http://www.climate-em.org.uk/ Climate East Midlands News en mike.peverill@emra.gov.uk Copyright 2012 2012-05-10T08:39:27+00:00 http://www.climate-em.org.uk/news/item/environment-minister-in-rural-economy-visit-to-lincolnshire/ http://www.climate-em.org.uk/news/item/environment-minister-in-rural-economy-visit-to-lincolnshire/#When:07:39:27Z Defra Minister Lord Taylor of Holbeach is visiting Lincolnshire on Thursday 10th May to meet business leaders and visit a number of farming businesses. He is also opening a new £15m plastics recycling facility and seeing how some businesses are adapting to changing economic and environmental circumstances. Defra asked Climate East Midlands to help pull the programme for the visit together.  Defra Minister Lord Taylor of Holbeach is visiting Lincolnshire on Thursday 10th May to meet business leaders and visit a number of farming businesses. He is also opening a new £15m plastics recycling facility and seeing how some businesses are adapting to changing economic and environmental circumstances. Defra asked Climate East Midlands to help pull the programme for the visit together.   Defra News Story 10/5/2012 Lincolnshire’s businesses are being given the opportunity to help shape rural policy today as Defra minister, Lord Taylor of Holbeach is in the region to hear about the issues they face. This is the first in a series of Rural Roadshows taking place over the summer for Defra ministers to listen to issues and concerns of rural communities and businesses to ensure their voice is heard within Government. Lord Taylor will meet the Chair of the local Rural and Farming Network, set up to help Government make policies more rural-friendly, and the Local Enterprise Partnership to get valuable insights into rural businesses’ needs. Environment Minister, Lord Taylor of Holbeach said: "I’m looking forward to visiting businesses in Lincolnshire today so that I can understand better the opportunities and challenges around running a business in a rural area. I’ll take their insights back to Government to help ensure that all policies meet the needs of rural communities and businesses." Mark Tinsley, Chair of Lincolnshire Forum for Agriculture and Horticulture, said: "We welcome Lord Taylor’s visit. He is well aware of the pressures on the food packing and processing businesses in South Lincolnshire. We look forward to discussing how we might strengthen that part of the produce supply chain, working very closely with Defra as one of its Rural and Farming Networks." Lord Taylor is today opening a new factory that is creating 30 jobs in a rural area as well as doubling the plastic bottle recycling capacity of the UK. The £15 million venture by Coca-Cola, WRAP and ethical plastic bottle recycle, ECO Plastics will be the world’s largest plastics reprocessing facility. Environment Minister Lord Taylor of Holbeach continued: "With the opening of this facility, the UK is now home to the world’s largest plastics recycling plant, bringing jobs and growth to the rural economy of Lincolnshire. Coca-Cola, WRAP and ECO plastics innovation and investment has made this project a reality – exactly what we want to see more of right across the country. "Recycling is a growing industry, and investment in these types of projects not only makes good business sense – it will help us achieve our ultimate aim of a zero-waste green economy." As the second round of a £20 million grant scheme for rural businesses is announced, Lord Taylor is seeing how Lincolnshire businesses have already transformed their prospects with funding from Defra’s Rural Development Programme for England. Defra’s £500,000 investment has enabled Fold Hill Foods in Boston to increase sales, cut waste and packaging and expand the market for local arable farmers, who supply the grain for the company’s pet food. Lord Taylor will also visit Lansen Nursery, which has just been approved a £25,000 grant to fund pipes and water collection facilities that will reduce reliance on mains water for the irrigation of plants. Lord Taylor continued: "Our £100 million grant scheme has transformed thousands of rural businesses with higher turnover, job creation and greener ways of working. I’m interested to see how our investment has brought new prospects to businesses in Lincolnshire." Lord Taylor will meet award-winning 2009 Farmer of the Year Andrew Dennis, whose organic vegetable boxes are delivered to the local community, and visit Lincolnshire Field Products, producer and distributer of fresh produce. The Government is encouraging people in rural communities to ‘Eat, Drink and Be Local’ as local food enterprises act as hubs for the whole community and foster a positive image for locally produced food. The Government is delivering a £165 million package of measures to maximise the economic potential of rural communities announced in the Rural Economy Growth Review. As part of this investment, the second round of the Rural Community Broadband Fund opened today to give communities in the remotest areas opportunities to transform their businesses through superfast broadband. Notes Applications for Defra’s Rural Development programme for England Forestry and Farming Improvement Scheme open on May 22 and close on July 17. Applications for the Rural Community Broadband Fund open today (May 10) and close on July 6, while applications.The £20 million Rural Community Broadband Fund is jointly funded by Defra and Broadband Delivery UK and is being delivered through the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). It enables the funding of superfast broadband projects in the most hard to reach areas in England. More information about the Fund and details on how to apply can be found on Defra’s RDPE Network webpage http://rdpenetwork.defra.gov.uk/funding-sources/rural-community-broadband-fund. ECOPlastics won £1.12 million pounds in infrastructure support from WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) in January 2012. 2012-05-10T07:39:27+00:00 http://www.climate-em.org.uk/news/item/new-guidance-for-planners/ http://www.climate-em.org.uk/news/item/new-guidance-for-planners/#When:08:49:23Z ‘Planning for Climate Change - guidance for local authorities’ has just been published by the Town and Country Planning Asociation on behalf of the Planning and Climate Change Coalition, with support and sponsorship from Climate UK, the national network of climate change partnerships that includes Climate East Midlands. This new guidance takes account of the new National Planning Policy Framework recently launched by the Government. CLIMATE CHANGE COALITION LAUNCHES FIRST GUIDANCE FOR NEW PLANNING FRAMEWORK Climate UK have supported the publication of the first sector-led environmental planning guidance of its kind since the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) took effect last month.  The guide is being launched in Parliament today (Wednesday 25th April 2012) by the Planning and Climate Change Coalition. The Coalition represents over 35 cross-sector organisations and is led by the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) and Friends of the Earth. The Government’s far-ranging planning system reforms, through the Localism Act and the NPPF signal a major shift of responsibility to local authority and community levels in England. Planning for climate change – guidance for local authorities is designed to respond to this agenda and is aimed primarily at local authorities, private sector practitioners, Local Enterprise Partnerships and Local Nature Partnerships who want both to tackle climate change and to reap the positive economic benefits that solutions such as renewable energy, sustainable transport and building flood resilience can bring. Hugh Ellis, TCPA Chief Planner, said: “With the radical shift in power to the local level, councils and communities will have both the responsibility and the opportunity to deal with climate change. We hope that by choosing to adopt this guidance local authorities cannot only improve the resilience of their communities, but seize the opportunities it provides for economic growth, for example through decentralised energy projects. This guidance is designed explicitly to complement the new National Planning Policy Framework and the grain of Government policy. As a nation we must get to grips with the challenge of climate change and local authorities have a crucial role to play.” Naomi Luhde-Thompson, Planning Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said: “The new planning system needs to help our nation develop clean home-grown sources of power from the wind, sun and water and wean ourselves off increasingly expensive fossil fuels.” “We hope this new guide will encourage local authorities, businesses and communities to plug into clean British energy – with more Government support to help make this happen.” The guidance updates the Planning and Climate Change Coalition guide published in 2010 which itself was based on the draft Planning Policy Statement (PPS) on climate and energy, Planning for a Low Carbon Future in a Changing Climate, published in March 2010. The guidance has been developed to reflect the Localism Act and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) through cross-sector dialogue, using the wide-ranging expertise of the Planning and Climate Change Coalition. The Guide is divided into two parts; Part 1 sets the context on climate change, Part 2 offers a set of principles and good practice guidance which local authorities and communities may find helpful in preparing their plans and implementing them through development management. Download the document here Climate UK is very pleased to be supporting the revised version of this important document, which will be used to help to spread good practice across the country. You can contact Climate UK at info@climate.uk.net or get in touch with any of the partnerships by visiting www.climateuk.net Notes to Editors:  1.   The cross sector Planning and Climate Change Coalition, a joint initiative between the TCPA and Friends of the Earth, was formed in July 2009 and aims: * To make recommendations for new strategic planning guidance on climate change in England, building on the policy outlined in Consultation on a Planning Policy Statement: Planning for a Low Carbon Future in a Changing Climate (March 2010), which brought together and updated PPS1 (planning and climate) and PPS22 (renewable energy). * To build consensus amongst a wide range of stakeholders on the benefits of new guidance * To work with Government to ensure the fastest possible implementation of the new guidance The Coalition represents over 35 cross sector organizations, including: AECB, the Sustainable Building Association, BioRegional, Birmingham City Council, BRE, Butterfly Conservation, CAG Consultants, Campaign to Protect Rural England,  Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT), Chris Shepley CBE, Chris Tivey Associates, Climate UK, Combined Heat and Power Association,  Co-operative Group,  Council for British Archaeology,  David Howard, Energence Ltd, Friends of the Earth, Gerry Metcalfe, Grasslands Trust, Hugh Roberts, Landscape Institute,  Leonora Rozee OBE, LDA Design, LEAP Project, London Borough of Islington, London Borough of Sutton, Lynda Addison OBE, Marks Barfield Architects, National Energy Foundation, National Trust, Oxford Brookes University, Planet Positive, PRP Architects, Renewable Energy Association, Roger Lawes, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Royal Town Planning Institute, Sustain,  Sustainability East, Sustrans, Town and Country Planning Association, Urban Roots, White Architects, The Wildlife Trusts and Woodland Trust. 2. An embargoed copy of Planning for climate change – guidance for local authorities is available from Fiona Mannion, TCPA Communications Manager by telephone at 020 7930 8903 or email: fiona.mannion@tcpa.org.uk 3. Climate UK is a not-for-profit national network organisation which supports local action on climate change throughout the UK. It was incorporated in 2011 as a Community Interest Company by the nine Climate Change Partnerships across England and their equivalents in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Climate UK aims to investigate, inform and advise on risks and opportunities presented by climate change; and coordinate and support integrated, sustainable and effective responses. Through its network of trusted and independent Climate Change Partnerships it can uniquely offer both local and national coverage by bringing together local knowledge and technical expertise from a range of sectors. How to contact You can contact Climate UK at info@climate.uk.net or get in touch with any of the partnerships by visiting www.climateuk.net   2012-04-26T08:49:23+00:00 http://www.climate-em.org.uk/news/item/regional-elena-bid/ http://www.climate-em.org.uk/news/item/regional-elena-bid/#When:14:42:04Z Climate East Midlands (in conjunction with East Midlands Councils and sponsored by East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership) is submitting a bid to the European Investment Bank for Elena funds to help local authorities get their energy efficiency and low carbon projects off the ground. Initial deadline for expressions of interest from councils is 4th May. Climate East Midlands (in conjunction with East Midlands Councils and sponsored by East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership) is submitting a bid to the European Investment Bank for Elena funds to help local authorities get their energy efficiency and low carbon projects off the ground. ELENA funding is designed to facilitate the implementation of carbon reduction measures by public authorities - including those contained in adopted Carbon Management Plans. The funding is from the European Investment Bank and will give £9 for every £1 of match funding.  ELENA cannot support capital costs or initial feasibility work. Rather, it is designed to support the development of a full business case for viable projects which can then begin to be implemented within 3 years of receiving the money. Further background information on ELENA can be found at: http://www.eib.org/projects/publications/elena.htm (introductory brochure) and http://www.eib.org/products/technical_assistance/elena/index.htm (FAQ on programme development support) The RIEP Board has allocated £100,000 towards a regional ELENA bid, giving a potential pot of £1 million. Initial feedback from the EIB on an Expression of Interest has been positive, but we now need to submit a full bid detailing specific projects that could be supported. ELENA funding is a major opportunity to help you turn your Carbon Management Plan into real cash and carbon savings.  If you have projects contained in your Carbon Management Plan which could begin to be implemented within the next 3 years, but for which further work on a full business case is required, then we would like to hear from you by Friday 4th May.  As the bid could support energy efficiency work on public estate as well as social housing, you may find it helpful to involve your building management or equivalent officers. Please contact any of the following for more information: Mike Peverill T: 01664 502 628; M: 07854 284 588; E: mike.peverill@emcouncils.gov.uk Andrew Pritchard T: 01664 502 641; E: andrew.pritchard@emcouncils.gov.uk Jan Sensier T: 01664 502 631; E: jan.sensier@emcouncils.gov.uk 2012-04-25T14:42:04+00:00 http://www.climate-em.org.uk/news/item/climate-disadvantage-insights/ http://www.climate-em.org.uk/news/item/climate-disadvantage-insights/#When:13:29:28Z ‘Climate Disadvantage’ was the unusual topic of an event on 16th April at Loughborough College with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and academics from Manchester University. Organised by Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland councils, supported and facilitated by Climate East Midlands, this provided a unique opportunity for 50 local stakeholders to consider how climate impacts like flooding and heatwaves will affect the most vulnerable people in particular communities. 'Climate Disadvantage' was the unusual topic of an event on 16th April at Loughborough College with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and academics from Manchester University. Organised by Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland councils, supported and facilitated by Climate East Midlands, this provided a unique opportunity for 50 local stakeholders to consider how climate impacts like flooding and heatwaves will affect the most vulnerable people in particular communities. The topic for the workshop was inspired by a recent Joseph Rowntree Foundation study, Climate Change, Justice and Vulnerability. The study mapped socio-spatial vulnerability to climate change in the UK - focusing on flooding and heatwaves - to identify areas of 'climate disadvantage'. Areas of climate disadvantage are areas which have a high level of social vulnerability to climate change as well as a high level of exposure to hazards such as flooding and heatwaves. The report describes how personal, environmental and social factors influence how climate-related events affect well-being. The authors argue that the social factors (such as income inequalities, the existence of social networks, and the social characteristics of neighbourhoods) tend to get overlooked in adaptation policy. The workshop in Loughborough on 16th April communicated these findings, and provided locally specific messages through mapping of climate disadvantage in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Download the presentations given at the workshop. 2012-04-24T13:29:28+00:00 http://www.climate-em.org.uk/news/item/business-resilience-survey-the-results-are-in/ http://www.climate-em.org.uk/news/item/business-resilience-survey-the-results-are-in/#When:09:35:53Z Climate East Midlands, with our counterparts Sustainability West Midlands, have completed a survey of SMEs across the Midlands. The findings have been analysed and are now available to view. Climate East Midlands, with our counterparts Sustainability West Midlands, have completed a survey of SMEs across the Midlands. The survey is part of an Environment Agency-funded project to build business resilience to climate change. The survey aimed to establish: how businesses have been impacted by extreme weather events, whether businesses have considered the potential impacts of extreme weather events, what action businesses have taken to adapt to extreme weather events, and what additional support businesses need to help them to adapt.  Headline findings from the East Midlands part of the survey:  56% of respondents indicated that their business had been affected by an extreme weather event in the past 5 years. 33% of respondents indicated that their business had incurred additional costs as a result of these impacts, with loss figures of up to £80,000 being quoted. 28% of respondents indicated that their business had benefitted from climate impacts and extreme weather. A number of these businesses had seen an increase in the demand for their products and services and others indicated that they had developed new services. The survey showed that while about 90% of respondents had considered the potential impacts of extreme weather, only around two thirds had taken any action to make themselves more resilient. Of the two thirds of organisations who indicated that they had taken some form of adaptive action, the actions they had taken included operational changes (to do with checking or changing insurance and reviewing health and safety procedures), installation of measures to protect property from flooding, and the adoption of new technology or machinery. Respondents indicated that the main reasons for a lack of action to make themselves more resilient were that climate change and severe weather were not seen as a priority compared with other business issues, and taking action was not seen as being cost effective. Next steps for Climate East Midlands, informed by the survey findings, will include continuing to raise awareness amongst businesses of the threats and opportunities presented by climate change. Developing the business case for building resilience to climate change will also be crucial. Download the reports of the survey findings here. For more information about the project click here, or contact alex.hopkinson@emcouncils.gov.uk 2012-04-26T09:35:53+00:00 http://www.climate-em.org.uk/news/item/carbon-trust-empower-saving-energy-in-your-office/ http://www.climate-em.org.uk/news/item/carbon-trust-empower-saving-energy-in-your-office/#When:13:53:21Z At the recent Carbon Trust Public Sector Carbon Management Event, the Carbon Trust Empower staff engagement online tool was launched It is available to use at www.carbontrust.co.uk/empower . Empower is designed to empower employees to make energy savings in their office. Through tutorials, virtual tours, a quiz, and other interactive elements, Empower will help raise staff awareness of carbon and cost-saving opportunities, as well as encourage people to make a contribution, and a commitment, to save energy in your office. You may like to have a go with it yourself before sending it out to all staff. When you complete the office tour section you can make ‘pledges’ and ‘suggestions to manager’. When you go to the Action Plan there is a “share with my manager” feature. In the e-mail address people can enter any email address to send on their pledges and suggestions. When you send the link out to staff you may like to suggest that they send their pledges and suggestions to one location, e.g. your Environment Team inbox.   2012-03-20T13:53:21+00:00 http://www.climate-em.org.uk/news/item/inspiring-leaders-programme-gets-underway/ http://www.climate-em.org.uk/news/item/inspiring-leaders-programme-gets-underway/#When:20:49:25Z Inspiring Leaders is a new Climate Skills Programme aimed at elected members of local authorities in the East Midlands and is delivered directly by Climate East Midlands. Briefing sessions for members have been offered to all 46 local authorities and interested members are being invited to all of the Climate Skills Programme concluding events to hear about what’s been learnt over the last few months of intensive activity. Portfolio Holders for Climate Change are being invited to host Inspiring Visits where their council has a good story to tell. Inspiring Leaders is a new Climate Skills Programme aimed at elected members of local authorities in the East Midlands and is delivered directly by Climate East Midlands. There are three elements to it: Briefing sessions for members have been offered to all 46 local authorities prior to Council meetings Interested members are being invited to all of the Climate Skills Programme concluding events to hear about what's been learnt over the last few months of intensive activity Portfolio Holders for Climate Change are being invited to host Inspiring Visits for members of other councils where their council has a good story to tell. Blaby District Council (Leicestershire) was the first to take up the offer of a pre-Council briefing in December, followed by West Lindsey and South Holland District Councils (Lincolnshire) in January. Coming up in the next few weeks include Boston and North Kesteven Borough Councils (Lincolnshire), Lincolnshire County Council, Derby City Council, Mansfield District Council (Nottinghamshire) and Daventry District Council (Northamptonshire). We're also pleased to be supporting Lincoln City Council's Climate Change Conference during Climate Week on Wednesday 14th March. The aim of the programme is to bring members up to speed with the latest national and regional developments on climate change, discuss what's been achieved over recent years by local action and invite members to renew their commitment by signing up to the new Climate Local initiative when it's launched in April 2012. This is the new version of the Nottingham Declaration - itself a success story from the East Midlands. Read more on the LGA website here The programme also makes the case for why tackling climate change is important even in a time of austerity - it's about saving money, becoming more efficient, building local resilience and supporting the development of the low carbon and well adapting economy. Contact Mike Peverill for more details, M: 07854 284 588 or E: mike.peverill@emcouncils.gov.uk 2012-01-25T20:49:25+00:00 http://www.climate-em.org.uk/news/item/first-uk-climate-change-risk-assessment-published/ http://www.climate-em.org.uk/news/item/first-uk-climate-change-risk-assessment-published/#When:14:21:16Z The Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman, launched the findings of the UK’s first Climate Change Risk Assessment on 26th January 2012, as required under the terms of the Climate Change Act 2008. This major project for Defra has considered over 100 climate-related risks to the UK’s economy, society and natural environment and scored them in a consistent way. Climate East Midlands has produced a short information pack to interpret the key risks and opportunities for the East Midlands. The Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman, launched the findings of the UK’s first Climate Change Risk Assessment on 26th January 2012, as required under the terms of the Climate Change Act 2008. This major project for Defra has considered over 100 climate-related risks to the UK’s economy, society and natural environment and scored them in a consistent way. It is the first assessment of its kind for the UK and the first in a 5 year cycle. It provides underpinning evidence that can be used by Government to help inform priorities for action and appropriate adaptation measures. It also highlights where more work is needed to understand the scale and nature of the risks, and to help us consider what action we need to take and as such will inform the development of the National Adaptation Programme (NAP) which UK Government will publish in 2013. To coincide with the publication of the UK CCRA 2012 and given the importance of local adaptation action, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) commissioned the Climate UK (The Climate Change Partnerships across England - including Climate East Midlands) to produce an information pack to highlight key risks and opportunities from climate change within each area.  To sit alongside the regional packs, a series of case study "Impact Examples" have also been published. Click here to access the documents and find out more. See Defra's Press Release here See the BBC's interpretation here 2012-01-24T14:21:16+00:00 http://www.climate-em.org.uk/news/item/climate-change-back-in-the-headlines/ http://www.climate-em.org.uk/news/item/climate-change-back-in-the-headlines/#When:10:07:38Z Following the unexpected breakthrough at last week’s UN conference in Durban and a subsequent row over the cause of energy price rises, climate change has bounced back into the national news. A succession of ministers, experts, scientists and activists have traipsed through BBC Radio 4’s Today studio to argue their corner in recent days. Listen to some of the best bits. Last week's annual UN Climate Change conference produced an unexpected breakthrough after several years of wrangling. After some extended negotiations, with the UK and the EU playing a prominent role, a new 'Durban Platform for Enhanced Action' was agreed. This sets out a path towards a new global deal in 2015 which comes into force in 2020. A new £60bn Green Climate Fund will also come into operation then to provide finance to developing countries to enable low carbon development. In the meantime, the current legally binding Kyoto Protocol (to which the UK is a signatory) expires in 2013. This will be extended till 2020 so that at least a proportion of countries will be legally obliged to continue reducing emissions in the meantime. Will this allow the world to limit climate change to 2 degrees? (the threshold considered by climate scientists to be the safe limit and beyond which could trigger all sorts of feedback loops that could send temperatures rising even further). Listen to this 5 min BBC interview with Lord Nicholas Stern (author of the 2006 Stern Review into the Economics of Climate Change) to help understand the significance of the Durban deal. http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9660000/9660222.stm Since then, a new debate has started about the reason for increases in energy bills, with David Kennedy, Cheif Executive of the Committee on Climate Change arguing (on the BBC's Today programme) that the impact of green policies has had and will have a relatively small impact on bills compared to the rise in the wholesale price of gas. http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9662000/9662371.stm Later in the same programme, Matthew Sinclair, Director of the Taxpayers' Alliance and George Monbiot, journalist and green campaigner argue about whether taxation is the right way to tackle climate change in national policy. http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9662000/9662413.stm Would you like a debate on this subject with your own colleagues? Climate East Midlands has just started a round of briefing talks to elected members of local councils. Contact Moira Hunt if you'd like to take up the offer for your council (or other organisation). E: moira.hunt@emcouncils.gov.uk T: 01664 502 636 2011-12-15T10:07:38+00:00 http://www.climate-em.org.uk/news/item/east-midlands-authorities-receive-carbon-trust-awards/ http://www.climate-em.org.uk/news/item/east-midlands-authorities-receive-carbon-trust-awards/#When:14:38:20Z The hard work undertaken by 7 East Midlands’ authorities in developing carbon management plans was recognised by the awarding of certificates at the Carbon Trust annual alumni event.  During 2010/11 Amber Valley Borough Council, the Peak District National Park, Daventry District Council, Kettering Borough Council, Broxtowe Borough Council, Newark and Sherwood District Council and Rushcliffe Borough Council took part in the East Midlands Carbon Management Programme. In total, over £1million worth of year on year savings were identified by the 7 authorities, with a pay back period of just over 3 years. For  more information, contact Anne Gayfer anne.gayfer@emcouncils.gov.uk 07554 439 131 2011-12-09T14:38:20+00:00