April 2009 – Free support for LSPs
Local Improvement Advisors (LIAs) can provide advice, coaching, training and mentoring to support local partnerships in delivering public services through the new performance framework and Local/Multi Area Agreements (LAAs and MAAs). The LIAs have a primary role in improvement and efficiency activities, offering face-to-face advice to help partnerships learn how to do things by themselves. A number of advisors have been appointed with expertise in climate change and environmental leadership. Emma Jones and Joanne Wade from Impetus are among them.

Advisors can be commissioned by Partnerships, RIEPs, Government offices in the Regions and, where appropriate, central government. The programme will meet the costs of the LIA’s time and expenses; all the participating partnership has to commit to is providing adequate support and management resources to ensure the assignment is delivered effectively.

Partnerships seeking support under this programme should get in touch with their local RIEP. Contact details can be found here. Each RIEP is promoting the service in its own way, but there is some basic information, written by the North East IEP, but which applies to the whole country, here.

April 2009 – Unlocking green enterprise
Impetus has developed the text for a Touchstone pamphlet on developing a green economy – part of a series designed to ‘inform and stimulate debate on the most pressing issues facing British policy makers’ – for the TUC. The work involved a literature review and interviews with industry experts. The aim of the research was to identify gaps in current Government policy and to suggest additional policy options based on assessment of initiatives in other countries. The pamphlet is one of a series designed to position the TUC as a respected contributor to a number of key policy debates. The Chancellor received information on the initial results of the work with interest, and further meetings with Treasury officials are being organised. A copy of the Touchstone pamphlet ‘Unlocking Green Enterprise: A Low-Carbon Strategy for the UK Economy’ can be downloaded from the TUC website (here).

April 2009 - NI 186 research
Impetus Consulting is currently investigating the inclusion of National Indicator 186 (the community carbon emissions indicator) in Local Area Agreements and the impacts this could have on local authority carbon emission reduction activities. Delivery against NI 186 targets will involve action to improve the sustainability of energy supply and use, and that of the road transport system. This project focuses mainly on elements relating to sustainable energy in buildings, a particular strength of the Impetus Consulting team.

The project is funded by the Pilkington Energy Efficiency Trust and the Energy Efficiency Partnership for homes. As part of the work we are talking to government and industry stakeholders and 25 randomly-selected local authorities. The aim is to gain an overall picture of the type of help that stakeholders can offer and that local authorities and LSPs need to meet their NI 186 targets. This work will enable Impetus to work more closely with local authorities in their efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the future.

April 2009 – Existing Homes Alliance
As two thirds of the homes likely to exist in 2050 have already been built, it is imperative that we improve the energy efficiency and performance of existing buildings, as well as encouraging better standards in new buildings. The Existing Homes Alliance is a coalition of organisations calling for urgent action to transform the UK’s existing housing stock. Participants include developers, builders and installers, manufacturers, suppliers and retailers, social housing managers, landlords and homeowners. The group is also working with local authorities, government and financial institutions, to help bring a practical focus to the need for an ambitious programme of low-carbon refurbishment through the UK. Impetus is working with WWF-UK to provide secretariat support to the Alliance. We have a thorough understanding of the problems involved in making our homes fit for now and the future and will be making good use of our knowledge and experience to help develop this important initiative. For more information, see here.

April 2009 – Portsmouth planning
Impetus is currently preparing an evidence base for Portsmouth City Council’s proposed sustainable planning policy. The proposed policy includes targets requiring developers to meet the standards set out in the Code for Sustainable Homes and the Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), as well as additional renewable energy targets. As part of an additional project with Portsmouth, Impetus is reviewing and updating the Housing Carbon Challenge Group Action Plan to assist the Council in reducing carbon emissions across the city.

See older news here.