LB Hounslow launches first green community investment scheme

Child takes part in Heston Community Garden project – LB Hounslow

Designed so investors can fund environmental projects on their doorstep

Hounslow Council is launching its first green community investment scheme, offering individuals, community groups and businesses the chance to fund local environmental projects.

The fund, called Hounslow Green Investment, aims to raise £5m over the next five years, to be invested back into the local economy on a range of environmental improvements, enabling people to invest in green projects on their doorstep and make a fixed return on a low-risk investment at the same time

Anyone putting money into the project will receive a fixed interest payment every six months. The interest rate is 4.1%.

Image: Cllr Katherine Dunne

Councillor Katherine Dunne, Cabinet Member for Climate, Environment and Transport at Hounslow Council, said the Green Investment will help turbo-charge Hounslow Council’s Net Zero efforts:

“Such schemes have already proven incredibly successful and very popular in other local authorities.

“It’s a great way for people to invest in the borough and make a decent return too. But more importantly, it is encouraging people to take an active role in lowering local carbon emissions.

“We want everyone to play a part and that’s why you can start investing for as little as £5.”

The investment opportunity will run for three months or until it reaches the £1,000,000 target for the first cohort.

The funding process is managed by Abundance Investment, a leading platform for ethical and sustainable investments. It follows in the footsteps of other successful council schemes in the Cotswolds, Hammersmith & Fulham, Southwark and Camden.

Some of the projects that will receive investment include:

Clear Air for Schools, which support a variety of interventions such as air purifiers, cycle infrastructures and improving the building’s energy efficiency.

Active travel, which supports cycleway installation and upgrades.

Hounslow Community Energy Fund, which offers funding to decarbonise community spaces through solar panels, heat pumps and LED lighting.

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