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.

Environment and economy: Fit for the Future?

The 2009 Observatory conference, West Midlands: Fit for the Future?, provided a forum for debate on economic recovery in the West Midlands.
One element of the debate concentrated on how to link the environment and economy better, based on chapters 4 and 9 of the Fit for the Future? book.
Delegates at the Environment and Economy workshop discussed Green Infrastructure, leadership and [...]

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.

Debate on the future of the region is picking up pace

The ‘West Midlands: Fit for the Future?’ debate is picking up pace, with the Observatory today publishing a new chapter. The Forestry Commission’s Bill Heslegrave felt so strongly about the inclusion of green infrastructure in a debate on the economic recovery of the West Midlands, that he submitted a chapter of his own.

Speakers announced for the 2009 conference

One month to go until the Observatory’s 2009 conference - “West Midlands: Fit for the Future?” – on Tuesday 20th October at the Ramada Hotel in Sutton Coldfield.
Book online or fax us a booking form
Entitled “West Midlands: Fit for the Future?”, the conference will follow on from a book of the same name launched by the [...]

Observatory launches new book ‘West Midlands: Fit for the Future?’

A new book from the Observatory, West Midlands: Fit for the Future?, was launched yesterday.
The book aims to stimulate debate, promote discussion and influence policy on the future growth of the West Midlands region. The focus is on the future prosperity of the West Midlands, rather than on the effects of the recession, and exploring [...]

Building a low carbon country

The transition to a low-carbon economy will be one of the defining issues of the 21st century. This plan sets out a route-map for the UK’s transition from here to 2020.
Ed Miliband MP, 15 July 2009

Ed Miliband, Secretary of State of Energy and Climate Change, yesterday launched  a national strategy for climate and energy.
The UK [...]

UK Climate Projections 2009

Today saw the publication of the long awaited UK Climate Projections 2009 (UKCP09).
UKCP09 is the fifth time such climate information has been produced for the UK.
Funded by Defra, and based on sound science and projections provided by the Met Office, UKCP09 aims to meet the needs of a wide range of users who want 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 [...]

‘Green’ firms fight the recession

The environmental technologies or “green” sector is showing greater resilience to the recession than the manufacturing sector as a whole, according to recent skills research by the West Midlands Regional Observatory.
The environmental technologies sector comprises companies concentrating on renewable energy, pollution monitoring and waste management, amongst others. Although the sector has been adversely affected by [...]

Can we do it? Walking the talk on climate change

Chris Crean is the West Midlands Regional Campaign Coordinator for Friends of the Earth and he provided the final presentation to delegates at the Observatory’s State of the Region climate change event.
Chris posed the question of whether we are prepared to, or capable of, walking the talk on climate change.
Chris’s presentation considered the impacts of regional [...]

Evidence based climate change policy: six tricky challenges

Roger Levett of Levett-Therivel sustainability consultants led the presentations at the Observatory’s State of the Region Climate Change event. Roger laid down six tricky challenges to delegates.
He stressed that the evidence is already overwhelming that unless we cut greenhouse emissions deeply, fast, soon, irreversible catastrophic climate change will almost certainly become unpreventable. Delaying action to [...]