Memorandum from The Yorkshire and Humber Sustainable Futures
Company Ltd. (YH 05)

 

1.Executive Summary

This response will cover the following request for evidence:

"the role of Yorkshire Forward in promoting a low carbon economy in the region and in addressing regional issues concerning climate change and flooding."

This brief focuses upon the support that Yorkshire Forward has provided to the promotion of a low carbon economy with the Region, through its strategic delivery arm, the Yorkshire and Humber Sustainable Futures Company Ltd.

Examples are provided to support points raised. If the committee requires any further information, please contact, the Chief Executive, Joanne Pollard at [e-mail]

2.Background to SFCo

SFCo is a not-for-profit company whose aim is to work with business in Yorkshire and Humber to deliver a low carbon economy. Our brief is to deliver a 25% reduction in CO₂ emissions from the 1990 baseline by 2016. We provide funding and expertise for companies to develop projects that help them to reduce the region's carbon footprint. We are fully-owned by Yorkshire Forward.

3.Evidence

· Yorkshire Forward is fully committed to the sustainable agenda within the Region. The fact that they established SFCO in the first place, is a real indication of their ambition in this area. SFCo has received over £33m of direct funding from YF and ERDF over its 3.5 years existence.

· Given the range of sustainable interventions that we support, we are able to positively impact upon the whole sustainable supply chain. We either work with Businesses to become more sustainable, or we work with Businesses who work within / or are planning to operate within one of the sustainable sectors. We also work on developing sustainable markets such as wood pellet.

· We work with the complete range of Businesses within the Region. From micro and SME Businesses, all the way through to the FTSE 100 Companies who are either Headquartered, or have substantial presence within the Region.

· We work with National Delivery Bodies (Carbon Trust, WRAP, Environwise, MAS, NISP etc) to ensure that we direct Businesses to the most appropriate support mechanism or funding source, often referring regional Businesses to a National body. The regional co-ordinators for WRAP, Carbon Trust and Environwise are all based within our Leeds Head Office, and this has enabled us to develop extremely effective working relationships, which benefit Businesses within the Region. We are also working with National Bodies to increase their spend and profile within the Region.

· The fact that we are one unified organisation enables us to more effectively and efficiently support our customers. We are developing a shared services support infrastructure, which enables us to ensure that the maximum funding possible goes to businesses in support of the development of the low carbon economy with the region.

· We work very closely with YF, who provide our Sustainable strategy direction. This enables us to link in closely with all YF delivery programmes, both ensuring that they all have a sustainable focus, and that we can benefit from the outputs from other delivery programmes. A key area of joint focus currently, is the establishment of the Centre for Low Carbon Futures, which is a focussed collaboration between York, Leeds, Hull and Sheffield Universities. YF is providing funding support to this Organisation, and SFCo will be working closely with them regarding business relevance and contacts.

· YF has determined SFCo as the delivery mechanism for the Yorkshire and Humber Carbon Capture and Storage programme. Although this project is in its early days, its potential for impact in terms of carbon reduction and additional investment within the Region is substantial. It is estimated that full implementation of the Programme would reduce the UK's total CO2 emissions by approximately 10%.

· We enable businesses in the region to effectively network around the sustainable agenda. This enables collaboration and best practice sharing. Our carbon trading Yorkshire pilot (in conjunction with LGiU) has enabled us to establish a very clear mechanism for best practice sharing and organisation learning, as organisations prepare for the implications of the Carbon Reduction Commitment.

· YF manage relationships with Business Link and have demonstrated a clear commitment to use Business Link to promote the development of a low carbon economy. Working with YF and Business Link, SFCo is developing a suite of training interventions to ensure that Business Link advisers are equipped to assist businesses to make resource efficiency savings.

 

 

4.Recommendations

· We have conducted some work through our CAY team, with large businesses within the region regarding climate adaptation. This is something that our customers are increasingly interested in, and require support in. It is my recommendation that this area will need to be a key focus of our organisation moving forwards.

· I believe that greater collaboration is required in this area across the whole RDA network. This does sometimes occur, and there are examples of where best practice sharing has been very positive (eg. Buy Recycled initiative across NorthWest and Yorkshire). However , this needs to happen more broadly, and be supported and encouraged both through RDAs and through Central Government. We are currently leading a piece of work to share best practice across the Northern Way RDAs (NorthEast, NorthWest and Yorkshire), and although this is at a very early stage, there is a real appetite for this, and many opportunities to reduced delivery costs and more effective, joined up, and innovative support for businesses.

 

13 May 2009