Building on our recent publication The Art of the Possible: Unlocking the Potential of Community-Based Finance, this webinar explores the latest developments in Community Municipal Investments (CMIs) – a promising yet underutilised tool for local authorities to raise capital from their communities, alongside other investors.

Our research and member insights have highlighted both the opportunities and limitations of CMIs when deployed alone. In this session, we will share updates on the current state of the CMI market and introduce an exciting new model: aligning CMIs with mission-driven institutional investors to invest alongside retail investors to scale impact.

Participants will learn how this approach can help local authorities leverage community engagement to attract potentially significant private finance, accelerating the delivery of impactful Net Zero infrastructure and projects. We’ll also discuss the financial innovation, partnership building, and cross-sector collaboration required to unlock this potential – and how Connected Places Catapult and 3Ci are leading this work.

** Priority will be given to applicants from local authorities and financial institutions **

Meet the speakers

Joshua Meek, Chief Impact Officer, Unity Trust Bank

Josh has 10+ years of experience in impact investing, climate economics, and social cost-benefit analysis. He specializes in capacity building for organisations in the impact economy and focuses on supporting organisations to achieve their goals while delivering positive impact.

Within Unity, Joshua co-leads Unity’s market engagement for Green Municipal Investments and leads Unity’s strategy to achieve Net Zero by 2045 with a focus on delivering an inclusive transition with customers. Before joining Unity, he was Head of Impact at Big Issue Invest, leading impact management for both the investment arm and the Big Issue magazine.

Miles Ashton, Associate Director, Green Finance Institute

Miles is the GFI’s Associate Director for Local Green Investment and leads the GFI’s Local Climate Bond campaign. The campaign supports local authorities in exploring innovative financing mechanisms to fund their climate action plans.

Prior to joining the Institute, Miles worked at ABN Amro Bank, in the Netherlands, where he specialised in the design and delivery of blended finance programmes that promoted social and environmental impact in developing countries. Miles holds a MSc in Finance from the University of Amsterdam and a BEng in Civil Engineering from the University of Bristol.

Zoe Jennings, Head of Funding, Procurement and Investment, Connected Places Catapult

Zoe has over 25 years of experience working and leading strategic energy and climate change programmes, in both the public and private sectors.

At Connected Places Catapult, she is responsible for 3Ci's pioneering programmes Including the National Net Zero Project Pipeline, the Investible Cities Technical Assistance Facility, Regional Investment Net Zero Forums, and Innovative Models Programme delivering knowledge transfer between local authorities and investors. She works at the interface between local government and business, seeking to leverage the combined scale of cities to mobilise finance and drive investment into low and net zero carbon projects across UK’s cities.

Paulius Mackela, Senior Consultant, Sustainable Investment, Connected Places Catapult

With experience spanning private investment, academia, and city government, Paulius works at the intersection of sustainability, finance, and urban development, with a particular focus on the role of cities in driving climate solutions. He is a Chartered Green and Sustainable Finance Professional (GSFP) and a Member of the Chartered Banker Institute.

Over the past four years, Paulius has led key workstreams within the Cities Commission for Climate Investment (3Ci) - a national partnership helping local authorities unlock private finance for Net Zero delivery. He develops financing frameworks and investment pipelines that connect place-based projects with capital, enabling cities and regions to scale their decarbonisation ambitions while strengthening private market confidence.