West Midlands have now

been approved and are

recruiting for advisors and

delivery partners. You can

find out more here.

Enjoy reading and have a

great summer!

The decision has been made

and we have voted to leave

the EU. There’s no doubt

that in time this will have a

significant impact on

environmental legislation

We will of course share

information as soon as it

becomes available.

We have been looking at

funding opportunities for

SMEs. There is currently a

Green Business Fund open

to small and medium

companies, courtesy of the

Carbon Trust, to help them

become more energy

efficient. You can find out

more on the next page or by

visiting the Carbon Trust

website.

Other ERDF funded low

carbon business support

programmes across the

What’s new in environmental legislation and business support?

June 2016 Volume 2, Issue 2

Environmental Legislation Update

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

Energy Taxation Changes

The Carbon Trust Green

Business Fund

Packaging Waste

EU Energy

Environmental Regulation

team moves from BIS to

Defra

ISO45001

Legislation

Support

For further details and

relevance to your business

please refer to the

legislation or guidance

below:

Find your local West Midlands

green business club

Energy Taxation Changes

has indicated that the

Climate Change Levy will

rise by 2019 to cover the

shortfall and charges will

be geared to incentivise

businesses to use less gas.

The ratio will move to

2.5:1 (electricity : gas)

from April 2019 with a

view to reaching a ratio

of 1:1 rates by 2025.

The government has

confirmed that the

Carbon Reduction

Commitment (CRC) is to

be scrapped following the

2018/19 compliance year

in order to simplify the

business efficiency

landscape. This follows a

review of business energy

taxes. The Chancellor

Climate Change

Agreement eligibility

criteria will remain as

they are until at least

2023 with the discount

increasing from 2019.

However DECC will be

looking at energy

efficiency achievements

made by CCA

participants.

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! For

enquiries please contact us at

WMEBS@groundwork.org.uk

NEWS!

The Carbon Trust Green Business Fund

Further details and step-

by-step guides are

available on the Carbon

Trust website.

energy efficient lighting,

energy controls or heating

and air-conditioning.

Funding is available from

June for companies with

less than 250 employees for

a limited time and on a first

come, first served basis.

The Carbon Trust advisors’

support includes a feasibility

check, tendering help and

writing performance

specifications appropriate

for your business.

This Carbon Trust fund helps

small and medium-sized

enterprises (SMEs) to

identify energy saving

opportunities via telephone,

email, on-site visits or

through available workshops.

The Green Business Fund

offers a capital contribution

of 15% of energy efficiency

equipment or a project

worth up to a maximum of

£10,000. The grant could be

used towards, for example,

Environmental Regulation team moves from BIS

to Defra

In order to improve

coordination of

government policy, Defra

has taken over the

responsibility for policies

around a number of

regulations from BIS. The

Environmental Regulation

team is in charge of a range

of waste and product-

related EU-derived

regulations including

Waste Electrical and

Electronic Equipment,

End of Life Vehicles, and

Waste Batteries and

Accumulators.

The team also has policy

responsibility for the

enforcement of these

areas through the

contracts held with the

Environment Agency, the

National Measurement

and Regulation Office

(NMRO) and trading

standards departments in

local authorities.

ISO 45001 for Occupational H&S Management Systems updates:

Publication of the new

international standard for

occupational safety and

health ISO 45001 has been

delayed until June 2017.

This is due to the large

amount of comments

received in regard to the

draft standard which will

require consideration and

resolution.

Phone: 0121 530 5513

Fax: 0121 530 5501

E-mail:

WMEBS@groundwork.org.uk

www.groundworkwmebs.co.uk

Quick updates

Packaging Waste

Defra ended its

consultation on the

consolidation of the

Producer Responsibility

Packaging Regulations

and its amendments on

17 May. The reviewed

Regulations will include

the new glass and plastic

targets agreed by the

Chancellor. According to

the Budget report from

March 2016, the existing

target for plastic will be

reduced to 49% in 2016

rising 2% each year to

57% in 2020. For glass,

the existing target will

remain the same in

2016/17 then rise 1%

each year to 2020.

Consolidated Regulations

should come into force in

autumn 2016 .

EU Energy

The European Commission

has agreed to look at the

costs and benefits of

increasing energy efficiency

by 40% between 2005 and

2030 before any new

policies and directives are

introduced. The EU Energy

Efficiency Directive is

expected to produce large

upgrades in the EU building

stock.