MORE than £1 million in grants has been channelled to companies in the past year in a bid to build a lower carbon economy in the Solent region.

The funding, which supports more than 80 jobs, has been enabled through Future Solent, a partnership of business leaders, local authorities and green technology experts keen to stimulate sustainable growth while reducing our carbon footprint.

Details of the partnership’s Green Growth fund and the opportunities it is creating for business will be a key subject under discussion at the Future Solent annual conference next month.

The event comes exactly a year after the Department for Business Innovation and Skills awarded a funding package to stimulate investment in small businesses developing low carbon technologies, jobs and skills.

The award was announced by Business Secretary Vince Cable on a visit to Future Solent’s 2013 conference.

Future Solent chairman Jimmy Chestnutt said: “This year’s conference will showcase the various projects that the funding has been committed to and the jobs and skills being created.

“A positive and exciting low carbon story is emerging in our region which is indicative of what can be achieved with suitable support.

“Our conference will offer a unique chance for Solent businesses, academics and the public sector to network and feedback to their own organisations on the green initiatives going on.”

Board members of Future Solent include representatives from Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, the universities of Southampton and Portsmouth, Solent Local Enterprise Partnership, and PUSH, the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire.

Conference sponsors are Scottish and Southern Energy and Southern Water. Alongside the conference will be an exhibit of green technology.

The event is at Action Stations in Portsmouth Dockyard on November 7. Details at futuresolent.org.uk/conference.