High calibre board established for sustainability institute

International sustainability expert and Director of Global Planning at Arup, Peter Head, has been revealed as the first chair of the Thames Gateway Institute for Sustainability.

Peter, who has been awarded an OBE for his work, has been joined by 11 other leading industry figures from the business, research, academic and development community, with strong credentials in the practical delivery of different aspects of sustainability.

The Thames Gateway Institute for Sustainability is an independent charity set to become a world class centre of excellence for delivering sustainability research and demonstration projects which help mainstream best practice and support significant economic growth.  It is focused on practical and affordable solutions to address today's environmental challenges, in a way that provides commercially viable solutions to delivering sustainable development.  The Institute is targeting to facilitate £50m of demonstration activity over the next two years.

To achieve its aims the charity has signed up a number of high profile members including GE, IBM, Marks & Spencer, Siemens, Veolia, Imperial College London, Southampton University and University College London.

Together the intention is to deliver practical solutions to the Climate Change and wider sustainability challenges in a way that creates tens of thousands of jobs, making Britain a frontrunner when it comes to environmental technology.

Peter Head said: "It is widely acknowledged, particularly at regional and city level, that the time for talk has passed and now is the time for action.  It is therefore fitting that the Institute is gathering momentum at such an important juncture in this challenge.  Our charitable aims focus on sharing and disseminating sustainability best practice regionally, nationally and internationally.  This approach is imperative if we want to achieve seismic change on an international scale and to safeguard our planet for future generations."

The Board Members are:

Peter Head, Board Chair, Director, Chairman of Global Planning - Arup

Richard Brook, President - AIRTO / Founding Director - E-Synergy

Isabel Dedring, The Mayor of London's Environmental Advisor

Professor David Gann, Head - Innovation and Entrepreneurship Group, Imperial College Business School / Group Innovation Executive, Laing O'Rourke plc

Professor Malcolm Grant, President and Provost - UCL

Steve Mahon, Chief Investment Officer - Low Carbon Accelerator

Jonathan Maxwell, Founding Partner and CEO - Sustainable Development Capital LLP

Elliot Lipton, Managing Director - First Base

Liz Peace, Chief Executive - British Property Federation

Professor William Powrie, Professor of Geotechnical Engineering - Southampton University

Keith Riley, Managing Director - Veolia Environmental Services

Ian Short, Deputy Chief Executive - London Thames Gateway Development Corporation

The Institute's current projects include improving the efficiency of buildings with retrofitting trials to create zero carbon homes, a project identifying and sharing the lessons learned from London 2012, and a programme looking a how energy, waste, water and communications technology can be delivered in an integrated way at a community and regional level.  It will use the Thames Gateway, where tens of thousands of new homes are due to be built, to be its worldwide showcase.

Peter added: "There is a missing link between the ambitious vision and targets, and the practical mechanisms on the ground to tackle climate change.  The Institute's model and approach bridges that gap by taking the real development challenges that are being confronted day-to-day in the Thames Gateway and beyond and bringing the best of academia and industry together to identify viable solutions that can be applied in real time.  Uniquely we plan to use the learning and understanding we gain to ensure growth in jobs, skills and regeneration.  In this way I am convinced that the Institute is set to make a major contribution to turning the vision of carbon reduction into the reality of sustainable living."

International collaboration is a major part of the Institute's unique offer.  In 2008 Gordon Brown signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chinese Government to formalise the shared intent of the UK and China to collaborate on sustainability.  This heralded the establishment of the Institute and its sister organisation in Shanghai the Sino-UK Institute.  It will ensure that together the UK and China become leaders of the environmental technologies industry - already worth £25 billion to the UK economy alone.  This partnership is a significant step in meeting the global climate change challenges the world now faces.  International collaboration and sharing of best practice should result in policies and approaches that address sustainability issues on an international platform. 

Professor Jeremy Watson, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Communities and Local Government, said: "The Thames Gateway Institute for Sustainability provides unprecedented opportunities for innovative collaboration between partners in the private, public and higher educational sectors.  It is only by concurrent R&D and practical demonstration that we can shorten the time to market and de-risk the introduction of solutions for a low carbon future.  In addition to addressing environmental necessities these collaborative activities offers the UK significant economic potential as we can export components, systems and services.  Importantly, jobs will also be created in the retrofit contracting community."

A shadow board chaired by Malcolm Grant, UCL Provost, has been in place for the last 18 months, with much of the work to date funded by the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC) and the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA).

Malcolm Grant said: "It has been a privilege chairing the Institute shadow board for the last 18 months and working with colleagues to turn what was an exciting concept into a reality.  With Peter and the new board I'm convinced that the Institute provides a unique and effective mechanism for brokering very practical collaborative working between academia, industry and the public sector.  I look forward to building upon the great start we have made to establish the Institute as a player of potentially national and international significance."

Pam Alexander, Chief Executive at SEEDA, said: "Delivering a low carbon economy will create new businesses and high value jobs in a £400bn market.  I am delighted that the Institute is leading the practical demonstration of solutions to development challenges under the guidance of such an outstanding board."

The London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC) is building a purpose built Research Centre for the Institute at the 24-hectare London Sustainable Industries Park (London SIP) in Dagenham.  The Research Centre will provide space for the Institute's partners to bring forward many of the collaborative projects currently being established. 

Peter Andrews, Chief Executive of LTGDC, said: "I am pleased to welcome such a high calibre team and we are looking forward to working with the Institute on a range of projects of importance to the regeneration of east London including the delivery of a world-class Research Centre in Dagenham."