Oxfordshire residents can invest in council's green plans

The council is working to become a net zero organisation by 2030 and to help the whole county achieve this status by 2050.

To help meet these targets, it is launching the first round of the Oxfordshire Green Investment.

This will allow residents and businesses to invest in their community's greener future.

The council hopes to raise an initial £500,000 through this scheme.

The funds will be spent on a range of energy efficiency improvements to council-owned buildings, such as fire stations and care homes, as well as a large-scale tree planting programme.

The council said it sees this as a "great opportunity" to involve the public in its net zero ambitions.

This type of investment, also known as a community municipal investment, offers a "low-risk" return of 4.4 per cent per year.

This rate is fixed for the full five-year investment term, with a minimum investment of just £5.

Councillor Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for finance, said: "The council wants to lead the way by reaching net zero significantly ahead of the national 2050 target, and wants to inspire local residents and businesses to join it along the way.

Councillor Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for finance (Image: West Oxfordshire District Council) "This scheme is a chance for people to get involved and help fund the council’s exciting plans.

"Initially, we want to raise £500,000 to support a variety of green measures to decarbonise council owned buildings, help create cleaner air, and improve local biodiversity for the county as a whole."

Councillor Pete Sudbury, deputy leader of the council with responsibility for climate change, environment and future generations, added: "It's great to be able to offer residents of this county an investment designed for a decent return, with a direct impact on improving their local environment and services."

Councillor Pete Sudbury, deputy leader of Oxfordshire County Council (Image: Oxfordshire County Council) The investment process is managed by Abundance Investment, a leading platform for ethical and sustainable investments.

This initiative is entirely separate from the council’s budget process for 2025/26 and beyond.

It comes after the county council launched its Climate Action Framework in 2020, which set out how it wants to cut its own emissions and transform into an organisation that can play its part in Oxfordshire’s green transition.

The council said investments are long-term and may be hard to sell. It added council investments are not a savings account and people who invest are lending money to a council.

Changes in market interest rates may affect the value of the investment if people sell before maturity.