Refreshed study to shine light on opportunities for the green economy in the Midlands

Midlands Net Zero Hub and Midlands Engine are investigating the opportunities of the green economy through a refresh of the Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services Sector (LCEGS) study. Following a competitive tendering process, the Midlands Net Zero Hub has appointed kMatrix Data Services and Sustainability West Midlands to refresh the study.

The original report, published in 2021, identified that the sector was work £26.6bn to the Midlands economy in 2019/20. The aim of the study was to provide an understanding of the state of the sector, where support was required at a local-authority and regional level, and the role the sector could play in a recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Three years on, the refresh of the study will use the existing data as a baseline for comparison. The updated report will allow key stakeholders to see changes and trends across their areas of interest. It will include a range of data sets relating to each of the sub-regions in the Midlands that provide decision makers with the information required to accelerate the net zero agenda.

The reports may also be used by economic development departments of local authorities across the Midlands region to get greater visibility on the LCEGS sector in their area and highlight opportunities for growth. There will also be an emphasis on capturing information on the skills and capacity of the supply chain for each area, which was a useful output from the first iteration of the study.

Jack Hayhoe, Head of Net Zero Programmes at Midlands Net Zero Hub, said : “The 2021 Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services Sector study was an invaluable resource for organisations across the region to identify opportunities to grow the green economy. Since the original data was collected in 2020, we have seen a huge transition as we work on the net zero agenda, so fresh insights into where the sector can go next are vital for the Midlands Net Zero Hub and the public sector organisations we support.

“As well as using this study to shape our support offering, we will be sharing the findings with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to inform them of the needs of the region. There will be opportunities for a range of stakeholders to input into the data refresh, so we look forward to working with partners to deliver this project.”

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