just zilch

Community Decarbonisation Fund

Register your interest

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Is my project eligible? Register your interest Decarbonisation Fund projects

Looking to reduce carbon emissions within your community?

We’re taking our role in helping Aotearoa reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 seriously. We want to accelerate decarbonisation across the nation and to help others do the same. We’re thrilled to introduce our Community Decarbonisation Fund – specifically designed to take the net proceeds from our Certified Renewable Energy product and reinvest them into community group decarbonisation projects across the country. 

We realise that prioritising decarbonisation is hard for community groups. But we also know that sustainability is a focus for more and more organisations every day. Whether it's by helping upgrade your community cars to electric vehicles or installing solar panels to generate renewable energy, Meridian wants to help you achieve a brighter and more sustainable future. 

Powering change transcript

Initially, us trying to find funding was really quite tricky.

Well, we want to be an eco sanctuary, and part of that is trying to be more sustainable, getting rid of fuel vehicles, getting rid of fuel tools.

Our old diesel pump was consuming a lot of fuel and producing a lot of carbon.

Our power bill is kind of astonishing.

It's one of, obviously, the biggest monthly regular costs.

So we applied for the Meridian Community Decarbonisation Fund, which will be a real game changer for the nursery.

The funding that we've received is allowing us to put solar panels on our roof. We will save over $6,000 just in the first year.

We've reduced our carbon output by five tons a year.

It's awesome that the Certified Renewable Energy product is able to fund the power tools that we did get.

Every step that you can take where you can decarbonize or move to off-grid solutions is definitely helping.

Some of our funded projects

  • good neighbour

    Good Neighbour Aotearoa

    Good Neighbour aims to bring the word 'neighbour' back to the Bay of Plenty. Its six departments cover food rescue, neighbourhood projects, community gardens, firewood, a community kitchen and a care team that helps people not just survive, but thrive.

    Learn more
  • just zilch

    Just Zilch

    Founded in 2011 in Palmerston North, Just Zilch is New Zealand's longest-running free store. The principle is simple: anyone who comes through the door is welcome to take what they need, no questions asked. 

    Learn more
  • 027A3785 Edit 2 1

    The Graveyard Shift

    The Graveyard Shift is a volunteer-led community group dedicated to reclaiming graves that would otherwise be lost to overgrowth. Each month, volunteers of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds gather at Taitā Cemetery and St John's Upper Hutt to clear weeds, uncover headstones, and recover what time has almost taken: names, dates, memories. 

    Learn more

Is my project eligible?

To be eligible for funding, a decarbonisation community-based project will need to:

  • Be an electrification project (converting something to the use of electricity - such as an EV or converting a diesel boiler to electricity) or create new renewable generation (such as solar panels), or result in a reduction of greenhouse emissions;

  • Be a project that either wouldn’t have happened or will happen sooner because of this funding;

  • Contribute directly to communities in Aotearoa.

Key selection criteria includes:

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Contribute directly to the community

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Generate benefits that do not currently exist

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Contribute long-term solutions to issues

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Foster the development of skills and capacity

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Demonstrate the ability to make effective use of the funds

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Have performance measures that focus on outcomes

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Provide promotional opportunities

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Use the fund to attract additional funding for the project

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Demonstrate a sustainable future for the project beyond the support of the fund.

Some tips on what you'll need to apply:

EV Projects

  • Details (including a quote) of the vehicle intending to purchase,
  • Details of the vehicle replaced,
  • Estimate of usage (km's travelled per week/month/year).

Electrification projects

  • Confirmation of fuel displaced (natural gas, diesel),
  • Type of device installed (make, model and specs),
  • Details of usage (what it used for and how often e.g. hours per week/month/year).

Solar projects

  • Install price (quote), technical documents providing the location, capacity and energy output.

If you have more than one project you would like funded (e.g. solar panels and an EV), submit one application per project.

Applications are now closed

But you can still register your interest for the next funding round below:

Community Decarbonisation Fund projects

Need some more inspiration? Check out some of the projects we've funded to date.

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Heating up for water safety in Glenavy

Meridian’s Community Decarbonisation Fund helped Glenavy Community Pool Trust by funding solar panels and a heat pump to warm the pool, in the hope of encouraging local school students to swim.

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Rolling into a greener future at Hōhepa

Meridian’s Community Decarbonisation Fund helped Hōhepa Wellington, a charity providing 24/7 individualised support for people with intellectual disabilities, to purchase an EV van for its residents.

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Powering Canterbury’s youth with solar

Meridian’s Community Decarbonisation Fund helped The Youth Hub Trust in Canterbury install a solar system to save on costs and make the hub even more sustainable.

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Revving up for cleaner streams in Ōtara

Meridian’s Community Decarbonisation Fund helped Ōtara Waterways and Lake Trust in Auckland to purchase an electric ute. This powerful eco-friendly vehicle will support the trust’s restoration projects while reducing emissions.

Read more