Sustainability and environmental excellence are key themes in all aspects of economic development and the new West Midlands Economic Strategy places sustainability at the heart of all its objectives.
The Rural Regeneration Zone has natural strengths in environmental technologies and green businesses which are being built on through a number of schemes.
Shrewsbury Environmental Technology Centre forms the base for many of these schemes at the Pump House in the town centre. The Centre is the home to a range of green businesses and organisations, including the Marches Energy Agency.
Schemes set up to support the environmental technologies and green initiatives in the Rural Regeneration Zone include Rethink which makes available capital grants for businesses wanting to install renewable energy technologies.
The Sharenergy initiative offer funding to support the creation of social enterprises that can provide renewable energy solutions for rural communities.
Other activity has included working with Bulmers to develop low carbon solutions to the generation of heat and power at their site in Plough Lane, Hereford, and a programme of support for businesses in Bishops Castle, Ellesmere, Oswestry and Cleobury Mortimer through the Low Carbon Communities Programme.