Happy New Year and welcome to our

winter environmental update! After 2017

as the UK’s greenest year on record,

there is a lot of expectation for 2018

which already looks like a very busy

year….

Following the release of the 25 Years

Environmental Plan, setting the long-term

vision and national environmental goals,

the government has lots on the agenda to

deliver a “Green Brexit” and ensure that

existing legislation and environmental

objectives will remain applicable. Are the

actions defined in this plan, alongside

those in the Clean Growth Strategy,

sufficient to ensure environmental

protections on the long term? Will the

current government be able to deliver a

Green Brexit? There is hope if key issues

are resolved sooner rather than later.

Namely, the establishment of a new

independent statutory body to overlook

at environmental legislation, the

development of new environmental

regulations and policies, and the

implementation of internat ional

agreements. Watch this space!

For further information on this topic,

other local news, grants and upcoming

events visit the Sustainability West

Midlands website.

What’s new in environmental legislation?

January 2018 Volume 4, Issue 1

Environmental Legislation Update

Sustainability West Midlands Green Business Clubs Network In Partnership with Groundwork West Midlands EBS

The Producer Responsibility

Obligations (Packaging Waste)

(Amendment) Regulations

2017

Ionising Radiations Regulations

SI 2017/1075

The Greenhouse Gas

Emissions Trading Scheme

(Amendment) Regulations

2017

Landfill Disposals Tax (Wales)

Act 2017

Environmental Protection

(Microbeads) (England)

Regulations SI 2017/1312

A guide to energy performance

certificates for the

construction, sale and let of

non-dwellings – updated

Investing in energy efficiency:

investigating the total costs to

business

Legislation

Support

Consultation on proposals

to tackle crime and poor

performance in the waste

sector, and introduce new

fixed penalty for the waste

duty of care

This consultation focuses

on raising the standard of

operator competence

across all permitted waste

sites, strengthening the

regulators’ assessment and

enforcement abil it ies,

reforming the waste

The following consultations

are now open:

Env i ronment Agency

charge proposals from

April 2018

This consultation seeks

views on the charge

proposals which the

Environment Agency has

developed to take effect in

England in April 2018.

exemptions regime and

issuing fixed penalty notices

for small scale fly-tipping.

The consultation proposals

apply to England and

Wales.

Enforcement and sanctions

policy

This guidance applies to all

organizations regulated by

the Environment Agency.

Have your say….

Find your local West

Midlands

green business club

Keep up to date!

If you’d like to know what’s new

in environmental or H&S

legislation for an affordable price

just sign up for the Groundwork

WM EBS legal update service!

Contact us at:

WMEBS@groundwork.org.uk

Funding and competitions

EUREKA Eurostar 2,

Round 9

Innovative SMEs working

on high-quality research

and development (R&D)

projects across national

borders can apply for a

share of £2.5 million.

SBRI: electric vehicle

charging, sustainable

energy solutions

The aim of this competition

i s to support the

deve lopment o f an

integrated and scalable low

carbon EV charging

solution.

Industrial Energy

Efficiency Accelerator

fund:

A Carbon Trust run

initiative offering a total of

£9.2m in co-funding for

funding demonstration

projects.

APC9: Anchoring low

carbon technology

development in the UK

Up to £30 million match

funding available for

innovation that actively

accelerates low carbon

propulsion technologies to

market.

Low Carbon Growth

Support Project

G r o u n d w o r k W e s t

Midlands in partnership

with Sustainability West

Midlands is offering

around 40% capital

grant (up to £25,000)

towards energy saving

equipment to eligible

SMEs in the Black Country

and Greater Birmingham

and Solihull LEP areas. For

more information contact

0121 530 5507 or email

LowCarbon@groundwork.

org.uk.

Offshore wind cheaper than nuclear and gas

Construction of offshore

windfarms has seen a fall in

price, half of what they

were in 2015. BEIS has

announced three successful

offshore wind projects.

Hornsea 2 and Moray will

begin generating in 2022/23

at £57.50/MWh, and Triton

Knoll in 2021/22 at £74.75/

M Wh , w i t h p r i c e s

guaranteed for 15 years of

an expected project life of

25 years. In comparison,

the energy generated from

Hinkley Point C nuclear

plant is set to cost £92.50/

MWh while gas price is

currently set to £59/MWh

but is forecasted to

Phone: 0121 530 5527

Fax: 0121 530 5501

E-mail:

WMEBS@groundwork.org.uk

www.groundworkwmebs.co.uk

Quick updates

Chemical substances

ECHA has added seven

new substances of very

high concern (SVHC) to

the Candidate List. The

Candidate List is a list of

substances that may have

serious effects on human

health or the environment.

Guidance for Pollution

Prevention (GPPs)

More GPP have been

updated. Click here to see

the full GPPs list.

Aim Higher: How can

business help achieve

the 1.5°C ambition in

the Paris Agreement?

G a i n a d e e p e r

understanding of how

businesses will be able to

support the move towards

a 1.5°C world. Download

the report here.

Chinese plastic ban

The Chinese Government

has brought into force a

ban on imports of plastic

waste with effect from 1

January 2018. This ban is

impacting the UK recycling

industry as the UK has

exported over 2.7m

tonnes of plastic waste to

China since 2012. The UK

government has started

taking steps to tackle

plastic waste.

Free events

UK Environmental Policy

after Brexit

University of Birmingham

24/01/2018

Understanding your

Business' Energy Bills

The MTC, Coventry

31/01/2018

Understanding the UK's

Industrial Strategy -

Opportunities and Impacts

Birmingham

15/02/2018

Waste Management

Solutions – Right Waste,

Right Place

University of

Wolverhampton

01/03/2018

Regional Energy Policy

Commission Launch Event

University of Birmingham

28/03/2018

continue to increase over

the years, reaching £82/

MWh in 2025..