The Mayor Who Cut Carbon, Cut Bills, and Cut a Billion-Pound Deal
As mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees helped launch a billion-pound public-private partnership to decarbonize his city, one of the most ambitious deals of its kind anywhere in the world.
This wasn’t just about climate targets. It was about results: cutting emissions, cutting energy bills, creating jobs, and improving housing — all while building a long-term investment model that gave private partners confidence and gave residents real benefits they could feel.
When Marvin started, the city had no budget, limited staff, and a local government still reeling from years of austerity. So he got creative. He turned Bristol’s public assets into a platform for investment and built the capacity to get a 20-year deal signed, funded, and delivered.
Now, Marvin is helping cities around the world do the same through a new global commission to mobilize climate finance for urban action; the SDSN Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance.
Supercool is collaborating with the Commission’s Secretariat, hosted at the University of Pennsylvania, to conduct a series of episodes with global mayors at the forefront of this movement.
Show Notes
Guest: Marvin Rees
Organization: Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom, former Mayor of Bristol, and Distinguished Visiting Fellow (2024–2025 Academic Year, Perry Ward House at University of Pennsylvania)
For more Supercool climate solutions that cut carbon, improve modern life, and shape the new low carbon economy, subscribe to the podcast plus our:
This wasn’t just about climate targets. It was about results: cutting emissions, cutting energy bills, creating jobs, and improving housing — all while building a long-term investment model that gave private partners confidence and gave residents real benefits they could feel.
When Marvin started, the city had no budget, limited staff, and a local government still reeling from years of austerity. So he got creative. He turned Bristol’s public assets into a platform for investment and built the capacity to get a 20-year deal signed, funded, and delivered.
Now, Marvin is helping cities around the world do the same through a new global commission to mobilize climate finance for urban action; the SDSN Global Commission for Urban SDG Finance.
Supercool is collaborating with the Commission’s Secretariat, hosted at the University of Pennsylvania, to conduct a series of episodes with global mayors at the forefront of this movement.
Show Notes
Guest: Marvin Rees
Organization: Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom, former Mayor of Bristol, and Distinguished Visiting Fellow (2024–2025 Academic Year, Perry Ward House at University of Pennsylvania)
For more Supercool climate solutions that cut carbon, improve modern life, and shape the new low carbon economy, subscribe to the podcast plus our: