UK public backs Warrington’s green vision with £1m investment

Leader of Warrington appeals to government to work closely with council on coronavirus response

Warrington Borough Council’s local government green bond has closed after reaching its £1 million target.

The Community Municipal Investment (CMI) attracted over 500 investors from across the UK, with an average investment of almost £2,000 each.

The innovative CMI structure was developed by ethical investment platform Abundance to offer an accessible, low-risk way for people to back councils in the UK leading the fight against climate change. 

The CMI will help fund a multi-million pound innovative solar and battery storage project near Cirencester. The electricity and revenues generated by the solar panels will be used to accelerate other green projects on behalf of Warrington’s community as part of its Green Energy Strategy.  These include reducing fuel poverty and energy self-sufficiency, helping save taxpayers’ money and supporting the council with delivering front-line services.

Warrington is leading other local authorities in taking climate action and aims to become the UK’s first carbon neutral town, with a Net Zero target of 2030. It has already reduced its carbon footprint by 50% since 2009.

Cllr Russ Bowden, Leader of Warrington Borough Council, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that our first ever Community Municipal Investment has been such a success, generating a huge amount of interest and attracting hundreds of investors from Warrington and across the country.

“Reaching our £1m investment target is a fantastic achievement, particularly in such challenging times. It shows that tackling the climate emergency is something that people really care about. 

“It’s so important that the public is engaged in our carbon neutral ambitions and this project is an important part of that work. Its success bodes really well for our green future.”

Bruce Davis, co-founder and Managing Director, Abundance Investment, said: “Warrington was particularly hard hit by Covid during this investment offer, so the success of its green bond is a testament to the town’s green vision which has inspired investors across the UK. This is clear proof that ordinary people want the recovery from the pandemic to be led by the green economy, and they are prepared to put their money where their mouth is.”

The success of Warrington’s CMI follows hard on the heels of West Berkshire District Council, which also raised £1 million through the UK’s first ever CMI which closed last month. Abundance has a number of other CMIs from other local authorities in the pipeline expected to launch in 2021.

About Abundance Investment

Abundance is a leading direct investment platform that is putting people in control of their money. People invest in individual projects that generate something good for the environment and society as well as bank-beating returns.

The investor chooses which project or business to invest in from just £5 and benefits from a financial return, while the world benefits from the growth of sustainable businesses.

Since launching in 2012, more than 6,000 people have invested over £100m directly into the projects they support via the Abundance platform, with over £25m returned to investors. In the process, Abundance has achieved a number of firsts. As well as being the world’s first FCA-regulated peer-to-peer investment company, it is also the first investment platform to offer a dedicated peer-to-peer investment SIPP and launched the UK’s first innovative finance ISA for renewable energy investments on November 1st 2016.

Abundance also became a certified B Corps in 2018; these are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.

Abundance and Abundance Investment are trading names of Abundance Investment Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (no. 525432).

Visit abundanceinvestment.com

Follow @AbundanceInv

As with any investment product there are risks. Part or all of your original invested capital may be at risk and any return on your investment depends on the ability of the company or local authority that issued the investment to pay your returns. Investments on Abundance are generally long term and you should be prepared to hold them to maturity.

Abundance investments may not be readily realisable and their value can rise or fall. Some investments may be secured, but this does not guarantee repayment or your return.

 Quoted returns are no guarantee of future returns and past performance is not a guide to future performance. Specific risks will apply in relation to each investment

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