L-R: CEO Anna Bright, guest speaker Professor Chris Baines and SWM Chair Andrew Pollard
The West Midlands should be “braver” in working to achieve sustainability targets, the head of leading regional champion Sustainability West Midlands has told its annual conference.
Anna Bright, CEO of Sustainability West Midlands (SWM), encouraged delegates at the organisation’s 20th anniversary celebration event to push for greater progress than legislation currently requires for the region to be the forefront of progress.
Innovative solutions to increase sustainability were discussed at the annual conference and awards, attended by 200 guests at Millennium Point, Birmingham, on Thursday (March 10). Launched in 2002, SWM acts as the sustainability champion for the West Midlands, operating as a not-for-profit partner to more than 120 members in the private, public and third sectors.
In her CEO address to delegates, Anna Bright looked back on two decades of progress by the independent organisation which provides support to all sectors across the region on sustainability. She said: “It has not been an easy journey, but I am really proud at the contribution which SWM has made as we mark its 20th anniversary.
“We can be braver in the targets we set for sustainability indicators. We should push more, even if legislation doesn’t require it. You can influence through your supply chains, from suppliers through to your customers, to help them achieve their sustainability goals.
“Our communities are better placed to face climate change after learning new levels of resilience through the pandemic. Our membership has grown by 50 per cent in recent years. I hope the groundswell in people looking at sustainability will make a difference over the next 10 years.”
The event keynote speaker was leading environmental campaigner and award-winning writer and broadcaster Professor Chris Baines, who, as Vice President of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, has established partnerships between business, government and conservation, spanning industries including water, housebuilding, energy and ethical investment.
Prof Baines said: “The West Midlands has been a cauldron for fantastic joined up thinking for a very long time. The first 20 years of SWM have been important but I am sure the next 20 years will be even more significant.”
During a question and answer session, Prof Baines was asked how the West Midlands could adapt to be at the forefront of sustainability. He speculated that the region could reinvent itself in the way he had seen Qatar move to become a centre of healthcare and education during his work in the Middle East.
Prof Baines said: “It may be that there is a shift away from manufacturing in the West Midlands to other kinds of employment to carve out a community that can be served in other ways through technology. There are major changes under way and some of these have been accelerated by recent global events.”
In his address, SWM Chair Andrew Pollard said the increasing diversity of the group’s membership was “truly impressive”. He said: “Very few organisations with our track record have been around for 20 years. The growth to more than 100 members is testimony to collaboration and partnership. When it comes to sustainability everyone has a part to play.”
As part of its brief to act as the sustainability champion for the region, SWM developed the Sustainability Roadmap to 2030 framework to help organisations operating in the region to further their sustainability activities.
SWM acts as a catalyst to help these organisations operate more sustainably and contribute to their vision, which is: “The West Midlands is leading in contributing to the national target of Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 whilst addressing health inequality and driving inclusive growth.”
An awards ceremony was held at the conference to recognise regional successes in a range of key categories including resource efficiency, clean air and water and social equity and health. The winners in each category were:
- Adapting to Climate Change, sponsored by SustainIQ: Accelar Limited
- Clean Air & Water, sponsored by CREST@UCS: National Express West Midlands with Birmingham City Council
- Sustainable Growth, sponsored by University of Warwick: E4environment Ltd – Kanopi
- Clean & Active Travel, sponsored by Transport for West Midlands: University of Birmingham
- Natural Environment, sponsored by Groundwork West Midlands: The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country
- Social Equity & Health, sponsored by The Binding Site: Arden Estate Partnerships
- Sustainable Energy Use, sponsored by Bryt Energy: Aceleron
The all-day event also included panel discussions on key topics around sustainability, featuring Luke Willetts, Director of Operations at Worcestershire LEP, Jim Davies, Strategic Environmental Planning Lead (Climate Change Adaptation) at the Environment Agency and Beverley Nielsen, Executive Director, Institute for Design, Economic Acceleration & Sustainability at Birmingham City University.
The free conference was open to business leaders, public sector representatives and anyone interested in the opportunities ahead to bring environmental, social and economic improvement to the region.
