Agenda and minutes

In Paul Hamer’s absence the chair was taken by Simon Pringle.

Apologies were received from Councillors Andrew Cooper and Lucinda Yeadon, Mark Duncan, Paul Hamer, Natasha Luther-Jones, Nevil Muncaster and John Williams.

It was reported that John Bradley had resigned from the Panel on 28 September 2017, and members thanked him for his contribution to the work of the Panel.

None were declared.

There were no exclusions of the press and public at the meeting.

Copy attached.

Resolved:  That the minutes of the Green Economy Panel held on 14 September 2017 be approved.  

(i)            Panel to receive a future paper on the key support it will offer the H21 programme.

(ii)               Panel to receive a future paper on how it will offer support to Yorkshire Water’s Esholt Circular Economy Demonstration Programme.                                                                                                              

Presentation by Ed Cox, Director, IPPR North

Ed Cox, Director, IPPR North attended to give members a presentation to outline the recently published Northern Energy Strategy and explore opportunities for the Panel.

A Northern Energy Taskforce was established in 2016 to oversee and develop an energy strategy for the Northern Powerhouse.

The aim of the Northern Energy strategy was to put the North as the leading low-carbon energy region in the UK and to create a northern energy economy.  To achieve this the Taskforce recommend:

·         A new Northern Energy Accelerator to identify; co-ordinate and drive northern energy opportunities from early-stage innovation to commercial and social success;

·         Making the north of England the testbed for the smart grid transition and the roll out of new Distribution System Operators (DSOs);

·         Collaboration to support more flexible and permissive approaches to energy pricing and supply to support and transform the North’s energy intensive industries.

The full Northern Energy Strategy was available on the IPPR’s website.

Mr Cox also took questions from members on a variety of issues related to the above and members expressed their thanks for his attendance at the meeting.

Resolved:

(i)            That the Panel explore how it might continue to be updated on, and play a part in, this regionally significant strategy.

(ii)          That Jacqui Warren and Ed Cox explore opportunities and begin to align / coordinate opportunities

Led by Vincent McCabe

That the Panel be requested to consider the nomination of a new Green Economy Panel representative to sit on the Resource Efficiency Fund (REF) Steering Group.

The REF Steering Group provides expert advisory support to the REF programme team to advise decisions on the delivery operations of the REF scheme and meets on a quarterly basis.

·         Henry Rigg, West Yorkshire Combined Authority (Chair)

·         Phil Cole, Leeds City Council (Delivery Partner representative)

·         Jannik Giesekam/Jonathan Busch, University of Leeds Sustainability Research Institute (role-share providing specialist sustainability advice)

John Bradley of Crompton Mouldings had been a member of the Steering Group, representing both the SME client sector and the Green Economy Panel up  until he tendered his resignation from the Green Economy Panel and the Steering Group on 28 September 2017.  While Mr Bradley has been approached to consider continuing to represent the SME sector on the Steering Group, the Green Economy Panel will no longer have a representative.

Resolved: 

(i)            William Firth volunteered to be the new GEP representative.

(ii)          To be fair to absent members, an email will be sent out to all Panel members asking them to express an interest in being the new REF GEP representative.

Led by Jacqui Warren

The Panel considered a report providing an update on the progress of major projects currently being delivered under the Strategic Economic Plan’s priority 3 including:

·         Overall Project Delivery

·         Energy Accelerator

·         Better Homes Yorkshire

·         Warm Homes Fund

·         Resource Efficiency Fund (REF)

·         District Heat Network (DHN) Programme

·         Green and Blue Infrastructure (GBI) Strategy and Delivery Plan

·         Zero Carbon Energy Strategy and Delivery Plan

·         H21

Resolved:  That the contents of the report be noted.

Led by Noel Collings

The Panel considered a report to update it on the delivery of the Energy Strategy and Delivery Plan (ESDP), including the outputs of recently completed commissions.

The Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) under Pillar 3 (Energy and Environmental Resilience) sets out the ambition of becoming a `resilient, zero carbon energy economy by 2016’.

The ESDP has been split into four discrete work packages, as detailed in the submitted report which updated the Panel on progress to develop the ESDP with a specific focus on the outputs of recently completed commissions for Work Packages 1 and 2 and the next steps with regard to Work Packages 3 and 4.

Resolved:

(i)            That the update and emerging outputs of the ESDP be noted.

(ii)          The ESDP Steering Group to create a fifth work package to embed the ESDP across the LEP and align with the wider Yorkshire region.

Led by Noel Collings and Jacqui Warren

The Panel considered a report to outline and inform on the opportunities presented by the government’s new Clean Growth Strategy (CGS) and seeking members views on the priority areas for action.

It was reported that the  commitments made by governments when signing up to the Paris Climate Agreement present a huge potential economic opportunity.  It had been estimated that £13.5 trillion of investment in the global energy sector alone would be required if all national targets were to be met.

A summary of the key benefits / opportunities and implications for WYCA and the wider LCR LEP were set out in the submitted report including various innovation related proposals and existing funding opportunities to be explored in the short – medium term.

Resolved:

(i)         That the proposals outlined in the Clean Growth Strategy be noted and explored further including:

·         Review of SEP, Energy Strategy and Industrial Strategy for synergies

·         Amend Appendix 1 and refine priorities for the next GEP meeting.

Led by Jacqui Warren

The Panel considered a report to update it on a new offer of support from Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) relating to the development of new energy hubs to accelerate clean energy generation across England.

It was reported that following a Local Enterprise Partnership’s (LEP) Chief Executives meeting in London on 22 August, BEIS wrote to all LEPs outlining proposals for local energy capacity support and provided a starting point for discussion. The purpose of the letter was to share BEIS’ outline proposals for how support in the form of additional resources could be used, and as a starting point for discussion.  A copy of the letter was attached at Appendix 1 of the submitted report.

An alternative proposal received from BEIS on 7 November was also presented to the Panel.  This was for a £1.29m Northern Hub serving all 11 Northern LEPs

BEIS have asked LEPs  to confirm their preferred model by 30 November.  LCR, Sheffield, Humber, York, North Yorkshire and East Riding, Tees Valley and the North East LEPs were currently developing a model and in discussion with the North Western LEPs.

Due to the funding available, the Panel advised that the original proposals (Yorkshire Humber and North East) LEP clusterings were more workable.

The Panel advised that resources were better focussed on delivering the LCR’s Energy Accelerator than hosting the new proposed BEIS Funded Northern hub.  As the proposals, stand the additional capacity offered would complement the LCR’s Energy Accelerator (EA) work by potentially supporting a wider array of low carbon projects.

Resolved: 

(i)            That the new offer of support from BEIS be noted and explored further.

(ii)          That Items 5, 8, 9 and 10  of this meeting be further explored and a coherent set of priorities drafted to ensure all new opportunities, strategies, policies and resources are fully aligned and accelerate the SEP zero carbon ambitions.