Wednesday 18th May Evening Workshop hosted by Martineau
What has business got to offer our changing world

Click here to view May MEBC workshop report.

Click here to view May MEBC workshop slideshow.

Wednesday 30th March 2011
09.00 –13.00
Workshop
BCSD-UK Pathway
Groundwork Birmingham
MEBC is a partner organisation in this multi-venued, UK wide event that also links to the WBCSD in Geneva

Wednesday 1st December 2010 MEBC Annual Dinner.
Champagne Reception, Round Room, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery sponsored by Grant UK precedes the Dinner in the Banqueting Suite, Birmingham City Council. Guest speaker Tony Wray, CEO Severn Trent Water.

Thursday 16th September 2010 hosted by Martineau on Community Energy
Guest speaker Philippa Roberts on Community Energy and Big Society – does it work? Fred Mead – BCSD-UK gives examples of Renewable Energy Applications.

29th June 2010 hosted by Martineau.

Evening workshop on Procurement.

MEBC members will be able access the presentations on the member’s page

How can we ensure our new political leaders know we can help turn aspiration into delivered reality? David Middleton, MEBC CEO, made the introduction and the purpose of the session and Pat Laughlin, MEBC Chair, spoke about the Coalition and the Programme for Government. David the introduced the Plenary Session ‘what are the barriers to the growth of the Low Carbon Economy’. There were then roundtable discussions with key questions for government.

MEBC Members can access the full report on the member’s page

22nd March 2010 - People.Space.Movement. Jaguar Halls, Ricoh Arena, Coventry.

The People Space Movement PDF is available in the Document Library.

11th March 2010 - MEBC Board meeting held at the City Inn Hotel, Birmingham.

9th February 2010 - MEBC Meeting held at Martineau.

The event looked at the opportunities in the Packaging sector.

The speakers were David Terry, Business Link; Justin Kempson, Charpak Ltd; Shameem Kazmi, Danjim Supply Group; Hugh Frost, Hugh Frost Designs ltd and Paul Dockerill, Thomas Vale Construction.

The speakers presentations are available in the Document Library.

19th January 2010 - MEBC Board Meeting at Arup.

Annual Dinner on 2nd December 2009 at Birmingham City Council Banqueting Suite.The MEBC Annual Dinner has been sponsored by Birmingham City Council, Aston University and Martineau. The Black Country Consortium sponsored the Champagne Reception which preceded the dinner.

Guests comments included:
"I thoroughly enjoyed the event and meeting your colleagues and other guests. I thought Andreas' speech was extremely thought provoking and it is always good to hear about initiatives and innovation being put into practice."

"it was a wonderful event, in a marvellous venue. The food was lovely, the re was a worthy winner of the main award the company was exemplary."

Click here to view the dinner flyer.

4th November 2009 - MEBC Meeting held at Martineau.

Martineau hosted the final MEBC evening workshop of the year with an event that looked at business opportunity arising from the need to retro-fit the existing housing stock in the UK as an essential activity in the fight to reduce carbon emissions.

Speakers were Rob Annable, Director of Axis Design, Matthew Rhodes, Managing Director of Encraft Ltd and Mark Clemson, Director and Co-Owner of New World Solar Installations Ltd.

PowerPoint slides from the event can be downloaded here.

6th October 2009 - RESCO Launch

RESCO is led by Stafford University and is a £1.4 million project aimed at ensuring regional business connect to business opportunities arising in this area.

Click here to download the presentations.

The pictures are available in the Gallery.

22nd September 2009 - MEBC Meeting held at Martineau.

The event looked at the Government's UK Low Carbon Transition Plan and the effects on Businesses, The region and the view of Friends of he Earth.

The speakers were Paul Mountain, Partner at Martineau, Chris Crean, Development officer of Friends of the Earth and Gareth Stanley, Business Development Manager of Advantage West Midlands.

1st July 2009 - MEBC Meeting held at Martineau.

A free MEBC information, knowledge and networking opportunity for those in the business and public sectors who make decisions and drive management policy and implementation programmes related to profitability, competitiveness, waste eradication, new business development.

Click here for more information.

Click here to download Tim Robins, Regional Manager, Envirowise, presentation.

3rd June 2009 - Location Best Practice Visit, CHP Plant, Birmingham

Delegates comments about the visit included:

"I thought the event was very well run and very informative, it was fantastic to see the plans for B'ham moving forward using this technology. I really had no idea that it was so advanced and the opportunities that B'ham City have now this infrastructure is in place. I think public in some case are quick to criticise the council I hope they are just as quick to commend them for taking this forward. To sum up, very impressed." Mark Woolridge - Boxtelematics.

"The site visit was informative and provided an welcome insight into the way in which a modern city can be run. It was good to have access to areas that normally the public would not see and get a better understanding on how a modern CHP plant operates. Overall a well organised and worthwhile event". Andrew Sutton - Katronic.

21st May 2009 - RACTA

Hybrid cars – off-site manufacturing – flood defences – eco–housing – all were discussed and debated at the Renewables and Clean Technology Audit staged as part of the SustainabilityLive! suite of events at the NEC in Birmingham. Sponsored by Advantage West Midlands and support sponsored by Birmingham City Council, the event was held in association with the Business Council for Sustainable Development – United Kingdom
(BCSD-UK) and the Midlands Environmental Business Company (MEBC).

Speakers at the half day workshop were Ralph Hepworth from Advantage West Midlands, Heather Pearce and Roy Stokes from The Environment Agency, Mark Clemson from New World Solar, Alan Cooper from Laing O’Rourke, and Keith Sexton from Amey.

Delegate comments about the event included “Very informative, some ideas different to elsewhere”. Glyn Holt - Birse Civils.

“If we don’t act now on what we know, our grandchildren will have a terrible problem. If we do act now we could export jobs, prosperity and happiness”. Mark Edwards - GAP.

“Very good – enlightening and thought provoking”. Simon Anderson – Quatroserve.

Afternoon event.

The Summerfield Eco-Village Partnership is an initiative started by local residents. It was the winner of the Public Sector category of The National Energy Efficiency Awards 2008. The Eco Village includes eco homes with recycled denim and wool insulation; air source heat pumps; high frequency lighting; kitchens of 100% recycled materials; sun-pipes; solar panels. Over 300 homes have solar panels and energy saving devices. The scheme includes a new eco office; a community facility; eco web site; eco radio station; school scheme.

A “Virtuous Circle” (according to BCSD-UK CEO David Middleton) is where responding to one challenge – such as an environmental one – also creates a positive economic and social impact and achieves sustainable development. When members of the BCSD-UK’s Midlands branch – the Midlands Environmental Business Company (MEBC) - visited Summerfield, Edgbaston, one of Birmingham’s less well heeled areas, they were delighted and surprised to find an example of a Virtuous Circle in action.

“The project is driven by local residents who want to make their community thrive and who are particularly concerned about environmental best practice” says David Middleton. “We found a project that was regenerating the area by providing a range of street improvements and which is drastically improving the energy efficiency of homes through the application of good sustainable development methods. That is evidence of the City executing its social responsibilities and improving the environment. The fact that many local businesses are employed in the process and that they have recruited local people into their expanding businesses is example of economic wins. Social responsibility; environmental protection; economic well-being – these are the cornerstone values of sustainable development. Everyone involved is to be warmly congratulated. This is a great exemplar and we should encourage its replication far and wide.”

Ian Heasman, Brownfield Remediation Manager, Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd; said: “The Summerfield Eco-Village project highlighted the complex and inter-relating challenges of simultaneously addressing fuel poverty and retrofitting sustainable technologies, using a community first approach with local purchasing and the development of a local skill base. This provides a bottom up model for sustainability that points the way towards part of the solution to the climate change challenge. I found the day very rewarding”.

David Wheeler, Design & Standards Manager, Homes & Communities Agency said: "I'd been recommended to visit the Summerfield Eco Village as an example of good practice and was pleased by what I found. Family Housing and MEBC have worked hard with the local community to tailor energy efficiency measures to individual household's needs, as part of a general improvement plan for the area. The results are clear to see: once neglected but now good quality and well-insulated family-sized, Edwardian terraced houses brought back into the community and fitted with renewable energy sources that have dramatically cut running costs. Well done to all involved!"

Those involved include Birmingham City Council; Family Housing Association (Birmingham) Limited; Urban Living; and MEBC member company New Solar Installations Limited.

The specification for the Code 3 homes visited at Summerfield can be found in the Document Library.

Click on this link to view the Save your Energy video shown on the visit - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS418xrHovg

11th March 2009 - Sustainability Workshop.

MEBC members and guests met at Arup in Solihull where Nick Mitchard, Associate, Sustainable Procurement and the Public Sector, Arup, and Steve Wallace, Global Head of Environment, National Grid gave presentations.

Nick Mitchard’ s briefing looked to identify ‘what works, what doesn’t work and what can be done to implement sustainable procurement into the public sector’.Key issues addressed included opportunities for improvement, constraints to deliver and tools to support implementation.

Steve Wallace told us what National Grid is doing to create a more sustainable future with a particular focus on the approach to stewardship of the environment. This included examples of what National Grid is doing to drive carbon out of the domestic heat market, reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases, and reduce and recycle waste in their street works and contaminated land management activities. He also highlighted how public policy decisions can either help or hinder National Grid on the road to a sustainable future.

Heather Pearce, Senior Procurement Officer, Envirowise said: "I thought the event was very informative and interesting. I was pleased that it clearly described sustainable procurement and best practice and provided speakers from a range of companies and organisations to demonstrate what they were doing to support the sustainable procurement agenda. The open discussion at the end of the presentations was very interesting and I enjoyed listening to other sectors and organisations points of view. I particularly liked the idea of National Grids Floe the Polar Bear. I think this is a fantastic way of illustrating the impact we have on the environment and what we can do to reduce it. On my return to the office I had everyone giving it a go!"

The presentations are available in the Document Library.

3rd December 2008 - 6th Annual Business Success Dinner

Keynote speaker was passioned sustainable development business leader Dr Stewart Davies, former MD of Corus and Rugby Cement, now Managing Director of Serco Integrated Services and Business Commissioner of the Sustainable Development Commission.

A copy of his speech can be downloaded from the Document Library.

The 2008 event again featured two now traditional elements – the presentation of the MEBC “Member of the Year” Award, this year to retiring MEBC Chairman Ian Aspley, and the interview sequences by BBC TV News Presenter Kay Alexander, who swooped on unsuspecting members of the audience to explore what successes they have had in the year.

Last December it was a sell out. We were delighted this year to be able to make the event bigger without moving from its delightful traditional home of the Banqueting Suite at Birmingham Council House, thanks to sponsorship from the Black Country Consortium. Faber Maunsell again sponsored the Champagne Reception which was held this year in the Round Room of the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, connected to the Banqueting Suite by the Glass Corridor. This dinner is fast becoming the focal point for the sustainable development year in the West Midlands.

Photos can be seen in the Gallery.

12th November 2008 - General Meeting and Board Meeting

Hosted by Eversheds LLP, Birmingham. Main speaker was David Middleton, CEO, MEBC. New member presentation from Shameem Kazmi, MD, Danjim Ltd.

One delegate said: 'I found the meeting to be very friendly, welcoming and informative, I shall be speaking to other companies within the ENER-G group about our future involvement'.
- Nick Cummings, ENER-G

Mark Clemson of New World Solar, another new MEBC member said:
"As a new member of the MEBC I am greatly encouraged to find likeminded people who through business, innovation and their passion, are committed to understanding the impacts of climate change, and are taking action now. The meeting was great for networking, and a real opportunity to understand what other organisations are doing with regard to the sustainability agenda. An evening well spent".

6th November 2008 - Carbon Workshop

Nearly 60 delegates met at the National Metalforming Centre in West Bromwich where our Carbon Workshop was sponsored by the Black Country Consortium. Speakers included Richard John of Faber Maunsell/AECOM; Fred Mead of BCSD-UK’s secretariat; Mike Smith of URS Corporation; Paul Mountain with Calum Hughes from Martineau.

Acting as raporteur was Claire Biggs from Cranfield University, the first manifestation of what we hope will be a close strategic and working relationship between BCSD-UK and Cranfield.

Edward van der Kleijn from TNT Post Midlands said of the event: ‘I’d like to thank the BCSD-UK for taking the initiative and setting an example for business to wake up to the impending watershed of their responsibility to the environment’.

Speaker presentations are available in the Document Library.

Photographs can be seen in the Gallery.

This workshop was part of a series being held by BCSD-UK throughout the country. It was the discussion topic at the BCSD-UK General Meeting held on 10th July at Lloyds TSB in London. It was held in Glasgow, hosted by Scottish Enterprise on 28th August. For more information click here. It will be held in Yorkshire on 18th November.

16th September 2008 - Board Meeting

26th June 2008 - Site Visit to The Wolseley Sustainable Building Center

MEBC members and guests recently visited the impressive new Sustainable Building Center at Royal Leamington Spa. Wolseley UK is the UK operating company of Wolseley plc, the world's number one distributor of heating and plumbing products and is a leading supplier of builders' products to the professional market. Its new centre (spelt CENTER to mirror its outlets such as Plumb Center etc etc) provides substantial and practical evidence of what can be done to make buildings sustainable.

Product Manager, Chris Booker, acted as guide and launched into the tour with a highly informative presentation that can be seen in the Document Library.

Matthew Rhodes of Encraft attended the visit and commented:
"Wolseley's vision is impressive and it is great to see them setting such a good example in the heart of the West Midlands. For a long time at Encraft we have been blowing the trumpet about the importance of treating these technologies as mainstream commercial products, and this centre is a tangible corporate vote of confidence in a new level of professional approach to sustainable construction."

Photographs from the visit are in the Gallery.

For further information on the Sustainable Building Center click here.

12th June 2008 - Board Meeting

21st May 2008 - Business Breakfast Briefing

Paul Mountain of Martineau Johnson, MEBC member and one of the UK's leading independent law firms, provided a lively and inquisitive audience with a debrief following his recent business opportunity exploration to Mumbai and Kolkata. From the opulence of the Taj President Hotel – “a monument to Tata’s empire” to the squalor of Mumbai’s slum townships, Paul’s guided tour identified a number of key opportunities in the environmental sector. In addition, there appears to be scope for an MEBC partnership arrangement with an R&D centre in India which we will investigate with Paul’s help.

23rd April 2008 - Green Roof Site Visits

MEBC’s oversubscribed Location Visit to explore green roof technology was led by Dr Adam Bates of the University of Birmingham and sponsored by Alastair Moseley from WSP Group. By good fortune the sun shone throughout the visit to roof tops at Birmingham University, Fort Dunlop and the Birmingham Voluntary Service Council.
For the English FFL guidelines click here.
For a detailed explanation of a green roof click here.

Dr Bates' presentation is available in the Document Library.
Photographs from the visit can be seen in the Gallery.

20th March 2008 - Site visit to Francis Court Zero Carbon Housing Development - BREW WM

Francis Court, Halesowen is a development by Accord Housing Association designed specifically for the over 45's and built using the latest environmentally sensitive techniques. These include super insulation, low energy design, passive ventilation and sunspaces.

Seeing is believing! As part of the MEBC’s programme of raising awareness about resource utilisation, funded through AWM from the BREW fund, MEBC members and guests enjoyed a grey March day location visit to the Accord environmental housing project in Halesowen.

Accord has over 40 years experience in the social housing sector and is one of the largest housing associations working in the Midlands. It has 6,400 homes in management and a further 3,100 planned by 2012. Accord provides a range of supported housing and care services to meet the needs of a diverse group numbering around 35,000 people.

Photographs from the visit are in the Gallery.

20th March 2008 - Workshop on Leading Innovation, Inspiring Creativity - BREW WM

The workshop is designed to give leaders and key managers the inspiration to prompt innovation within their companies. Organised by Urban Mines.
12.00 - 16.30 at Faraday Wharf, Aston Science Park, Birmingham.
Contact: Julie Tiffany on 01274 699400 or julie.tiffany@urbanmines.org.uk.

20th March 2008 - Board Meeting

11th - 13th March 2008 - Visit to Gussing, Austria

MEBC, along with EBOP and UKTI, supported the BCSD-UK visit to Gussing, Austria.

Gussing is the first community in the EU to cut carbon emissions by more than 90%.
The small town of Gussing has captured the attention of scientists, politicians, eco-tourists and the press due to its radical embracing of alternative energy. The International Herald Tribune headlined their article on Gussing's extraordinary achievements;'Dead-end Austrian town blossoms with green energy.

The programme for the visit included: a series of seminars in the European Centre for Renewable Energy; a visit to the flagship biomass plant; a presentation from the Mayor of Gussing; the business model for energy generation.

For more information on the visit including a full report, speaker presentations and photographs go to www.bcsd-uk.co.uk.

13th March 2008 - Think Tank on zero carbon / climate change / sustainable development

MEBC members and guests attended a Workshop hosted by ARUP at their Solihull offices to discuss carbon issues. MEBC Vice Chairman, Prof. Peter Braithwaite of ARUP gave a scene setting presentation to spark what proved to be a lively debate. Further details from the event to follow.

Prof. Peter Braithwaite's presentation is available in the Document Library.

26th February 2008 - Evening Seminar - BREW WM

Hosted by Groundwork Black Country and BISNES in partnership with Envirowise and MEBC. Guest speaker Professor Martin Goosey focussed on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restiction of Chemical Substances (REACH) legislation and also Green Chemistry. David Middleton, MEBC CEO, gave a presentation on 'Dealing with REACH - Environmental Good Practice'. The event also featured the presentation of Business Environment Charter Certificates by Allison Fraser, CEO, Sandwell MBC.
16.35 to 18.45 at the Bethel Convention Centre, West Bromwich.
Contact: Julie Coxon on 0121 569 6603.

For further information click here.
To request a copy of David Middleton's presentation please ring 0121 693 8338.

25th February 2008 - Renewables Technology Audit '08 - BREW WM

MEBC via BREW WM supported the Renewables Technology Audit '08; a business led appraisal of sustainable development solutions and business opportunities relating to energy, heat and water challenges.Featuring Mitsubishi Electric Living Environmental Systems, Veolia Water Solutions and Technologies, BHR Biofuels Ltd, Worcester Bosch Group.

09.00 - 14.00, Banqueting Suite, Birmingham Council House.

For more information click here.

To view the Programme click here.

For RTA 08 Newsletter click here.

14th February 2008 - Visit to Biogas specialists Greenfinch - BREW WM

2.30pm at Greenfinch in Ludlow.
The visit was held in the Visitor Centre in the Biodigester building and included a presentation by Michael Chesshire on the Food Waste Digester and a tour through the viewing gallery windows.

"Michael Chesshire's depth of knowledge, his ability to convey clearly both the science and the economics of food-waste and farm-waste to energy CHP, and his sheer enthusiasm, are inspiring. The model deserves wider application. It adds to the necessary cautious optimism that renewable energy can and will make a major contribution in the UK to the stabilisation of climate change and promote more thoughtful and responsible consumption." - Paul Mountain, Martineau Johnson

The display boards from the meeting room are available in the Document Library.

To request a copy of Michael Chesshire's presentation please contact katieh@ebc-info.co.uk or call Katie on 0121 693 8338.

7th February 2008 - Resource Efficiency Workshop - BREW WM

Organised by Envirowise.
07.45 - 10.30 at Mercure Albrighton Hall Hotel and Spa, Albrighton, Shrewsbury.
Contact: Amy Regler on amy.regler@transformingtelford.co.uk.

For more information click here.

16th January 2008 - Product Design Seminar - BREW WM

Organised by Envirowise.
09.30 - 15.00 at the Macdonald Burlington Hotel, New Street, Birmingham.
Contact: Tanya Crapper on 01635 280408.

19th - 23rd November 2007 - Groundwork's PEM course - BREW WM

The Practical Environmental Management Plus course run by Groundwork for the Bridge-it Programme is a new 'fit for purpose' training course. It consists of five full day sessions.
This course takes place in Birmingham and they are also being run in Coventry and Herefordshire.

For further information click here.

20th November 2007 - MEBC Think Tank on Zero Carbon Housing

David Summersgill, who is tasked to help the City of Birmingham towards a "zero carbon" homes commitment, was able to give an MEBC Workshop a reality check and to throw out a challenge. Hosted in the city centre by Faber Maunsell, the meeting heard the detail that stands behind the media headlines. The MEBC was also challenged to help the city towards its aspirations. Some delegates have already responded to this and an initial communiqué has been issued to the city. There will be an invitation to MEBC members and non-members who attended the initial Workshop to attend a second meeting soon after Christmas to explore a potential forward plan.

7th November 2007 - MEBC Board Meeting and AGM

Sandy Taylor, Head of Climate Change and Sustainability at Birmingham City Council, was guest speaker at the Martineau Johnson hosted MEBC AGM on November 7^th 2007. He gave a comprehensive overview of the sustainable development challenge that confronts the City.

The presentation from this event is available in the Document Library.

The Practical Environmental Management Plus course run by Groundwork for the Bridge-it Programme is a new 'fit for purpose' training course. It consists of five full day sessions which are spread over five months.
This course takes place in Herefordshire and they are also being run in Coventry and Birmingham.

Click here for further information.

24th September 2007 - Efficiency and Sustainability Event - BREW WM

Organised by West Midlands Excellence Network and Envirowise.
3pm to 6pm at BMW Hams Hall, Coleshill, Birmingham.
Contact: John Barraclough (Envirowise) 07795 815522 or Karen Soulsby (WM EN) 01675 460115.

Click here for more information.

To request a copy of David Middleton's presentation please call 0121 693 8338.

19th September 2007 - MEBC Board Meeting

18th September - 11th December 2007 - Groundwork's PEM course - BREW WM

The Practical Environmental Management course run by Groundwork for the Bridge-it Programme. It consists of six sessions spread over four months.
This course takes place in Coventry.

Click here for further information.

18th September 2007 - 12th February 2008 - Groundwork's PEM course - BREW WM

The Practical Environmental Management Plus course run by Groundwork for the Bridge-it Programme is a new 'fit for purpose' training course. It consists of five full day sessions spread over six months.
This course takes place in Birmingham and they are also being run in Coventry and Herefordshire.

For further information click here.

17th September 2007 - Climate Change Seminar - BREW WM

Organised by CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) and Envirowise.
Austin Court, Birmingham.
Contact: Julie Witts 02467 849380.

For further information from Envirowise click here.

To request a copy of David Middleton's presentation please call 0121 693 8338.

5th September 2007 - Resource Efficiency Seminar - BREW WM

Organised by Groundwork West Midlands for the Bridge-It Programme.
8.30 to 11.30 at Groundwork UK.
Contact: John Smale 0121 507 6522.

Click here for more information.

5th September 2007 - NISP Workshop - BREW WM

09.30 to 13.30 at The Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham.
Contact: Frederic Kertrestel 07789 5574376.

Click here for more information.

3rd September 2007 - REACH and Green Chemistry - BREW WM

Worcester

25th July 2007 - Think Tank on the new RES

MEBC members met to discuss the West Midlands Regional Economic Strategy Consultation Draft of May 2007. Dr. Simon Slater of Advantage West Midlands kindly introduced the RES and a discussion followed with some very pleasing results.

The MEBC response to the RES can be seen in the Members Area.

10th July 2007 - Business Breakfast Meeting - BREW WM

The Telford Business Partnership held a breakfast meeting at the Telford International Centre entitled 'A Low Carbon Future for Buildings and Business Management in a Carbon Conscious World'.

Click here for more information on the event.