British – Irish Council Visit to Edinburgh

Participants visiting the Energy Training Academy in Scotland

From 14th to 16th May, the British-Irish Council hosted a Social Inclusion Symposium in Edinburgh with the support of all devolved administrations. Titled ‘Empowering Sustainability: The Role of Social Enterprises in Shaping a Greener Future’, the event highlighted innovative approaches to social enterprise, co-operatives, and community-led energy projects across the UK and Ireland. The two-day visit included case studies on training facilities focusing on renewable energy technologies such as heat pumps and solar panels (see photo), as well as Changeworks www.changeworks.org.uk , a leading enterprise addressing energy inefficiency in housing by retrofitting thousands of homes annually while leveraging public and private investment.

Tiziana O’Hara represented Drumlin Wind Energy Co-op and the emerging coalition on community energy in Northern Ireland at the event, emphasizing the importance of co-operatives in driving sustainable change. Co-operatives are not just businesses: they build communities on shared values and democratic ownership. By supporting co-operatives and community-led initiatives in community energy, we create resilient economies that prioritize people and the planet.

It was evident that the Scottish Government continues to champion community energy initiatives, providing funding and policy support to enable local ownership of renewable projects and expand the reach of shared energy models. It was also inspiring to learn from so many organizations and engage in conversation with representatives of the Department for the Economy, including Elaine Colgan, Head of Social Enterprise, and Angela Davies, Special Advisor to Co-operatives, as well as our colleagues in the social economy sector about what we all can do to achieve a net zero economy in Northern Ireland.

The symposium underscored the power of cooperatives and social enterprises to scale sustainability efforts and highlighted how well-positioned we are to help achieve a greener future.