2,077 local green jobs created in London through public and private sector partnership
Sustainable Ventures has created and safeguarded 2,077 jobs in London through a ground breaking partnership between the GLA and LB of Lambeth. The project over 6 years generated over £323 million investment across 400 sustainable businesses, with up to £1.45 million raised by one company. The project highlights the potential for similar partnerships that could take place across the UK supporting council and city authorities in their green growth strategies.
Through the Mayor of London Green New Deal Fund, European Regional Development Funds and UK Shared Prosperity Funds, Sustainable Ventures provided pan-London businesses with access to investment and funding to fuel growth, expert advice to tackle critical business challenges, and introductions to key ecosystem partners to accelerate market deployment. Sustainable Ventures package of work with businesses included developing initial business plans, supporting technological innovation, through to scaling market expansion strategies.
Sustainable Ventures is working with numerous boroughs and cities across the UK to provide business advisory support helping to grow and accelerate climate tech start ups. These have included Glasgow and Liverpool launching bespoke accelerator programmes, alongside programmes in Wandsworth and Richmond.
One of the organisation’s most significant work programmes received £1.45 million of funding from the the Future Workspace Fund, alongside a £3.3 million loan from Big Issue Invest which allowed Sustainable Ventures to create its London HQ. Based in County Hall, the iconic ex GLC building on the Thames, lies the breathtaking 40,000+ sq ft workspace which supports over 160 climate-focused organisations. It became the first of a series of hubs that Sustainable Ventures is developing across the UK to support climate tech and sustainable businesses.
A further £0.5million in funding from the Lambeth Economic Resilience Fund enabled Sustainable Ventures to launch a post-covid two-and-a-half-year programme designed to help all Lambeth’s businesses across the borough with their net zero strategies from large corporates to small high street shops. Over 153 companies based in Lambeth benefited from the partnership, generating local jobs and investment into the borough. The programme delivered increased jobs, with 60% of the 50 climate tech startups participating reporting an increase in employee counts with a 58% diversity rate. 82% of companies successfully raised investments or grants following the support, and the programme delivered a 93% survival rate.
50 climate startups and scaleups in Lambeth achieved critical growth milestones with tailored one-to-one business support and mentoring
89 Lambeth SMEs were given Net Zero training, equipping them with the tools and knowledge to develop their own Net Zero strategies
13 partnerships created between established organisations in Lambeth and climate-focused startups, which delivered innovative solutions to pressing sustainability challenges
Cllr Claire Holland, Leader of Lambeth Council:
“We know climate change disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable in our society. Since Lambeth became the first council to declare a climate emergency, we have put climate justice at the heart of our response. Through our work with Sustainable Ventures, Europe’s leading climate tech hub, we have demonstrated how addressing the climate emergency goes hand in hand with more green jobs for our residents and growth for local businesses. This partnership is a blueprint that can be replicated across the UK and shows how the public and private sector can work together to face the challenges of the future and solve the climate crisis.”
Cllr Claire Holland, Leader of Lambeth Council, in conversation with Sustainable Ventures CEO and Co-Founder Andrew Wordsworth
Mete Coban MBE, Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, said “Sustainable Ventures has built on the great support for Climate Tech it provided through the Mayor's Better Futures project since 2017. Through their gold standard support for innovation, they have safeguarded and created the green jobs and skills of the future and helped to grow the green economy for all Londoners.”
Andrew Wordsworth, co-Founder and Managing Partner, Sustainable Ventures, said: “We worked closely with Lambeth council to make this happen. Our business support and advice services helped build economic resilience and growth for businesses based in Lambeth. By helping businesses based in Lambeth develop their net zero strategies we in turn, improve the local environment, by delivering affordable warmth, local jobs, improving local air quality, and delivering carbon reductions, together with economic growth. We are now taking this success story with the GLA and Lambeth and adapt this to other areas across the UK.”
The range of businesses supported is diverse: from a circular economy hub in Camberwell, to an air quality tracking app in Brixton, and commercial solar infrastructure and storage in Waterloo. Key examples of success include:
Food waste reduction - In March 2024, as part of the Sustainable Ventures Net Zero Lambeth Challenge, Limetrack partnered with etc.venues (now Convene). The first SMART bin was introduced followed by seven additional London venues, with three more planned across the UK. To date, Limetrack SMART bins have measured, categorised and analysed 33,281 kg of food waste to help Convene meet their food waste reduction target.
Air pollution - Lambeth based Air Aware Labs is on a mission to personalise air quality for everyone and make it more easily accessible to runners, cyclists or anyone who wants to reduce their exposure to pollution outdoors. They participated in Sustainable Ventures Business Support Programme and since then they have raised £300k investment and doubled their team size from 2 to 5.
Saving energy - As part of its Innovation Challenge work Sustainable Ventures brought together Window Insulation, who provide window & glazing refurbishment solutions to reduce energy loss, with Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation co-working space the Health Foundry. The project led to significant energy savings both across summer & winter.
Reducing local businesses carbon footprint - Sustainable Ventures Net Zero programme worked with Fit to Last who offer high-end, all-inclusive fitness solutions in Clapham; from personal nutrition to fitness coaching. Ali Page, Studio Owner, Fit to Last, said: “Thank you toSustainable Ventures and London Borough of Lambeth for your support and guidance with analysing our impact on the environment and identifying some areas where we can make an immediate impact. With valuable assistance, we've implemented policies and gained knowledge and tools to continue to assess where we can take further action to reduce our carbon footprint.
Reducing waste - PropUp Project is a not for profit organisation based in Lambeth set up to help the TV and film industry deal with their prop and set waste in the most sustainable and socially responsible way. They worked with Sustainable Ventures via Lambeth Design Vouchers, who helped them develop an existing tech idea, introduce new products and services, new business plan and improve processes and management practices, including sales and marketing. Emma Chaplin said: "We had a great time working with Sustainable Ventures. The team was brilliant - supportive, collaborative and incredibly knowledgeable. They really understood our brand and vision and helped us bring it to life. I really hope to work with them again in the future.”
