Terms of Reference for the WMCA Environment Board

Purpose

To help the WMCA become ‘best in class’ in terms of the delivery of ‘clean, inclusive and resilient growth’.

Success will be measured by annual improvements in the independent sustainability benchmark of combined authorities and progress on the Strategic Economic Plan goals on carbon, renewable energy, fuel poverty, air quality, waste, the natural environment and the growth of the green business sector.

The Board will provide advice and support to WMCA activity, helping engage with wider stakeholder networks and activity, identify and scale up existing good practice within the WMCA area, and identify and secure resources to deliver new opportunities.

Accountability

Accountable to the CA Board and Mayor and supported by the WMCA lead council CEO and WMCA Director with responsibility for environment. The Board also provides progress updates, advice and recommendations to other WMCA Committees.

Membership

Councillor - WMCA Portfolio Lead for the Environment

Councillor – Cabinet member for Environment from each of the 7 constituent authorities

Councillor – Up to 3 representatives of the sub-regional geography recommended from the non-constituent group.

Members of the WMCA Environment Advisory and Delivery Group may also attend in an advisory but non-decision making capacity. These are currently:

• WMCA Director (Patrick White), WMCA Local Authority CEO (Jan Britton)
• WMCA Interim Head of Environment (Simon Slater) – Workstream Environment Delivery Board and Action Plan, Strategy and Monitoring, Benchmarking and Reporting
• WMCA Strategic Assets Manager (Jemma Hodgson)– Workstream WMCA Internal Estates, Operations, Communications and Environmental Management
• Chair Energy Capital (Matthew Rhodes) Workstream Green Energy and Carbon Emissions
• Chair of WM Green Business Clubs Network (Andy Whyle) – Workstream Green Business
• SHAP - Sustainable Housing Action Programme (Rosemary Coyne) – Workstream Green Buildings and Retrofit
• Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust (Georgia Stokes) – Workstream Natural Environment
• CENEX (Keith Budden) – Workstream Air Quality and Low Carbon Vehicle
• Roy Stokes, Environment Agency (RS) – Representing ‘Defra Family’ of Forestry Commission & Natural England

Substitutes

Members of the Board can nominate one substitute to attend and act on their behalf, if they cannot attend. This needs to be agreed in advance with the Monitoring Officer.

Chair

This will be the WMCA Portfolio Lead for the Environment.

Budgets and Voting

The Board will agree an annual work programme, which will be funded by the WMCA and partners, and progress reported to the Board.

Where possible recommendations will be reached by consensus, if a vote is required a majority of members is required. If there is a tie then Chair has the casting vote.

Quorum

There needs to be the WMCA Board Portfolio Lead and three other members.

Frequency

Three to four meetings a year.

Servicing

The WMCA Governance team working with the WMCA Director and Head of Environment will support the Board in terms of agenda, papers, and minutes.

The WMCA Environment Board Advisory and Delivery Group (EADG) will also meet between Board meetings to help drive particular workstreams.

Functions

Develop and report progress on an annual delivery plan.

Action Plan workstreams are to include:

• Strategy, monitoring, benchmarking and reporting
• Internal estates, operations, communications and environmental management
• Green Energy and carbon emissions
• Green Business and Finance
• Green Buildings and Retrofit
• Natural Environment
• Air Quality and Low Carbon Vehicle Opportunities

• Commercial Waste

The workstreams will be progressed by:

•       Providing advice and support to WMCA activity

•       Helping engage with wider stakeholder networks and activity

•       Identify and scale up existing good practice within the WMCA area

•       Identify and secure resources to deliver new opportunities

•       Provide constructive challenge function by feeding into annual independent progress reports to the WMCA by Sustainability West Midlands.