship arrangements; and

• potential public and private investment mechanisms.

Stakeholder and market engagement

To ensure the proposed approach reflected both regional priorities and market expectations, GCF undertook engagement with local authority partners, funders, investors and wider stakeholders throughout the programme. This work informed the development of investment criteria, governance routes, delivery models and the operating framework required to support future investment decisions.

Impact

GCF helped establish the commercial, governance and process foundations required to support the Regional Climate Investment Plan.

The resulting framework provided:

• a structured regional investment pipeline;

• a defined operating model for progressing projects;

• assessment and prioritisation processes aligned to investment decision-making;

• pathways for business case development and project advancement; and

• a scalable approach capable of supporting multiple organisations across the West of England.

By focusing on the non-technical barriers to delivery, GCF helped create a practical route for progressing clean energy projects from regional ambition towards investment and implementation.

Heat networks are a vital part of the UK Government’s (UKG) target to achieve net zero by 2050. 

The UK’s heat network zoning policy in England aims to identify and designate areas where heat networks are expected to be the lowest cost solution for decarbonising heat. 

Global City Futures were appointed to the national consultant framework to deliver project management, commercial and financial support to the DESNZ Heat Network Zoning Programme in 2024. 

Our consulting team was tasked with developing commercially robust financial planning for public sector organisations identified by the Advanced Zoning Programme (AZP).

AZP is working with 21 locations across England to accelerate the delivery of zonal scale heat network support the construction of new zonal scale heat networks as quickly as possible following the introduction of heat network zoning policy.

More on the Heat Networks Zoning Pilot from Gov.UK 

GCF’s expert consultancy delivered tangible outcomes across the pilot cities, including:

• Cabinet Approval of the ZOBC to allow progression to the procurement phase
• Increased readiness – council officers and members fully briefed on the proposed legislative and regulatory framework under heat network zoning
• Broadened stakeholder awareness of heat network zoning and the AZP project in different pilot locations among key heat off-takers and heat suppliers
• Clarification of project risks, both technical and non-technical for a breadth of public and private sector stakeholders, grouped under common themes
• Shared best practices and lessons learned across the AZP, enhancing the wider programme’s impact and scalability.

We brought financial rigour and strategic clarity into the planning of the pilot projects, becoming one of the key members of the framework in ensuring the delivery of the UK’s low-carbon heat infrastructure.

To learn more about how Global City Futures supports public and private organisations with their decarbonisation objectives, explore our full portfolio or get in touch with our consultancy team.