South Manchester Carbon Co-operative

The Carbon Co-op is an URBED Co-op initiative, managed by Jonathan Atkinson of Low Winter Sun, aimed at setting up bulk buying co-operatives to help make low carbon technologies more affordable and simpler for people to buy: Clubbing together as streets and communities people will be able to buy energy saving goods at a discount, everything from energy monitors to solar panels, helping them save money on energy bills and do their bit for the environment.

The Kindling Trust has been working with the Co-op to run a series of carbon budgeting workshops in homes and streets around South Manchester. Using social networks, the Co-op target groups of friends and neighbours to help them work out what they are spending on energy in their homes and how they might reduce that figure. The Co-op looks at ways neighbours might work together to instigate larger projects such as community-owned solar panels or Combined Heat & Power units.

Most recently Kindling's been writing the 'Carbon Coop Manual' for the project being run in Moss Side.