Second round of ambitious Welsh Government green scheme is launched to help tackle climate change
Second round of ambitious Welsh Government green scheme is launched to help tackle climate change
A successful green scheme aimed at further and higher education in Wales has been launched today.
Digarbon, the decarbonisation fund for the tertiary education sector in Wales, is aimed at helping the public sector meet its 2030 net zero ambition.
The scheme is run by the Welsh Government and delivered by our teams at Salix.
The first round of the scheme was launched with Digarbon Guidance Notes in May 2024 and opened to applications in July 2024.
Today, Digarbon Guidance Notes, criteria and other documents have been published for the new round. Please see our website area here to access these documents.
Round two will provide £10m of loan funding to the sector aimed at supporting heat decarbonisation, energy efficiency, renewable, and including electric vehicle and electric vehicle charging infrastructure measures.
Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change, Huw Irranca-Davies said: “This additional £10m of loan funding for the higher and further education sectors will help in our collective response to the climate and nature emergencies.
“Not only will the energy savings produced by these projects help drive forward our decarbonisation ambitions but also reduce costs for the organisations.”
Digarbon is available to existing non-domestic buildings owned by eligible Welsh further and higher education institutions and buildings on long-term leases with at least 10 years remaining can be included.
Salix Chief Executive Kevin Holland said: “The Digarbon loan programme is a huge enabler for the education sector who can now implement further low carbon solutions and reduce heat demand. This is fundamental to delivering our net zero goals.”
Organisations will be able to apply once the application portal opens on Thursday 22 May. The portal will close to applications on Thursday 7 August.
Overall, the scheme is designed to help meet the national target set by the UK government to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions across the UK by 2050.
Kevin added: “We’re on a mission to reduce carbon emissions, working with organisations to make a healthier planet. Climate change is upon us, and we cannot go fast enough, every initiative helps.
“We will achieve this by working together, combining our resources and encouraging governments and businesses, as well as all of us, to take action today.”
The first round of Digarbon received applications for a combined value of £33m exceeding the £20m of funds made available by Welsh Government.
Successful projects under round one included Swansea University, Cardiff University, the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.
This additional £10m of loan funding for the higher and further education sectors will help in our collective response to the climate and nature emergencies.
Not only will the energy savings produced by these projects help drive forward our decarbonisation ambitions but also reduce costs for the organisations.
Our teams at Salix will hold a series of four webinars giving people a chance to ask questions about the new round of Digarbon funding. For further information about these events on 11 April, 28 April, 13 May and 20 May, please see our events area of our website.
For any questions about Digarbon or other Wales programmes, please get in touch with our Wales team at [email protected]
Mae ail rownd cynllun gwyrdd uchelgeisiol Llywodraeth Cymru yn cael ei lansio i helpu i fynd i’r afael â’r newid yn yr hinsawdd
Mae cynllun gwyrdd llwyddiannus sydd wedi’i anelu at addysg bellach ac uwch yng Nghymru wedi’i lansio heddiw.
Nod Digarbon, y gronfa ddatgarboneiddio ar gyfer y sector addysg drydyddol yng Nghymru, yw helpu’r sector cyhoeddus i gyflawni ei uchelgais sero net ar gyfer 2030.
Mae’r cynllun yn cael ei redeg gan Lywodraeth Cymru a’i ddarparu gan ein timau yn Salix.
Lansiwyd rownd gyntaf y cynllun gyda Nodiadau Canllaw Digarbon ym mis Mai 2024 ac agorodd i geisiadau ym mis Gorffennaf 2024.
Heddiw, mae Nodiadau Cyfarwyddyd Digarbon, meini prawf a dogfennau eraill wedi'u cyhoeddi ar gyfer y rownd newydd. Gweler ein gwefan yma i weld y dogfennau hyn.
Bydd rownd dau yn darparu £10m o gyllid benthyciad i’r sector gyda’r nod o gefnogi datgarboneiddio gwres, effeithlonrwydd ynni, ynni adnewyddadwy, gan gynnwys mesurau seilwaith gwefru cerbydau trydan a cherbydau trydan.
Dywedodd Huw Irranca-Davies, y Dirprwy Brif Weinidog sy’n gyfrifol am Newid yn yr Hinsawdd i Llywodraeth Cymru: “Bydd y £10m ychwanegol hwn o gyllid benthyciad ar gyfer y sectorau addysg uwch ac addysg bellach yn helpu yn ein hymateb ar y cyd i’r argyfyngau hinsawdd a natur.
“Nid yn unig y bydd yr arbedion ynni a gynhyrchir gan y prosiectau hyn yn helpu i fwrw ymlaen â’n huchelgeisiau datgarboneiddio ond hefyd yn lleihau costau i’r sefydliadau.”
Mae Digarbon ar gael i adeiladau annomestig presennol sy’n eiddo i sefydliadau addysg bellach ac uwch cymwys yng Nghymru a gellir cynnwys adeiladau ar brydlesi hirdymor gydag o leiaf 10 mlynedd ar weddill.
Dywedodd Prif Weithredwr Salix, Kevin Holland: “Mae rhaglen fenthyciadau Digarbon yn alluogwr enfawr i’r sector addysg sydd bellach yn gallu rhoi atebion carbon isel pellach ar waith a lleihau’r galw am wres. Mae hyn yn hanfodol i gyflawni ein nodau sero net.”
Bydd sefydliadau’n gallu gwneud cais unwaith y bydd y porth ymgeisio yn agor ddydd Iau 22 Mai. Bydd y porth yn cau i geisiadau ddydd Iau 7 Awst.
Yn gyffredinol, mae’r cynllun wedi’i gynllunio i helpu i gyrraedd y targed cenedlaethol a osodwyd gan lywodraeth y DU i gyflawni allyriadau nwyon tŷ gwydr sero net ledled y DU erbyn 2050.
Ychwanegodd Kevin: “Rydym ar genhadaeth i leihau allyriadau carbon, gan weithio gyda sefydliadau i wneud planed iachach. Mae newid hinsawdd ar ein gwarthaf, ac ni allwn fynd yn ddigon cyflym, mae pob menter yn helpu.
“Byddwn yn cyflawni hyn trwy gydweithio, cyfuno ein hadnoddau ac annog llywodraethau a busnesau, yn ogystal â phob un ohonom, i weithredu heddiw.”
Derbyniodd rownd gyntaf Digarbon geisiadau am werth cyfunol o £33m a oedd yn fwy na’r £20m o arian a ddarparwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru.
Roedd prosiectau llwyddiannus o dan rownd un yn cynnwys Prifysgol Abertawe, Prifysgol Caerdydd, Prifysgol Cymru Y Drindod Dewi Sant a Choleg Brenhinol Cerdd a Drama Cymru.
Bydd ein timau yn Salix yn cynnal cyfres o bedair gweminar i roi cyfle i bobl ofyn cwestiynau am y rownd newydd o gyllid Digarbon. I gael rhagor o wybodaeth am y digwyddiadau hyn ar 11 Ebrill, 28 Ebrill, 13 Mai a 20 Mai, gweler ein rhan digwyddiadau ar ein gwefan.
Am unrhyw gwestiynau am Digarbon neu raglenni eraill Cymru, cysylltwch â’n tîm Cymru yn [email protected]
