The Low Carbon Acceleration fund was established to accelerate progress towards the citywide emissions reduction. It’s designed to help speed up the decarbonisation journey of businesses, trusts and other legal entities in Te Awa Kairangi Ki Tai Lower Hutt.
The successful applicants for 2025 have received 50% funding support for solar, removal of gas reliant heaters and an electric vehicle:
- Wildfinder Ltd: For an electric vehicle to reduce the transport emissions from the business and help its customers not only enjoy a low emissions experience while out exploring nature but also while being transported there.
- Rudolf Steiner School Trust: To electrify their building heating by removing gas powered heaters and hot water and replacing with energy efficient heat pumps and a hot water cylinder. The school is working on reducing its emissions to lighten the footprint of its students’ education.
- Wesley Wellington Mission – Rātā Village: To install a large-scale solar array on the roof of a building being converted for social housing. This will reduce energy emissions for the building while also reducing power and heating costs for residents.
If you’re involved in a legal entity looking to reduce carbon emissions in Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt, applications for round #3 will open in early 2026. See below for everything you need to know to prepare your application.
Hutt City Council has a goal of a 50% emissions reduction by 2030 and the city becoming net zero by 2050. Council earns carbon credits under the Emissions Trading Scheme for forests in some of its reserves. The units can be sold and the revenue can be used to invest in carbon reduction opportunities.
To ensure that the Low Carbon Acceleration Fund is cost-neutral to Council, the financial envelope of the Low Carbon Acceleration Fund for each round is based on the number of credits earned in the previous year.
You must:
- Be a legal entity. This could be a business, club, trust or other legal entity
- Have a project that reduces emissions
- Propose a Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt-based project that would result in a permanent emissions-reduction
Applications for Round #3 will open in early 2026. The application form, detailed criteria and guidance will be available here. If you have any questions or wish to be notified when applications open, please email LCAfund@huttcity.govt.nz
A maximum of $40,000 of 50% co-funding will be available per applicant, noting this is a competitive fund so it is possible not all projects will receive funding.
- Projects involving the displacement of one fossil fuel by another, or those focused on transitional technologies (e.g. hybrid vehicles)
- Research and development, or the implementation of technologies or infrastructure that are not yet commercially available (as EECA has a Technology Demonstration Fund for this purpose)
- Projects involving the installation of insulation or heaters in private homes (as relevant support is available through EECA’s Warmer Kiwi Homes programme)
- Projects that already receive funding for the same purpose from another public investment fund
Hutt City Council also runs a Community Climate Action fund. This table shows some of the similarities and differences between the two funds.
| Low Carbon Acceleration Fund | Community Climate Action Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Funding dates | Once a year between 28 Feb - 31 March 2025 | Between 10 Feb -17 March 2025 |
| Funding amount | Up to $40,000.00 of co-founding, meaning applicants need to match funded amount by putting in at least 50% of the cost of a project | Applicants can use short-form application projects under $10,000.00. If applying for more, then applicants must be a legal entity and fill in a more comprehensive application form. Applicants can receive 100% funding for projects. |
| Key eligibility criteria |
- Must reduce emissions. - Must be a legal entity. - Must be able to provide 50% of funding. - Must happen in Lower Hutt. |
- Must reduce emissions or waste. - Applicants wanting more than $10,000 must be a legal entity. - Must be community-led. |
| Where does the funding come from? | Funding comes from the sale of carbon credits from native forests the council owns. The funding envelope changes each year depending on forest growth and carbon price. | Funding has been redirected from the Local Projects and Community Engagement Funds. |
Video description: Webinar Low Carbon Acceleration fund explainer
Successful applicants from round one were:
- He Puāwai Trust - for an electric van to transport locally produced food across the city - this will replace the use of a diesel ute for deliveries.
- Rudolf Steiner School Trust - for the replacement of single glazing with double glazing to reduce their requirements for heating.
- Wesley (Wellington Misson Incorporated) Rātā Village in Naenae - for replacing a petrol vehicle with an electric vehicle for their staff and residents to use.
- Y Central - for installation of LED lighting in their managed accommodation facilities.
- Youth Inspire - for the purchase of an electric vehicle to provide free driving lessons to rangatahi as part of their programme of helping youth access employment opportunities.
More information
In the 2021/22 financial year, Lower Hutt emissions were reported to be 475,520 tCO2-e, with transport emissions making up half of this and stationary energy making up another 30%. While the Council is working hard on reducing its own emissions it also wants to support those across the city to make reductions.
