Building the Low Carbon Economy on Merseyside: Follow on funding

本次后续资金竞标旨在保持最近完成并成功的ESRC资助的知识交流项目“在默西塞德郡发展低碳经济”的势头并最大限度地发挥其影响，项目编号RES-185-31-0113。该项目是一个知识交流伙伴关系，涉及利物浦大学、利物浦愿景(该市的经济发展公司)、利物浦商会和基础默西塞德。KE伙伴关系从2009年9月持续到2010年7月，通过知识交流、借调、观察政策进程、一系列研讨会和一个产生影响的项目来探索：现在利物浦已经重新塑造了自己的品牌，其经济发展机构如何有效地促进向低碳经济的过渡？这座城市是否有正确的政策，将健康、充满活力和社会包容性的当地经济与我们需要做的事情结合起来，以避免危险的气候变化？具体地说，在默西塞德郡的新企业和现有企业以及经济向低碳经济转型的过程中，这对它们的支持意味着什么？如何支持新企业和社会企业参与低碳机遇？如何支持现有企业和社会企业转型？合作伙伴如何确保被社会排斥的社区能够从低碳机会中受益？合作伙伴现在寻求后续资金，以最大限度地发挥这项研究的影响，资金用于：(A)支持利物浦与以前和现有的绿色之都(斯德哥尔摩和汉堡)之间的互惠交流，以促进决定是否正式申办绿色之都，专注并促进利物浦向低碳经济的进展，就像文化之都地位促进了城市品牌重塑一样；(B)支持将低碳纳入城市经济发展战略主流的研讨会计划。这些研讨会将侧重于制定低碳知识战略、低碳游客战略、低碳港口和相关物流以及低碳环境技术部门。第五次研讨会将探讨城市地区的能源下降途径。(C)在利物浦大学派驻一名专职研究员，但将时间借调给三个合作伙伴。我们的研究表明，帮助企业减少情绪的商业顾问在他们的建议中只能做到这一点：他们不会深入企业的日常流程和实践。我们还发现，不愿做出改变的企业确实会听取其他采取措施绿化企业的商人的意见，他们可以指出其中的好处。基金会将与合作伙伴以及已经在低碳问题上采取行动的城市低碳商业顾问和商人(绿色大使)合作，帮助他们建立能力，更深入地研究商业实践，找出将碳排放和能源消耗降至最低的方法，超越现有计划的可能，并帮助商业顾问和绿色大使接触到尚未就低碳采取行动的企业；以及(D)支持在已经建立的低碳利物浦品牌的基础上，通过学术出版物向学术受众，以及通过从业者新闻和网站/电子邮件讨论列表向实践者传播研究结果。

This bid for Follow on Funding aims to maintain the momentum of and maximise the impact of the recently completed and successful ESRC-funded Knowledge Exchange Project "Developing the Low Carbon Economy on Merseyside", Project Ref RES-185-31-0113. The project was a Knowledge Exchange Partnership involving the University of Liverpool, Liverpool Vision (the city's economic development company), Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, and Groundwork Merseyside. The KE partnership ran from September 2009 to July 2010, and through knowledge exchange, secondments, observation of the policy process, a series of seminars, and an impact generating project explored:Now Liverpool has re-branded itself, how can its economic development agencies effectively facilitate the transition to a low carbon economy? Does the city have the right policies to combine a healthy, vibrant and socially inclusive local economy with what we need to do to avoid dangerous climate change?Specifically, what does this mean for the support of new and existing businesses and social enterprises on Merseyside as they and the economy make the transition to a low carbon economy? How can new businesses and social enterprises be supported to engage with low carbon opportunities? How can existing businesses and social enterprises be supported to make the transition? How can the partners ensure that socially excluded communities can benefit from low carbon opportunities? The partners now seek Follow-on Funding to maximise the impact of this research with funding for (a) support for reciprocal exchanges between Liverpool and previous and existing Green Capitals (Stockholm and Hamburg) to facilitate a decision about whether to embark on a formal bid to be Green Capital to focus and catalyse Liverpool's progress towards a low carbon economy, much as Capital of Culture status catalysed the city's rebranding; (b) support for a programme of seminars mainstreaming low carbon into the city's economic development strategy. These seminars would focus on developing a low carbon knowledge strategy, a low carbon visitor strategy, low carbon port and associated logistics, and the low carbon environmental technologies sectors. A fifth seminar would explore energy descent pathways for the city region. (c) a dedicated Research Fellow to be based at the University of Liverpool, but spending time on secondment to the three partners. Our research shows that business advisors helping businesses reduce emssions only go so far in their advice: they do not delve deep into the businesses day to day processes and practices. We also found out that businesses who are reluctant to make changes do listen to other businesspeople who have taken steps to green their businesses, and who can point to the benefits. The RF would work with the partners and the city's low carbon business advisors and businesspeople who have taken action on low carbon (Green Ambassadors) to help them build their capacity to go deeper into the business practices to identify ways to minimise carbon emissions and energy use, beyond that possible with existing programmes, and to help business advisors and Green Ambassadors reach businesses that have not as yet taken action on low carbon; and (d) support for wider dissemination of findings building on the Low Carbon Liverpool brand already established, to academic audiences though academic publications, and to practitioners though the practitioner press and websites/email discussion lists.