Hammersmith & Fulham Council is giving their residents a real stake in their local green transition – the biggest of its kind!

Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) Council declared a climate and ecological emergency in 2019 and set an ambitious target to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030 for the borough. Our top-rated Climate and Ecology Strategy sets out our blueprint for our route to net zero.

 

Financing climate strategies continues to be a huge challenge for local authorities due to limited and competitive central government funding. The H&F Green Investment is our solution to this funding gap – enabling us to deliver our net zero plans faster and more cost-effectively. It enables us to raise funds directly from people and organisations who want to make a difference locally and make a good return on their investment.

 

The H&F Green Investment will help fund community and council projects from across our Climate and Ecology Strategy, to improve neighbourhoods, support communities and make the borough more resilient to the changing climate. The types of projects range from clean energy for buildings to more greening and sustainable drainage schemes.

 

The first of several raises opened on 15 November with a target of £1m.It offers a fixed return of 4.85% interest a year across a five-year term and allows people and organisations to invest as little as £5. Further launches aim to raise a total of £5m – the biggest community investment opportunity ever issued by a local authority in support of green projects.

 

Watch Cllr Ree, Cabinet Member for Finance and Reform, explain more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsThDcLSyWA&feature=youtu.be

 

The scheme is open to people both within and outside the borough, including residents, businesses, community groups and other interested investors. The investment is arranged by Abundance Investment , an ethical crowdfunding platform regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The company provides the website for investors to set up their account, make their investment, receive returns and get updates on the scheme.

 

After setting up an account with Abundance Investment, a quick ID check is run and then money can be deposited right away. Returns are paid every six months across the term of the investment for people to withdraw or reinvest as desired.

 

More FAQs are available on our website.

 

 

H&F is home to a thriving business community including global companies such as Disney and L’Oreal and has the highest concentration of start-up firms in London. We have thriving digital and creative industries from television to performing arts as well as a small but significant presence of life sciences firms. The borough is also home to a growing environmental goods and services sector, employing around 3,300 people, including a field-leading partnership between the Council, Imperial College and other local institutions fostering green innovation and skills.

 

We know that tackling the climate and ecological crises will go hand in hand with improving health and wellbeing for our residents. For example, 32% of reduced life expectancy for the most deprived people in H&F is attributable to circulatory and respiratory reasons, exacerbated by polluted air, cold homes and extreme heat. H&F is also heavily urbanised, with only 28% of land vegetated and 12% canopy cover compared to London-wide averages of 43% and 21%. 

So what climate projects will the Green Investment be supporting?

 

 

H&F recognises that biodiversity underpins Earth’s processes, necessary for our own survival: from oxygen supplied by plants to ecosystem engineering by local H&F keystone species like the Eurasian Jay, which distribute tree seeds.

 

The borough offers a fantastic opportunity to showcase what urban conservation can look like in a heavily urbanised area, with less than half the tree canopy cover than the London average. A cornerstone of their approach is the innovative Tiny Forests campaign. Tiny Forests are a native woodland area with the aim of reconnecting people with nature and providing new biodiverse habitats to support local wildlife.

 

The impacts of climate change such as flooding, heatwaves, toxic air pollution and loss of biodiversity are increasingly affecting urban areas. Luckily, creating thriving and climate-resilient urban areas that support economic growth, while also enhancing livelihoods and wellbeing can go hand-in-hand. Each Tiny Forest features around 600 native trees and shrubs, with species chosen based on each site’s soil and benefits to wildlife.

Watch Cllr Ree, Cabinet Member for Finance and Reform, explain more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsThDcLSyWA&feature=youtu.beImage: Cllr Rowan Ree announces H&F Green Investment

Hammersmith & Fulham was the first borough in London to plant a Tiny Forest. In March 2021 they partnered with environmental charity Earthwatch Europe, local drinks business Fever-Tree and residents to plant 600 trees and shrubs in Hammersmith Park.

 

“Each Tiny Forest planted not only helps us meet our carbon net zero goal by 2030, but also ensures cleaner air and safer habitats for local wildlife,” said Cllr Wesley Harcourt, H&F Cabinet Member for Environment.

 

The woodland is approximately the size of a tennis court and will grow quickly without chemicals or fertilisers, providing a rich habitat for wildlife. It is hoped that over 500 different animal and plant species will be attracted to the site within its first three years.

 

Louise Hartley, Tiny Forest Programme Manager at Earthwatch, said: “Tiny Forests provide rich opportunities for connecting local communities with the environment and sustainability, and we are delighted to bring these inspiring spaces to Hammersmith & Fulham and create a Tiny Forest network that can have a real impact on the area.”

 

“This project is a great example of how a tiny change has the potential to make a huge difference. And I hope this new green space will provide a vital refuge for both people and nature.”

 

The money raised through H&F Green Investment will help fund the next phase of this work.

 

Hammersmith & Fulham Council has introduced several sustainable drainage schemes as part of its plans to mitigate the impacts of a changing climate on their urban borough. These schemes can help better manage rainwater, as well as increase green space into areas dominated by concrete.

 

Several of H&F’s projects have won prestigious awards. The schemes in Shepherds Bush and Fulham were recognised at the Green Apple Awards for environmental engineering. And the Life+ project to climate proof social housing was awarded the College of Fellows Award for climate change adaptation at the Landscape Institute Awards.

 

An award-winning, community-focused regeneration project in White City that helps reduce flooding and promotes biodiversity has scooped two more accolades. Bridget Joyce Square, the sustainable urban drainage scheme (SuDS) in Australia Road opened in November 2015. The following year it won the Engineering Project with best Community Impact award at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) London Civil Engineering Awards 2016.

 

“These projects bring vital green space to an area otherwise dominated by concrete. Sustainable drainage schemes like this help us reduce localised flooding and also help our ambition of being the most environmentally positive borough in the country,” said Cllr Wesley Harcourt.

 

H&F Green Investment will help fund new sustainable drainage initiatives across the borough. Keep an eye out for further updates for precise details of the schemes they will be funding.

 

Hammersmith has been leading the way on sustainable travel and greening its streets. It has already launched its first cycle storage hub, which provides safe and secure shelter for 80+ bikes — including cargo bikes — as well as a tool station to take care of quick fixes and flat tyres.

 

“A lot of people from south of the river are now cycling to Hammersmith for their onward-journey — to get to the tube, or to get onto a bus at the bus station,” said Hammersmith resident Leo Murray.

 

“This facility is exactly what is needed to make those kinds of trips possible.”

Watch the Hammersmith cycle hub video: https://youtu.be/jqHKa_Wa29M 

 

They are also seeking to create more pedestrian friendly streets, such as the new project which involved adapting the pedestrianised section of Stevenage Road beside Rowberry Mead.

 

Work included the installation of an eco-friendly permeable hard surfacing of the carriageway, that is made up of 25 per cent recycled rubber from old tyres. Raingardens have also been created in between the existing trees to help slow the flow of rainwater into the sewer system, reducing flash floods during downpours. The raingardens have been filled with of perennial plants which will help to create a green corridor that makes the road look more pleasant and attracts wildlife, as well as helping with the drainage.

 

The first phase of H&F Green Investment will help fund further cycle hubs and street greening, and other projects will be included in later raises.

 

 

Capital at risk. Investments are long term and may not be readily realisable. This content has been approved as a Financial Promotion by Abundance who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (525432).