Note of the EAP Low Carbon and Environment Working Group Meeting, 2 pm, 20 th August 2013, Council House Extension, Birmingham

Transcription

1 Nte f the EAP Lw Carbn and Envirnment Wrking Grup Meeting, 2 pm, 20 th August 2013, Cuncil Huse Extensin, Birmingham Present: Simn Slater SWM (chair) Jy Hlland WMES Rebecca Lashley Wrcestershire Cunty Cuncil Anne Walker Cannck Chase AONB Unit Michael Checkley Cventry City Cuncil (Cv & Warwicks LEP) Rger Owen Natural England Andy Whyle Rich/BESST/LNPs Anna Bright SWM Je Bubb Shrpshire Cuncil (Marches LEP) Yvnne Gilligan Sustrans Sandy Taylr Birmingham City Cuncil (GBSLEP) Tny Dunn Black Cuntry LEP Ry McCauley Sandwell MBC Sam Tdd Envirnment Agency Liz Alstn Wrcs CC (Wrcestershire LEP) 1. Purpse and wrk plan f grup The fllwing pints were raised fr cnsideratin: Aims f grup Jint hks fr EIS Sharing gd practice Prject develpment cllabrative Mnitring f prjects Sustainability reviews crss cutting theme supprt Resurces Review and advice Envirnment Agency Tlkit re cst f envirnmental aspects t prjects Natural England can prvide wrkshps Secretariat supprt/eap WMES Merging f lw carbn with envirnment? Agreed bear in mind it is mre difficult t demnstrate ecnmic benefit f natural envirnment Black Cuntry - have brught tgether lw carbn, envirnment and sustainable transprt in their EIS Need t cnsider wider linkages prir t prject develpment Cncern that fcus will be n lw carbn shuld there be a champin fr climate adaptatin and the natural envirnment? Membership Representatin frm each LEP recgnised that this may need t evlve as the grups fcus shifts frm plicy/strategy t prject develpment.

2 Statutry bdies eg Natural England, Severn Trent, Frestry Cmmissin, BIS Lcal, business envirnmental netwrks, Green Business Clubs Keep membership fcussed fr practicalities but keep wider grup infrmed Meetings Jint Wrking Grups meeting mid Octber Prvisinal meeting fllwing Gvt feedback One early 2014 Review grup in May 2014 ACTIONS: SS t revised and reissue grup terms f reference and wrk plan based n discussin (cmpleted see separate utput) SS t cntact Severn Trent abut ptential membership JH t cntact BIS Lcal t see if they have a lw carbn lead fr membership JH t reflect distinctin between cre grup membership and wider disseminatin netwrk f members n WMES website AB - t prvide feedback t WM Green Business Clubs netwrks 2. LEP Updates Black Cuntry Appinted cnsultants Regeneris Strategy steering grup established Cnsultatin events in prgress Thematic grups established Cventry and Warwickshire Energy Grup previusly Lw Carbn Grup High value manufacturing fcus als lw carbn and energy Cventry Uni appinted GBSLEP Cnsultants appinted draft themes cmpleted Marches Task and finish grups established fr thematic bjectives Cmmissined lw carbn study jintly with Wrcs, Stke and Staffs LEPs Land based ecnmy grup Have been unsuccessful in appinting cnsultants s will be writing strategy in huse Stke and Staffs City Deal fcus n lw carbn s will be using this wrk Appinted Regeneris as critical friend Cnsultatin events in prgress Wrcestershire

3 Have 8 r 9 prject ideas, sme lcal, sme culd be crss LEP Cnsultants appinted LEP and LNPs wrking tgether 3. Cmmn activities Cntext Key activities fr lw carbn, climate change and envirnment are in the latest guidance entitled: Develpment and delivery f the Eurpean Structural and Investment Funds strategies: supplementary guidance t lcal enterprise partnerships (BIS, July 2013) Hw t deal with the crss-cutting theme f sustainability see p 12 and Annex 1 p80 Hw the funding will be allcated between themes - p26 The type f prject utputs expected including green huse gas reduced, business helped with resurce efficiency, green infrastructure created, p23 The type f results expected increase in use f lw carbn skills and prducts, increase in energy efficiency f business, buildings and transprt, imprved viability f develpment thrugh green infrastructure enhancement, p24-25 Guidance n the type f activities that culd be funded by the lw carbn, climate change and envirnment pririties are n pgs 33, 35 and 36 Key pints are: - Requirement fr sustainability review Outputs jbs/skills Greenhuse gas reduced 15-20% minimum spend n lw carbn Opting in ptential fr husing retrfit thrugh EIB. Pss SFA n skills, MAS n resurce efficiency - If match already in place even if in lwer ecnmic pririty e.g. green infrastructure imprvements then this may be attractive t LEPs seeks t access EU funding with limited lcal and natinal match Cmmn themes In additin t the cmmn themes emerging frm the 4 th July crss-lep wrkshp f: Lw carbn business hub sharing technical and marketing resurce t supprt and grw the existing lcal green business clubs in terms f their utreach and delivery n resurce efficiency, diversificatin, and business resilience directly r jintly with ther natinal and lcal business supprt netwrks t lcal businesses and crss-lep supply chains Lw carbn innvatin hub fcused drive t supprt mainstream innvatin prviders n key future markets, challenges, and innvatin in the applicatin f existing prven technlgy and techniques Lw carbn energy hub shared technical resurce t drive a pipeline f prjects t deliver lcal energy use, generatin and strage netwrks and the energy efficiency f existing nn-dmestic buildings. This includes crdinating and levering in natinal funding frm a range f existing and new prviders such as the DECC heat unit, Refit 2 energy perfrmance cntracting framewrk run

4 by Lcal Partnerships, and scial husing and energy funding frm the gvernment, the utilities and Eurpe. Lw carbn prcurement hub shared technical and marketing resurce t use public sectr prcurement t prmte lw carbn innvatin and supply chain challenges and lw carbn clauses t help stimulate new prducts and services. The fllwing was added frm the merged envirnment grup: Green infrastructure hub shared technical resurce t help lever in expertise and resurces frm the natural envirnment sectr and utilities t imprved the attractiveness f new and existing investments sites thrugh the quality and functin f the surrunding natural envirnment and integrating ther site issues such as energy, waste, travel and business resilience. Other cmments and discussin t be cnsidered in prject develpment cvered: Resurce efficiency grants and supprt fr SMEs, Business clubs, NISP, Smarter Wrking West Mids, Green Business Clubs supprt. Nting need bespke supprt in sme LEP areas especially rural e.g. innvatin vuchers and supprt needs and delivery mechanisms may need tailring Renewable energy/retrfit training Decentralised energy suppt. Cmbines heat and pwer gd practice. Cmmunity energy lcal schemes. Bimass/digestin Advice t public bdies re retrfit Waste management/wd fuel management Sustainable water use SUDs green infrastructure (Severn Trent) Green infrastructure key sites, green infrastructure/waterways/ guidance n lw carbn Turism high quality envirnments ACTION SS t share link t full guidance dcument (cmpleted see abve) SS t circulate jint wrking wrking text t include current crss LEP prjects and add green infrastructure fr inclusin in LEP EU funding bids (cmpleted see separate utput) 4. DONM Jint event mid Octber ROLLING ACTIONS LIST Actins frm August 20 th meeting SS t revised and reissue grup terms f reference and wrk plan based n discussin (cmpleted see separate utput) SS t cntact Severn Trent abut ptential membership JH t cntact BIS Lcal t see if they have a lw carbn lead fr membership

5 JH t reflect distinctin between cre grup membership and wider disseminatin netwrk f members n WMES website AB - t prvide feedback t WM Green Business Clubs netwrks SS t share link t full guidance dcument (cmpleted see abve) SS t circulate jint wrking wrking text t include current crss LEP prjects and add green infrastructure fr inclusin in LEP EU funding bids (cmpleted see separate utput) END