West Midlands unveils green recovery plan

An ambitious plan to help the West Midlands recover from the economic impact of coronavirus while making it a greener and healthier place to live and work has been given the green light.

The plan, WM2041: A Programme for Implementing an Environmental Recovery, builds on an existing commitment to make the West Midlands carbon neutral by 2041. This includes rebuilding its economy in a way that drives green and inclusive growth, so that all the region’s diverse communities and its environment can benefit from the post-coronavirus recovery.

Amongst the range of initiatives, the West Midlands Combined Authority has said it will: retrofit old and cold homes to make them more energy efficient; accelerate the transition of the region’s automotive industry to electric vehicles; roll out charging infrastructure for electric vehicles at scale; and announce a green innovation challenge for SMEs to find solutions for some of our climate change challenges.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “The region’s economic recovery from Coronavirus must be green and inclusive, and #WM2041 helps give clear direction of how to achieve this.
“We now need to come together as a region – including businesses, communities, and local authorities - to make this plan happen and help build a stronger, greener and more inclusive recovery for everyone in the region.”