How a clean heat transition could be delivered – Exploring the market opportunity for Plymouth’s supply chain
Think tank: Nesta
Author(s): Various authors
March 17, 2026
This report from UK think tank Nesta examines how a clean heat transition could be delivered.
This draft plan, developed collaboratively by Nesta and Plymouth City Council, outlines a strategic approach to transitioning over 7,500 properties in Stoke ward from fossil fuels to clean, electrified heat.
Local authorities often face a delivery gap between strategic plans and the actual installation of low-carbon heating. To address this, we partnered with Plymouth City Council to develop a localised, area-based clean heat planning approach.
Focused on a complex-to-decarbonise urban ward, the project output was a clean heat plan shaped by the local stakeholders, the supply chain, and residents. The result is a draft plan for the Ward of Stoke in Plymouth, assigning suitable technology to groups of properties and surfacing opportunity areas, a pipeline of prospective projects.
This work is accompanied by a playbook featuring plan templates, household communication guides, and a prototype digital automation tool. It offers a scalable, actionable framework for policymakers and communities to accelerate the transition to clean heat.
