Sustainable

Sustainability is a product of smarter working methods, alongside effective and efficient building design. As the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, The West Midlands has a proud heritage in driving change and, in a new century, has set out the Birmingham Climate Challenge to support its high-level targets for future sustainable development.

To maximise the opportunities available to the city, partnership working has been placed at the heart of Birmingham’s strategy to reduce CO2 emissions by 60% come 2026.

The city is already ahead of its CO2 reduction targets, having saved 103,039 tonnes of CO2 between 2008 and 2009.  Birmingham is one of only three places in England to be awarded a Green Flag by the Audit Commission for work on climate change. A new five year partnership has been launched between Birmingham City Council, CISCO and MIT under the Clinton Global Climate Change Initiative. Birmingham will be the lead global city to develop smarter living, smart homes.

Other key projects include:

• Birmingham was a pilot city in Cabled, the largest trial of electric vehicles in the UK.
• The University of Birmingham unveiled England’s first hydrogen fuelling station, which is part of its research into the hydrogen economy
• Aston University is home to the European Bio Energy Research Institute, a major centre for biomass energy research

Birmingham is one of Britain’s greenest cities, with 8,000 acres of parks and open spaces, including Sutton Park – the largest urban nature reserve in Europe. Eastside City Park will be the first major new city centre park in Birmingham for more than 125 years.