Decarbonising Bristol’s economy could trigger business worth £9.2bn for local firms – bringing one of the biggest opportunities to the city since the arrival of the railways nearly 200 years ago.
The phenomenal figure is being highlighted by Business West, the region’s largest business group, and Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees to illustrate the value to the city of achieving Net Zero. 
Business West executive director James Durie, pictured, described the process as a win, win, win situation for businesses of all sizes as the city’s economy transitioned to a new way of working.
The call comes ahead of the COP26 meeting of world leaders in Glasgow, at which Mayor Rees will speak about the role cities like Bristol can play in bringing about the huger change needed to avert a full-scale climate emergency.
On his return the mayor will speak at a regional COP26 Green Zone event called The Business of Net Zero.
Mr Durie said: “Everything we do in business is going to be different, and over the next 10 to 20 years we are going to revolutionise the way our economy works through climate change.
“I think that Net Zero is a win, win, win situation for all our businesses large and small but that we must all help locally based companies and employers of all types and sizes to move towards and achieve it.
“We believe there is something like a £9.2bn total business opportunity created by climate change for our companies. It presents us with one of the biggest opportunities since the coming of the railways.”
Mayor Rees added: “We’d like business to come to the regional Green Zone event and tell us what they are doing to get to Net Zero.
“Bristol’s climate strategy established a framework for how the city will become carbon neutral by 2030, based around 10 themes, including the role businesses must play in achieving the city’s goals. 
“Those objectives are for all businesses and organisations in Bristol to aim for Net Zero by 2030, and for Bristol to build on its leadership position, attracting businesses at the forefront of the green industrial revolution, developing an innovation cluster and providing access to these jobs to a diverse group of citizens.
“One of the themes I will be talking about at COP26 in Glasgow will be how to mobilise public and private finance flows at scale. In the absence of adequate government funding, we need to make a start and get things done.”
The Business of Net Zero is hosted by Bristol City Council, Bristol One City Office, West of England Combined Authority, the Future Leap Network with Business West in partnership with Business in the Community, SevernNet and Action Net Zero.
Business West, which runs Bristol Chamber of Commerce, and Bristol City Council have both set targets to become net zero by 2030.
The Business of Net Zero takes place on Thursday November 4 at the regional Green Zone event at We the Curious on the Harbourside.
Companies can attend free of charge either in person or at We the Curious or virtually online.
To register, go to: https://brightelm.eventsair.com/the-business-of-net-zero/registration/Site/Register
