Whitehouse Communications delivered a stakeholder engagement campaign for Exeter City Futures, an independent community interest project working to help Exeter realise opportunities for better energy efficiency, lower carbon emissions, energy independence and regional economic development. With Whitehouse’s support, the project secured funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and Exeter City Council formally committed to becoming a carbon neutral city by 2030.
The challenge
Exeter City Futures is an independent community interest project working to help Exeter realise opportunities for better energy efficiency, lower the city’s carbon emissions, support energy independence and support economic development in the region. It brings together Exeter’s businesses, individuals, communities and leaders to provide the coordination and focus needed to deliver the city’s carbon ambitions.
Delivering on those ambitions required both stakeholder buy-in across Exeter itself and access to the national funding, endorsement and policy support that could give the project the resources and credibility to translate ambition into commitment. Exeter City Futures appointed Whitehouse Communications to build that support base, from local citizens and business leaders through to regional and national decision-makers.
Our approach
Whitehouse Communications worked with Exeter City Futures to build support across three concentric audiences: Exeter itself, the wider region, and the national policymakers and funders whose backing was needed to turn the project’s ambitions into concrete commitments.
The work focused on:
- Promoting awareness of Exeter City Futures’ energy efficiency and carbon reduction objectives among local, regional and national stakeholders, from Exeter’s own businesses, individuals and community groups through to policymakers with a stake in Exeter’s future.
- Building the case for national funding and endorsement of the project, positioning Exeter City Futures as a credible community-led vehicle for delivering on the UK’s decarbonisation and regional economic development priorities.
- Organising a series of briefing opportunities to bring key decision-makers on board, giving Exeter City Futures direct access to the officials, funders and political sponsors whose support was needed to secure resources and formal commitments.
The outcome
With Whitehouse Communications’ support, the Exeter City Futures project secured funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and Exeter City Council formally committed to becoming a carbon neutral city by 2030.
The campaign moved the ambitions of a community interest project into concrete institutional commitment, giving Exeter a funded and politically-backed pathway to city-wide decarbonisation and positioning the city as an example of community-led urban sustainability.
