07 July 2025
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The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, signed a new collaboration agreement with Daikin to further Daikin’s work in the city-region, building on a long-term relationship to grow the low carbon heating. As part of this collaboration agreement, Daikin was designated the first member and Chair of the newly formed Greater Manchester (GM) Low Carbon Heating Industry Group, in an industry and Combined Authority first.
The signing took place at the UK Pavilion inside World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, marking a proud moment of international cooperation on a global stage. The agreement was signed by Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, Tomoji Miki, Managing Director of Daikin UK and Tsubouchi Toshitaka, President of Daikin Europe.
The collaboration agreement will last for up to five years, following the success of the two year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between GMCA and Daikin, which focused on decarbonisation and the transition to low carbon heating; developing green skills and jobs for Greater Manchester residents; supporting communities through practical action and outreach; and driving innovation and industry leadership in heat pump deployment.
Says Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, “Daikin has played a significant role in our journey to make Greater Manchester a greener, more sustainable place to live. Our partnership has delivered low carbon heating technology through the installation of 1,500 heat pumps, while educating our young people about sustainable technologies and boosting our green skills offering. We’ve already achieved a great deal together, and we’re excited to continue building on that strong foundation. Daikin’s ongoing investment in skills, innovation and low carbon technology is exactly the kind of partnership we need to help drive lasting change in Greater Manchester. We look forward to continuing our work with Daikin as they grow their presence in Greater Manchester".
Under this renewed partnership, Daikin UK will chair Greater Manchester’s Low Carbon Heating Industry Advisory Group, bringing together businesses and policymakers to strengthen collaboration across the region’s green economy, tackle decarbonisation challenges, and help shape Greater Manchester’s journey to net zero.
The GM Low Carbon Heating Industry Group aims to create a joint space for all willing organisations committed to innovating in Greater Manchester and accelerating low carbon heat deployment in the city-region. This will be the first time a group of low carbon heating 'innovators' will work together in this way, focussing on delivering the GM 5-Year Environment Plan target of installing 64,000 low carbon heating systems across Greater Manchester between 2025-2030.
This initiative is part of GMCA’s mission-based approach to delivering carbon neutrality by 2038. Members will be asked to sign a collaboration agreement to work towards this target, demonstrate a willingness to innovate and collaborate on new ideas, and include an individual forward programme of work committed to in the city-region as part of joining the Group. As part of the terms of joining the Group, Daikin has committed to a forward programme of investment, innovation and deployment.
The original 2-year period of the MoU between Daikin and GMCA ran from February 2023 – February 2025. During this time the work delivered nearly £0.5m worth of social value to the city-region. This was achieved through projects focussing on innovative technology deployment, upskilling and retraining, curriculum development, heat pump awareness sessions and supporting the tackling of homelessness. A full summary report of the two year MoU period can be found here.
Says Tomoji Miki, Managing Director, Daikin UK, “The Memorandum of Understanding between Daikin and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority has been a powerful example of what can be achieved through meaningful collaboration and shared ambition. Over the past two years, we’ve not only helped to decarbonise homes and buildings through the deployment of heat pump technology, but we’ve also made real progress in addressing the skills gap that sits at the heart of the net zero transition. By working closely with local authorities, education providers and community partners, we’ve built a strong foundation for lasting change. Looking ahead, Daikin remains deeply committed to Greater Manchester’s 2038 carbon neutrality target, and we are excited to continue supporting the region through innovation, investment, and our shared vision for a low-carbon future.”
The forward plan confirms Daikin’s commitment to GM’s transition to carbon neutrality by 2038, building on the strong foundation established over the past two years. In addition to Chairing the new Industry Group and feeding into the Low Carbon Challenge Group every 6-months, Daikin’s individual programme will include a focus on initiatives to grow the market including:
- Investing in Greater Manchester: New Training Centre Opening in Summer 2025
- Bringing training capacity up from 1,400 people annually to 4,200 through the lease of a second building in Trafford Park
- Train 100 people each year up to 2030 in the LCL L3 Heat Pump course, offering places to individuals who meet the prerequisite qualifications but don’t have the means to fund themselves to do the course.
- Growing numbers of new entrants into the local skills base: Employ 30 apprentices up to 2030 in line with volume of work with GM.
- Finalisation of an official partnership with Bolton College to deliver the apprenticeship
- Deliver ongoing CPD days for colleges across GM following the ‘Train the Green Trainer’ programme to further support tutors in keeping up with advancements in heat pump technology
- Utilise national policy support changes for heat pumps locally, for example the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS)
- Create a first-of-a-kind heat pump leasing offer for Greater Manchester residents, including the option for employee loans, making the most of recent proposed rule changes to the BUS funding which enables leasing models, and avoids the need for upfront costs.
- Explore the potential for air-to-air heat pump deployment in GM once included as an eligible measure under BUS
- Consider the implications of the Clean Heat Market Mechanism for GM deployment of heat pumps
- Raising awareness: Continue to deliver the heat pump awareness sessions during installation programmes for Local Authorities or social housing landlords.
- Tackling homelessness: Deliver plans in place for supporting the Embassy Village project
- Oversee the installation of the 40 heat pumps already donated in partnership with Temperature Control
- Provide heat pump bootcamp training for residents of Embassy Village
- Provide mentoring and volunteering of Daikin Manchester team with the residents of Embassy Village
- Innovation: Ensure the connection of at least 170 heat pumps in social housing in GM through the 5G Innovation Region funding by March 2026
- Embed tariff support and connectivity into any social housing contract for heat pumps
- Work with energy providers to launch a heat pump type-of-use tariff for Daikin and promote this to the connected homes
- Collaboration with other Greater Manchester partners and Daikin’s customers to accelerate the delivery of low carbon heat.
- Daikin remains firmly committed to accelerating the UK’s transition to low carbon heating. Daikin will focus on enabling market growth through partnerships, innovation, and education; Daikin will actively explore opportunities to strengthen their physical presence in Greater Manchester demonstrating strong potential for long-term collaboration and impact.
