Highland Council’s Climate and Energy Team has gained national acclaim at the APSE Energy Awards 2026, recognising its leadership in building climate‑ready infrastructure and securing long-term energy investment throughout the Highlands.

Held in Birmingham on 24 February as part of the APSE Big Energy Summit 2026, the awards spotlight the pivotal contribution of local authorities to the UK's energy transition. Highland Council was shortlisted in four categories — Accessing and Managing Finance, Collaborative Working, Decarbonising Transport, and Supporting Innovation — and went on to win the Supporting Innovation Award, sponsored by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

In its citation, APSE highlighted the Council's "pioneering, place-based model for public sector decarbonisation and energy investment combining large-scale renewable generation, energy efficiency, and grid innovation"; particular recognition was given to the emerging Clean Highland Fund, which blends public, private and community finance to keep long-term value within the region.

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The accolade follows the Council's formal approval of the strategic direction set out in the March report 'Climate Change, Energy and Community Resilience'. The new approach shifts from a series of stand‑alone projects to a coordinated, programme‑led model bringing together climate adaptation, the energy transition, infrastructure delivery and community resilience in each place.

Under the approved recommendations, the Council will develop coordinated investment pipelines across energy, infrastructure, housing and resilience; strengthen engagement with government, regulators and investors; embed climate and energy considerations across all Council services; and advance a long-term, sustainable delivery model for net zero and resilience.

Neil Osborne, Highland Council's Climate Change & Energy Manager, said: "Being recognised across all four categories demonstrates the strength of our overall strategic direction. Whether it is finance, collaboration, transport or innovation, the common thread is our move towards a coordinated, place-based approach to delivery.

"With Council now formally endorsing our strategic framework, we are moving at pace from ambition to implementation. This is about creating a long-term, investable pipeline that brings together infrastructure, energy and community resilience in a way that works for the Highlands.

"By taking a programme-led approach, we are not only accelerating progress towards net zero, but ensuring that the economic and social value of the energy transition is captured and retained locally."

A prominent theme at the summit was the rise of portfolio-based delivery for net zero — enabling councils to unlock investment, cut delivery risk and shift from isolated schemes to sustained infrastructure programmes at scale.