Marches Energy Agency (MEA) is one of the UK's leading sustainable energy and climate change social enterprises and an independent, registered charity. Created in 1995 MEA strives in all of its work to "create the climate for change" and has a wealth of experience in delivering local, regional, and European projects.
MEA is a DO tank, not a THINK tank. Our mission is to address the sustainable energy delivery gap. The gap between what is being said and what is being done. Someone has to deliver on all the rhetoric and that is our job.
Our aim is to encourage three D's - Demand reduction (using less), Decarbonisation (low carbon sources of energy) and Decentralisation (more local energy production and supply). This will help deliver on the UK's commitment to the climate change challenge, whilst helping to ensure that there is a sustainable, secure and affordable supply of energy for everyone. We aim to contribute to these goals in ways that strengthen the economic capability of the areas in which we work.
MEA has a highly qualified, creative and vibrant workforce that is focused on solutions. We seek to inspire, educate and offer practical help to individuals, private and public sector organisations to help them to firstly understand climate change and our wider energy challenges, and then to become part of the solution.
As an organisation we understand the importance of joined up thinking. Our transport patterns are pretty good - we almost always use public transport. When that's not possible we have an impressive fleet of alternative vehicles including a Honda Insight electric hybrid (registration B CO2 LOW!) which is still the most fuel efficient car on the road - 83 mpg average. We have a Pure Plant Oil powered van, a canoe for the floods and a Brompton folding bike which has saved us countless taxi fares - and that means more money for projects.
In line with our environmental principles, our office has been designed to be 'eco friendly' with exceptionally high levels of insulation, a wood fuel heating system and a full mechanical ventilation and heat recovery system. We recycle our waste and we order our supplies from local likeminded companies wherever possible.
It's not just a job for us here at MEA either, we're passionate about this stuff. That's why we try and set a good example in all that we do, whether it's through buying local organic food, generating our own renewable energy for our homes or running our personal vehicles on 100% biodiesel.
