Sustainable UK Cities: Birmingham, 22nd May
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A number of major UK cities joined forces in Birmingham on 22nd May to discuss a more joined-up approach to tackling climate change.
The Sustainable UK Cities event, hosted by the UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy (UKBCSE) and supported by Shell UK, attracted over one hundred leading figures from the public, private and voluntary sectors to discuss ways of working in partnership to drive positive, environmental change in cities.
Representatives from Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham, Newcastle and Bristol provided examples of how their cities are uniting local businesses with the City Council for their mutual gain:
Birmingham: Local energy for local businesses
Birmingham’s Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants supply council buildings
and private businesses with a local energy supply not linked to the national
grid. The systems supply energy efficient heat and power which dramatically
reduces the buildings’ carbon emissions and energy costs. With additional
CHP plants planned for the Eastside Development area, more of Birmingham’s
businesses could soon enjoy low cost energy.
Councillor Neville Summerfield from Birmingham City Council, said: “The Council is not ‘window dressing’ when comes to climate change. We are passionately committed to the sustainability agenda. We’ve set the most challenging climate change targets of any UK city and will be hosting the world’s first week-long Climate Change Festival next week, supported by National Government.”
Leeds: Climate Change Charter
Leeds City Council’s Climate Change Charter inspires local SMEs to commit
to climate change action by lobbying Government on their behalf. Businesses
pledge to engage employees in green practices and embed green thinking in
business planning. In return, the Council encourages Government to consider
SMEs when planning green regulation and taxation.
Sheffield: The Eco Business Standard
Sheffield City Council is working in partnership with the South Yorkshire
Green Business Club to develop its Eco Business Standard. Eventually it will
only buy products and services from companies awarded this green accreditation,
which will boost the City’s green procurement and make green practices
a commercially attractive option for business.
James Smith, Chairman of Shell UK, said: "Cities consume over three-quarters
of the world’s energy so they’re a great starting point for climate
change debate. As the only UK city invited to take part in the global Clinton
Initiative, Birmingham was a fitting host for yesterday’s event.”
The Sustainable UK Cities event formed part of a full day focus on climate
change action at Birmingham’s ICC. During the first part of the day
the Carbon Trust and Energy Saving Trust reviewed the progress of their Local
Carbon Cities Programme: www.lccp.org.uk
1500 Registration
1530 Introduction & Welcome
- Megan Wheatley, Head of Policy, UKBCSE
View Biography
- Chair: Chris Murray, Director of Core Cities Network
1535 Sustainability in Birmingham
- Councillor Neville Summerfield, Birmingham City Council
View Biography
1545 Energy scenarios
- James Smith, Chairman, Shell UK
View Biography
1600 Q&A session with James Smith
1615 The Role of Local Authorities
- Tony Hawkhead, Chief Executive, Groundwork Trust
View Biography
View Presentation
(pdf)
1630 CABE - Sustainable Cities Initiative
- Matt Bell, Director of Campaigns and Education, CABE
View Biography
View Presentation (pdf)
1645 Panel discussion and Q&A
Chaired by Chris Murray, Director of Core Cities Network
1. Tony Hawkhead, Chief Executive, Groundwork Trust
2. Matt Bell, Director of Campaigns and Education, CABE
3. Fraser Winterbottom, Director of Delivery, The Energy Saving Trust
View Biography
4. James Wilde, Director of Insights, Carbon Trust
5. Councillor Neville Summerfield, Birmingham City Council
6. Geoff Reyner, Sales & Marketing Director, Modec
View Biography
7. Bill Farmer, Director, Interserve Project Services
Speakers Biographies
Councillor Neville Summerfield
Birmingham City Council
Councillor Neville Summerfield has been the Cabinet Member for Regeneration in the Progressive Partnership Administration (Conservative, Liberal-Democrat) since October 2007. In this role he is responsible for strategic planning, economic development, urban design and development management services in Birmingham.
Councillor Summerfield is a member of the Birmingham Strategic Partnership. He is also a member of the West Midlands Regional Planning Partnership and serves on the boards of Advantage West Midland’s two Birmingham Regeneration Zones Companies. He is a member of the Aston Pride New Deal for Communities Partnership Board. He is also a director of Birmingham Technology Ltd and the National Exhibition Centre Ltd.
James Smith
Chairman, Shell UK
James is the Chairman of Shell UK. He has been with Shell since 1983 and has worked in all the Group’s major businesses. Until the end of 2003 he was on the global board of Shell Chemicals as head of technology, strategy and sustainable development. He has been head of resourcing, which principally involved ensuring there is a highly talented and diverse group of leaders for the top 200 jobs in Shell.
Much of James’ early career was in upstream oil and gas production, latterly in business development. He has been extensively involved in Shell business in a number of Middle Eastern countries and in the US. In addition he was MD of Shell’s downstream business in Brunei and chaired Shell’s global catalyst business during a period of restructuring for profitability. James has a degree in physics and is a chartered accountant. Before joining Shell he worked with Accenture.
Tony Hawkhead CBE
Chief Executive of Groundwork
Tony Hawkhead is Chief Executive of Groundwork. Groundwork is a national environment partnership organisation, with a network of local Trusts operating across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. With its commitment to partnership and wide range of project work with local communities, Groundwork has played a leading role in ensuring that sustainable development reaches and benefits people living in some of the most deprived parts of the UK. Groundwork Trusts also exist in the USA, and Groundwork works with partners in Eastern Europe and Japan.
Tony is currently a member of the LGA Climate Change Commission, which reported at the end of 2007. Before Groundwork, Tony was for five years Chief Executive of the East London Partnership, a private sector led and funded organisation working to help regenerate Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets – the heart of London’s East End.
James Wilde
Director of Insights at the Carbon Trust
James Wilde is Director of Insights at the Carbon Trust. The Carbon Trust helps UK business and the public sector cut carbon emissions and supports the development of low carbon technologies for the future. One of the Carbon Trust’s five business areas, Carbon Trust Insights helps to explain the risks and opportunities associated with climate change, aiming to inform both business and government – on topics ranging from the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, renewables policy, low carbon buildings design through to the emerging carbon offsetting market. Prior to joining the Carbon Trust, James worked for management consultants McKinsey & Company. James has a PhD in Nanotechnology from the University of Cambridge and a first class degree in Materials Science from the University of Oxford.
Fraser Winterbottom
Director of Delivery, Energy Saving Trust
Fraser joined the Energy Saving Trust after completing a 1,000 mile ‘Cut the Carbon’ march for Christian Aid with 20 others from across the world, whilst somehow managing to complete his MSc research into renewables, graduating from the London School of Economics. His last role was Managing Director of Finance & Accounting Services, and Operations Board member of Xansa plc. Fraser founded and directed Xansa’s Finance & Accounting shared services business unit and also had the role of UK Sales & Marketing Director, leading a substantial repositioning of the brand.
For much of the 1990’s Fraser held senior positions at the Whitbread Beer Company and Whitbread Restaurants, directing a large portfolio of strategic business change projects and programmes, together with the IT portfolio. He has also created and run large service centres for companies ranging from BT and O2 to Northern Ireland Water. Fraser’s professional background is in accounting and consulting, and he is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Geoff Reyner
Sales & Marketing Director of Modec Ltd
Geoff Reyner is the Sales & Marketing Director of Modec Ltd. Coventry based Modec manufacture the worlds first purpose designed, zero emission urban delivery vehicle. The 5.5 tonne GVW vehicle is already in service with Tesco, AMEY, Enterprise Accord amongst many others. Currently, Geoff is developing more UK marketplace's as well as mainland Europe and beyond
Geoff's background is nearly 30 years in Commercial Vehicles, with such luminaries as BRS, ERF and Foden focusing on HGV and LCV sales through major accounts and dealer networks. Latterly he has worked in the bus and coach industry with Optare and Iveco and indeed, is developing a Modec bus for 2009.
Matt Bell
Director of Campaigns and Education, CABE
Matt joined CABE in 2003. His brief includes leading CABE’s engagement with the private volume housing industry; motivating consumers and young people to learn about good design; and influencing emerging government policy on housing, school design and public space. Matt has led development of the Climate Change Festival since 2006.
Outside of CABE, Matt is chairman of Hope and Homes for Children, an international NGO operating across Eastern Europe and Africa. These roles follow five years as the Communications Director of VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas), where he led the organisation’s campaigns and strategy on HIV and AIDS. He has also worked on grassroots community programmes in both Bolivia and Thailand and spent 10 years in the UK international NGO sector.
Megan Wheatley
Head of Policy, UKBCSE
Megan Wheatley is Head of Policy at the UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy.
The council brings together the chief executives of the major energy companies in the UK to develop an effective dialogue with Government that can help strengthen the UK's strategic agenda for sustainable energy and accelerate the move towards a competitive, low-carbon economy.
Megan leads the Council's work on a range of key policy areas, including renewable energy, and the future energy efficiency policy framework.
Prior to coming to the UK, Megan worked in Australia, where she led the development and implementation of a range of projects to drive the uptake of energy efficiency, and renewable and distributed energy across the residential, commercial and industrial sectors.
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