Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has described the GMCA’s new five-year decarbonisation plan, unveiled at the annual Green Summit, as “a bold and ambitious blueprint for ensuring everyone in the region has a healthy, low-carbon, nature-rich environment in which to live well while also supporting growth.”
That’s music to the ears of 27-year-old Manchester resident and SSE Energy Solutions employee Chantal Adams, who is proud to play her part in the city's decarbonisation drive.
A proud Mancunian, she said: “The real appeal of the job was feeling I could make a difference to the place I come from. I hope that one day I'll work on a project that I'll be able to say to future generations, my own kids and grandkids, that I worked on that.
“It was nice for me to be able to go into a job that was actually related to my degree because we studied renewables, and I always found it really interesting.
“When this job came up in Manchester, I thought, 'Oh, that's brilliant. I've got all of the experience they’re looking for. I know Manchester and I have all the local connections and know-how.'
“I wanted to do more than just recycling at home or putting on a colder wash. It’s generally accepted that the infrastructure needs to improve before we can fully transition to net zero, so I wanted to do something that paves the way and makes it easier for everyone to do more.
"I hope we grow so big here that we need lots more resources and create lots more local jobs.”
Having a positive impact
As the business development manager for Manchester at SSE Energy Solutions, Chantal has been working with local schools and charities to encourage more people to consider a career in sustainable energy.
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“We’ve also been working closely with the Blair project, a social enterprise in Manchester that provides opportunities for marginalised young people to develop green skills. It’s a part of the role I really enjoy because it's good to give back.”
It’s not the only way Chantal gives back. As a communications volunteer and matchday announcer for FC United of Manchester, her weekends are all about football.
“I think it's difficult sometimes trying to access a community when you represent a big corporation, but when you’re local, you understand the people and their challenges.”
Chantal embodies SSE’s commitment to communities, believing that it’s important that local challenges are met with locally devised solutions, and taking the community with them on the journey to net zero.
SSE’s director of regions and social value, Nehal Mehta, said: “We have long believed that working with communities is the best way forward and have developed a strong relationship with GMCA, precisely because they share that vision.
"Their new five-year plan is ambitious and our continued sponsorship of the 2024 Green Summit demonstrates our commitment to working with them to achieve their targets and drive low carbon investment, local supply chains, skills and jobs in the region.”