22 Aug 2011
Adapting for a Green Economy: Companies, communities and climate change
The aim of this report is to support the efforts leading up to Rio+20 (UN Conference on Sustainable Development) as well as the activities partnerships and commitments that flow from the conference. The report aims to provide useful guidance to business leaders and policymakers and answers important questions surrounding the role of business in adaptation. For example, 'What are the barriers that may prevent effective business engagement in adaptation?'.
External Reports
6 Jul 2011
Woodland for Water: Woodland measures for meeting Water Framework Directive objectives
To present evidence which will help promote effective woodland planning and be part of the solution to achieving good water status. It is timely, as it follows on from the establishment of the Woodland Carbon Task Force which aims to realise Government's desire for increased woodland planting in England to help meet greenhouse gas emissions reduction commitments. Similarly, in Wales, the recently announced Glastir scheme provides additional incentive for woodland creation.
External Reports
12 May 2011
West Midlands Roadmap to a Sustainable Future in 2020
To provide a one page summary bringing together our work on the challenges faced by the West Midlands, our report 'West Midlands Sustainability Priorities to deliver the Low Carbon Vision 2020' and our vision document, 'A low carbon vision for the West Midlands in 2020'.
Our Reports & Guides
2 Mar 2011
Identifying the Opportunities for Adaptation in the Built Environment
The objective of this report was to identify the construction sectors which would benefit most from extending the findings of two WMCCE Climate Change in School Building reports and to identify and engage the key stakeholders to implement and influence the inclusion of climate change adaptation best practice through their development programmes and in the WMCCE Demonstration Project Programme.
External Reports
14 Feb 2011
Low Carbon Economy for the West Midlands – local authority profiles
The purpose of this report was to provide a summary analysis of the opportunities presented by the transition to a low carbon economy for each of the Tier 1 local authority geographical areas in the West Midlands, and the risks presented by rising fuel prices and carbon legislation, based on the current industrial profile of each area.
External Reports
7 Feb 2011
West Midlands Sustainability Priorities to deliver the Low Carbon Vision 2020
This report sets the priorities to achieve our vision for a sustainable West Midlands. We will continue to use these priorities in shaping our sustainability policy advice to leaders in the West Midlands, cross-sector events with our members to develop solutions, and sharing good practice.
Our Reports & Guides
1 Feb 2011
Making Sustainable Lives Easier: A Priority for Governments, Business and Society
This report sets out what is needed, from governments and others, to help enable us all to live sustainable lives in our homes and communities. The report finds that government initiatives to help people live more sustainably lack ambition and direction, and are too timid given the scale and urgency of the challenge. Although increasing numbers of people try to 'do the right thing', we are still a long way from living sustainably; and those who do make an effort often find themselves swimming against the tide of society's norms.
External Reports
24 Dec 2010
Successful Business and Procurement
This report aims to provide an improved understanding of successful businesses and their approaches to procurement and the relevance of these to current debates on sustainable public procurement.
External Reports
25 Oct 2010
Benefits of green infrastructure: Report to Defra and CLG
Date of the report October 2010 Author of the report Forestry Commission Purpose of the report Today’s urban policy must…
External Reports
11 Jul 2010
West Midlands Environmental Priorities Review
At the beginning of April 2010 the West Midlands Leaders Board (WMLB) and Advantage West Midlands (AWM), as the then regional responsible authorities, commissioned WYG Environment to provide a critical assessment of key environmental topics set out in the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy (WMRSS) and West Midlands Regional Economic Strategy (RES).
External Reports
11 Jul 2010
Making Sense of Going Green – Small Businesses and the Low Carbon Economy
Whilst the twin threats of climate change and increasing energy prices bring challenges for our economy they also bring opportunities that can allow our 4.8 million small businesses to contribute to a greener economy, enjoy lower energy costs and benefit from new opportunities in a low carbon economy.
External Reports
31 Mar 2010
Roadmap 2020: Sustainable Development Priorities for the West Midlands Workshop
This presentation was given by Dr Simon Slater, SWM and Stephen Owen, URSUS and SWM on 30 March as part of the Roadmap for a sustainable region in 2020 project.
Our Events & Presentations
6 Mar 2010
Health Effects of Climate Change in the West Midlands
This project was funded by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as part of the Regional Climate Change Partnerships (RCCP) programme.
External Reports
20 Dec 2009
State of the natural environment in the West Midlands
The aim of this report is to highlight the state of the natural environment in the West Midlands, which provides an essential regional asset and foundation for our economic and social well- being.
External Reports
3 Oct 2009
No charge? Valuing the natural environment
This report highlights that investment in the natural environment is critical to long term economic prosperity and that natural services provide a highly cost effective solution to growing problems like flood and coastal defence, carbon emissions and the preservation of soil, water and air quality.
External Reports
3 May 2009
Low-Carbon Economy for the West Midlands: a synthesis report
In December 2007 Advantage West Midlands (AWM) produced the West Midlands Regional Economic Strategy (WMES) 'Connecting to Success'. It has been recognised as the UK's first low-carbon economic strategy.
External Reports
18 Mar 2009
Environmental Technologies – Phase 2: Online survey findings
The potential contribution environmental technologies such as renewable energy, pollution monitoring and waste management can make to the regional economy is an area of interest for a number of RSP partners, notably AWM, the LSC and local authorities.
External Reports
18 Mar 2009
Environmental Technologies project – Phase 1: Review of secondary sources of data & intelligence
The potential contribution environmental technologies such as renewable energy, pollution monitoring and waste management can make to the regional economy is an area of interest for a number of RSP partners, notably, AWM, the LSC and local authorities.
External Reports
3 Mar 2009
Understanding the West Midlands Carbon Gap
The report aims to help policy makers in the West Midlands understand how implementing the key international, national and regional policies will affect CO₂ emissions in the region. It outlines the scale of the challenge for the region to meet its targets by 2020 and how much of the reduction will need to be driven by regional policies. It critically examines the contribution individual strategies can make in closing the carbon gap and asks what the region needs to do above and beyond the existing policies to achieve the targets outlined by them.
External Reports
3 Jan 2009
Evidence of Success: Low Carbon Regional Economic Strategy
In December 2007 Advantage West Midlands (AWM) produced on behalf of the West Midlands, a new Regional Economic Strategy: 'Connecting to Success'. Hailed as a landmark strategy, 'Connecting to Success' has been formally recognised as the UK's first low-carbon economic strategy and has established AWM as a leader amongst the regions. This summary document explains the process that AWM embarked upon with its partners to produce the UK's first low-carbon economic strategy.
External Reports
18 Jul 2008
Exploring Ecological Footprints
This report helps to begin explain what the wider impacts of the West Midlands supply chain is on carbon emissions and the ecology of the region.
External Reports
24 Apr 2008
Improving infrastructure: Heat mapping and decentralised energy feasibility study
This study was undertaken in response to the recent Energy White Paper which asked Regional Development Agencies to identify opportunities as to how they could bring forward decentralised energy projects. This report presents the findings of work on heat mapping and decentralised energy.
External Reports
3 Nov 2007
Culture and climate change in the West Midlands
The report aims to raise awareness amongst those working in the cultural sectors as to the relationship between culture and climate change and the implications of climate change to these sectors in the West Midlands. The report includes new ideas of how to use the cultural sectors to raise public awareness of climate adaption within the West Midlands.
External Reports
18 Oct 2007
Low Carbon Evidence Base for the West Midlands Regional Economic Strategy
Advantage West Midlands (AWM) has commissioned a programme of work to underpin its work on producing the UK's first low carbon Regional Economic Strategy. This programme included, among other work streams, the development of an evidence base to support the "low carbon" components of the new West Midlands Regional Economic Strategy (WMES) and an assessment of the impacts of climate change on the economy of the West Midlands.
External Reports