Birmingham appoints green commission

Birmingham City Council has established a "green commission" to help make the city more sustainable

Professor Dame Julia King, vice-chancellor at Aston University and a member of the committee on climate change, will be joined on the commission by representatives from the business, academic and third sectors, including:

• Andrew Bacon, business development director (public sector) at British Gas;
• Andy Deacon, director of delivery at the Energy Saving Trust;
• Faye Scott of the Green Alliance; and
• Keith Sexton, director of health, safety, environment and quality at Amey.

One of the commission’s first pieces of work will be to review the whole of the city’s carbon reduction targets, after a council audit report revealed the authority itself could not accurately calculate its own cut in emissions.

Council cabinet member James McKay said: “The commission will provide a platform for the best ideas to be shared and refined so the city benefits on many levels – environmentally, socially and economically.”