MARK TOPPING COLUMN

Forest council leader Mark Topping in his regular column for The Forester

Transcript

00:00 [Music]

00:13 Just because the government is backtracking on its commitment to reduce carbon emissions

00:18 doesn't mean we have to. In fact, recent government decisions to support new fossil fuel projects

00:25 and delay the necessary national switch to renewable energy makes it all the more important

00:31 that we do what we can ourselves locally. And that's exactly what's happening in the Forest of Dean.

00:37 A project has begun in Lydney which will enable Forest residents to get actively involved in

00:44 rolling out big rooftop solar installations across the district. At the Dean Academy and

00:51 the Leisure Centre in Lydney, a combined total of 785 PV panels are set to be fitted on the roofs.

00:59 And what's particularly exciting is that a share offer is about to be launched in connection with

01:05 this which will mean local people can part-own the project and help generate the funds for

01:11 similar schemes on suitable big roof buildings throughout the forest. Forest Community Energy

01:19 is the group behind the project. It was recently launched after the Forest of Dean was chosen as

01:25 the only UK site for a European Union-backed renewable energy project known as Aurora.

01:32 Central to Aurora has been to set up a big PV installation and at the same time act as a

01:40 catalyst for future action on reducing carbon emissions. And it's worked. Volunteers stepped

01:48 forward and formed Forest Community Energy, a local group run by local people to work on reducing

01:55 carbon emissions locally. The community energy share offer linked to the Lydney PV installation

02:03 is due to go live in the very near future. It will cost £100 for one share.

02:09 Buying a share is a way for people who can't install renewable energy at home for whatever

02:16 reason to still help make renewable energy happen locally. It's also a way people can help

02:23 keep a community asset viable because PV installations reduce energy costs.

02:29 And of course it's a great way of investing money ethically. Forest Community Energy is also running

02:38 a thermal imaging project which lends the equipment to enable people to track where the heat is

02:44 leaking from in their homes and then provides energy advice on how to fix the problem.

02:49 For more information on the project and how to get involved,

02:54 search online for Forest of Dean Community Energy or Aurora Forest of Dean.

03:02 [END]