Securing a healthy natural environment for today and the future

The most recent meeting of the Observatory’s Environment topic group reviewed evidence to “Identify Regional Natural Environmental Priorities for the West Midlands”. Evidence highlighted by the group will inform work by the region’s Defra Agenda Group (DAG) to identify regional environmental priorities. The DAG comprises Government Office for the West Midlands, the Environment Agency, Natural England, Forestry Commission, Advantage West Midlands and Animal Health.

State of the Region dialogue on climate change published

We’ve published the State of the Region dialogue Challenge or opportunity? How to plan for Climate Change (PDF, 1.3mb).
This report aims to help decision makers understand how climate change will impact on their areas and also give practical ways of adapting to, and taking advantage of, the opportunities and challenges presented by climate change.
The report [...]

What does a sustainable city look like?

The event ‘Voices from the futur 2020:how are we housed?’ delivered an great example of a sustainable city … Hammarby Sjöstad in Sweden.

Challenge or opportunity? How to plan for climate change

Today is Blog Action Day 2009, when more than 8,000 blogs from 146 countries are discussing issues around climate change.
Here’s our contribution to this global initiative.
In a few weeks’ time, we’ll publish the findings from our State of the Region dialogue on climate change titled Challenge or Opportunity? How to plan for climate change.

Blog Action Day ’09 Climate Change

15th October is Blog Action Day 2009, an annual event when bloggers around the world post about a common issue on the same day.
The aim is to raise awareness and encourage discussion around a global issue.
This year’s topic is climate change.

Future proofing rural communities in Warwickshire

Warwickshire’s rural dwellers are being encouraged to move to the forefront of the battle to address climate change by creating a ‘cheaper, greener, more sustainable’ future for their countryside communities.
Warwickshire Rural Community Council (WRCC) says that, historically, rural communities have always been willing to embrace change and see the strong community spirit at the heart [...]

Low carbon economy to face climate change

The UK Climate Projections (UKCP09) were published last week. These projections deliver climate information forecasts for the UK and its regions. The purpose of the projections is to provide relevant evidence that can help society and the environment cope with climate change.
The key findings confirm that climate change is a real and challenging issue to [...]

Celebrating our success

Since I joined the Observatory I’m more aware of what is said about the West Midlands.
On 3rd June I attended the conference Skills and Knowledge for Sustainable Communities in London and was very pleased to find that one of the case studies mentioned related to the regeneration of Attwood Green in Birmingham.
I think it is [...]

A new approach to skills for sustainable communities

In 2004 the Egan Review started the discussion around skills for sustainable communities.
The Review aimed to identify the skills necessary, and any potential skill gaps, to deliver successful, sustainable communities.
The review recommended:
To encourage people into built environment professions and other core occupations; address gateway educational needs by working with employers, professional and academic institutions; [...]

State of the natural environment in the West Midlands

On Thursday 23rd April 2009, I attended the Annual Biodiversity Conference organised by the West Midlands Biodiversity Partnership (WMBP) at the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham.
Key speakers included Olwen Dutton (Chief Executive of the West Midlands Regional Assembly), Roger Owen (Regional Director of Natural England), David Pape (Head of Ecology, Hampshire County Council), Conor Kretsch (Director [...]

Your health and the economic recession

It is not a surprise that the current crisis has hit our wallets, but have you thought about the implications that this may have on your health?
Every day the media delivers rather pessimistic news around unemployment going up, more companies going bust, redundancies and future job losses.
The contraction of our disposable income combined with the [...]

Better environment, better lives

The quality of the environment affects the quality of our lives. It is a reality that the poorest people are the ones living in the worst environmental conditions.
‘Environmental inequality’ was at the centre of the ‘Better Environments, Better Lives’ conference organised by the Environment Agency and Be Birmingham. The event, held on 27th February in Birmingham, [...]