This £2.5 million project is part of a £25 million package of support from Innovate UK to help local authorities across the UK to:

• tackle the barriers to climate action projects
• speed up their progress to Net Zero
• share expertise
• unlock investment opportunities worth up to £500 billon

Partners on this project include:

• Leicestershire County Council
• De Montfort University
• Energy Systems Catapult
• University of Leicester
• Green Fox Community Energy Co-operative
• Community Energy South
• National Grid Electricity Distribution

The project aims to deliver three key innovation deliverables:

• A published set of insights that can be shared and replicated on later LAEPs.
• Deliver more affordable and robust LCAN LAEPs with a digitised visualisation tool.
• Develop governance methods to promote the adoption of LAEPs incorporating current best practices and new and novel methods to address non-technical barriers.

The innovation

Leicestershire CAN brings a new approach to accelerating   projects by combining innovative governance models, dynamic energy planning, and community-led initiatives. The project will deliver a new LAEP visualisation tool to assist a range of user types in planning decarbonisation projects. It will also make use of social media data gathered from across Leicestershire to understand the range of local thinking on approaches to decarbonisation.

The challenge

Local authorities face significant barriers in achieving Net Zero goals, including fragmented governance, limited capacity, and inconsistent funding models. Many initiatives lack community buy-in, robust planning frameworks, and sufficient investment opportunities, making it difficult to deliver impactful, long-term results.

The solution

Leicestershire CAN addresses these challenges with four interconnected work packages:

1. Governance: Developing replicable models for effective collaboration and decision-making across government levels and sectors.
2. Local Area Energy Planning: Using advanced digital tools to create place-based, whole-system energy plans that integrate community priorities and investment opportunities.
3. Community Energy Pathway: Building a network of sustainable, community-led energy organizations through mentorship, resources, and readiness funding.
4. Advisory service: Providing a central repository of resources to empower stakeholders and ensure broad access to the project’s tools and insights.

Impact

Leicestershire CAN aims to transform the county’s emissions trajectory by embedding sustainable governance, boosting community energy capacity, and delivering Net Zero projects in various stages of completion. Beyond Leicestershire, the project will provide a replicable model for other local authorities, ensuring long-term scalability and continued progress toward the UK’s Net Zero goals.