Introduction

In the 18th century, the West Midlands was the crucible of the first industrial revolution. Coal and steam powered a global explosion in growth that was to last for over 250 years, touching every aspect of daily lives. This home-grown revolution underpinned advances in science and medicine, created new modes of transport and revolutionised food production. But we have since come to realise that it also did unimaginable damage to our planet, and in a sense, we now owe a debt to the rest of the world.

Now the West Midlands is looking to give something back. Our low carbon industries are thriving, now outperforming many other sectors of our regional economy. We need to capitalise on this growth and lead a new, green industrial revolution. This time we will grow whilst protecting our natural resources and reversing damage to our planet. Our goal is to reach net zero emissions by 2041, and we have a clear plan for the first five years, promising to create tens of thousands of new jobs in green industries.

It is no small task – our traditional industries are still some of the most polluting in the country, and the region remains over reliant on carbon- emitting forms of transport. But with the right investment, public and private, we can lead a transition to net zero that leaves nobody behind. This prospectus highlights some of those opportunities; in advanced manufacturing, future mobility, smart energy systems, retrofitting, 5G, and more. I hope you enjoy reading it.