Our Roadmap to 2030
13 May 2012
Low Carbon Procurement Guides
The following documents were produced as part of our Low Carbon Economy Programme, focusing on procurement for local authorities. They draw together current good practice guidance on sustainable procurement with specifications developed for catering, IT, built environment and vehicles. The documents are intended to be used as guidance for reference purposes by procurement staff and other professionals.
Our Reports & Guides
29 Mar 2012
The Midcounties Co-operative and UKCIP’s Adaptation Wizard
This case study summarises the work Midcounties undertook with UKCIP to plan how to adapt to climate change using the methodology outlined in the UKCIP Adaptation Wizard.
External Case Studies
25 Mar 2012
A guide to understanding the embodied impacts of construction products
Date of the report March 2012 Author of the report Construction Products Association Purpose of the report This guide aims…
External Reports
12 Mar 2012
The Multifunctionality of Green Infrastructure
The report outlines the different functions of green infrastructure (GI), in terms of four broad roles that it performs.
External Reports
3 Feb 2012
Warmer Worcestershire
The Worcestershire Strategic Partnership identified that fuel poverty targets in their Local Area Agreement were unlikely to be met and that extra funding would be required to drive this agenda forward. The bid proposed a thermal image fly over survey to identify heat loss from roofs of properties in Worcestershire (following on from the Wychavon thermal image two years previous).
External Case Studies
6 Jan 2012
Aston University – Highly commended – Business in the Community West Midlands START Award 2011
In order to raise awareness of the issues surrounding sustainability and improve their environmental performance Aston University has made efforts involving staff to 'Go Green'. To achieve this goal, Aston has launched a number of campaigns and projects to try and raise awareness of sustainability-related issues.
External Case Studies
29 Dec 2011
Portrait of the West Midlands
The report provides an overview of the socio-economic characteristics of the West Midlands region. It covers a wide range of indicators from population to crime to the environment.
External Reports
23 Dec 2011
Green game-changers – 50 innovations to inspire business transformation
As a part of WWF's 50th anniversary, they have brought together 50 'Green game-changers', a selection of inspirational examples from around the world on how businesses and entrepreneurs are turning environmental challenges as a catalyst for innovation.
External Reports
23 Dec 2011
Using behavioural insights for more sustainable transport
The Department for Transport published a Behavioural Insights Toolkit, providing practical, step-by-step guidance on how to design more effective sustainable transport initiatives using insights from behavioural theory and social research evidence.
External Reports
21 Dec 2011
Green game-changers: Insights for mainstreaming business innovation
This review follows on from last year's Green Game-Changers report, which looked at small-scale sustainability innovators. The potential of these small players inspired this year's review of the progress that large firms have made to adopt scale up innovations. Within this remit we have honed in on those that have gone beyond product and process optimization and have innovated their business models towards sustainability.
External Reports
21 Dec 2011
Enabling the Transition to the Green Economy – Government and Business Working Together
This report sets out a range of policy tools which the government are using to support the transition to the green economy, the opportunities that are created and the implications for the way in which businesses operate.
External Reports
20 Dec 2011
Earnings, jobs and innovation: the role of recycling in a green economy
This report aims to examine the economic benefits of recycling by considering the recycling industry in the context of building a 'green economy'.
External Reports
5 Dec 2011
Green Business Club Good Practice Guide
Date of the report December 2011 Authors Sustainability West Midlands Purpose of the report This guide developed by Sustainability West…
Our Reports & Guides
4 Dec 2011
Business briefings: Adapting to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events
The purpose of these business briefings is to provide businesses in these parts of the West Midlands with a more focused briefing on the most relevant climate impacts where they are based and to see examples of what other businesses in their area are doing to be more prepared.
Our Reports & Guides
28 Nov 2011
Going Green: How local authorities can encourage the take-up of lower-carbon vehicles
Local authorities have opportunities through their planning, traffic management and transport powers to influence, or 'nudge', the use of (U)LCVs in their respective areas. The RAC Foundation sought explore what these powers are, the level of appetite among local authorities for using them, and what experience of their use had been gained so far, both in the UK and continental Europe.
External Reports
24 Nov 2011
Pricing the Priceless: the business case for action on biodiversity
This report focuses on business and biodiversity, promoting the incorporation of the value of nature into decision making in order to safeguard long-term economic growth.
External Reports
1 Nov 2011
Skills for a green economy – A report on the evidence
This project results from recommendations made in the skills strategy for England, Skills for Sustainable Growth. The work was undertaken with the aims of identifying the skills needed to support the transition to a strong and sustainable green economy; and assessing evidence of employer demand and potential responses from the skills system which will lead to these skills being delivered. The overarching purpose for this report is to assist businesses and the agencies which support them in the clear articulation of skills needs related to the green economy: a role for the government repeatedly identified from consultation with industry.
External Reports
14 Oct 2011
Weathering the Storm – saving and making money in a changing climate
Sustainability West Midlands and the Environment Agency with support from the members of the former West Midlands Climate change adaptation partnership including; Defra, UKCIP, Government Office West Midlands, Business Link and Advantage West Midlands.
Our Reports & Guides
1 Oct 2011
Is localism delivering for climate change?
This report explores whether local authorities are continuing to work on climate change, how action is being encouraged and what potential local enterprise partnerships (LEPs), local nature partnerships (LNPs) and neighbourhood planning offer for strengthening local action on climate change.
External Reports
24 Sep 2011
Green and Growth: solutions for growing a green economy
The aim of this report is to set out short- and long-term proposals for growing a green economy. The report highlights that many manufacturing companies see opportunities in a low carbon economy, details objectives for growing a green economy, looks at the barriers to realising this and makes some short-and long-term recommendations that are intended to help to overcome the barriers.
External Reports
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