Barratt Homes’ Southampton division has announced its membership of decarbonisation initiative The Solent Cluster.
The initiative aims to substantially reduce CO2 emissions from industry, transport and households across the Solent and South Coast.
It’s a cross-sector collaboration of international organisations, including manufacturers and engineering companies, regional businesses and industries, logistics and infrastructure operators and academic institutions.
According to The Solent Cluster, the region has the capacity to potentially capture and safely store up to 10 million tonnes of CO2 annually as part of its ambitions, with its strategic location and existing infrastructure making it the South’s only opportunity to secure a lower carbon economy at scale.
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Barratt Homes is joining nearly 120 members, including founding members Solent Partners, global energy provider ExxonMobil and University of Southampton.
The founding members have each shared details of their vision for the Solent and how it could secure existing jobs and produce low-carbon fuels for sectors including maritime and aviation, as well as providing energy to heat homes, businesses, and public buildings.
This effort could position the Solent at the centre of low carbon fuel production in the UK and make a major contribution to the country’s Net Zero ambitions by 2050.
James Dunne, MD of Barratt Homes, said: “As a business that is striving to become the UK’s leading sustainable housebuilder, we share The Solent Cluster’s vision for a low carbon future and are delighted to be part of a collective contribution to the country’s journey to net zero.
“We’re also passionate about inspiring the next generation of workers to fulfil exciting roles that will help contribute towards building greener projects.
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“As part of this important collaboration, we’ll be working closely with schools, colleges, and other education facilities to provide training for young people interested in a sustainable career pathway.
“We’ll offer funding for workshops and other practical sessions outside a traditional classroom setting, designed to help students thrive.”
A recent socioeconomic report released by The Solent Cluster confirmed that more than 70,000 jobs could be secured, including the creation of over 18,900 new skilled jobs as part of a potential £11.9 billion economic boost for the Solent region.
The cluster also has the potential of adding more than £4.4 billion gross value to the economy by 2035.
Anne-Marie Mountifield, chair of The Solent Cluster, added: “I’m delighted to welcome Barratt Homes to The Solent Cluster to work with us to achieve a low carbon economic future for the Solent region.
“Decarbonisation will be a catalyst for transformative change as we seek to propel the region into a new era of sustainable growth.
“The importance of identifying the potential for thousands of new jobs and billions in investment, cannot be underestimated.”
Read more – Emirates becomes first international airline to join The Solent Cluster