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The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations in 2015, represent a global call to action to achieve peace and prosperity by addressing pressing issues such as poverty, inequality, climate change, and environmental degradation.
The West Midlands, a region in the United Kingdom, has embraced these goals, integrating them into various facets of urban planning, academic research, and community initiatives. This region’s efforts reflect a strong commitment to addressing local and global challenges, from economic support to alleviate poverty to initiatives to expand affordable housing and improve employment opportunities.
Annum Rafique provides a detailed analysis of the West Midlands’ performance across various SDGs, identifying areas of success and those requiring further attention.
Overview of Regional Performance on SDGs
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Local SDGs platform provides a comparative analysis of the West Midlands’ progress toward the SDGs relative to the United Kingdom. The platform highlights the region’s achievements and identifies persistent challenges across different goals.
Using the OECD’s Local SDG platform, we identified the two best-performing and two worst-performing SDGs for the West Midlands region. The region has demonstrated strong performance in areas such as affordable and clean energy; however, it also faces significant challenges, particularly in gender equality and life below water. Our analysis specifically focuses on the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), encompassing Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, and Wolverhampton.
Best Performing SDGs:
- SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
The West Midlands has made significant strides in achieving SDG 7, focusing on increasing the use of renewable energy, enhancing energy efficiency, and reducing its carbon footprint. The region has transitioned from traditional energy sources to more sustainable alternatives, which are crucial for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change.
In 2018, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) region produced 201,137 MWh of renewable electricity, with 45.2% of this coming from photovoltaics. However, in 2022, 184,103 MWh of renewable energy was produced by photovoltaics. Notably, renewable electricity generation in the WMCA area decreased by 8.4% between 2018 and 2022, contrasting with a UK-wide increase of 22.6%. Despite this, the region has shown commendable progress in public transportation, with 42.1% of buses equipped with low-emission engines and 70.4% of train journeys powered by electric engines.
Research is also underway to support an ambitious plan to establish the world’s first zero-carbon industrial cluster in the Black Country, aiming for a clean GVA growth of £16 billion by 2030, creating or safeguarding at least 20,000 skilled jobs.
- SDG 13: Climate Action
The West Midlands has also made considerable progress in climate action. The region has implemented strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance resilience to climate risks, and promote sustainability. Key initiatives include expanding green infrastructure, promoting low-carbon transportation, and improving building energy efficiency.
In 2019, air quality in the region improved, with only 37 days of poor air quality, a reduction from the previous year’s 46 days. Additionally, the region’s carbon emissions have decreased, with the WMCA area emitting 20,581 ktCO2 in 2017, equating to 5.0 tonnes per capita, slightly below the England average. Transport was identified as the highest emitter, contributing 8,212 ktCO2, while land use changes led to a net reduction of -78 ktCO2.
The WMCA declared a climate emergency in June 2019, aiming to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2041. This ambitious plan includes interim goals, such as a 69% reduction by 2027, necessitating rapid annual emissions cuts of 13%. The region’s plans align with the UK’s Committee on Climate Change recommendations, focusing on investments in low-carbon infrastructure, reskilling for a net-zero economy, and expanding green spaces.
Worst Performing SDGs:
- SDG 14: Life Below Water
The West Midlands faces significant challenges in contributing to SDG 14, which focuses on conserving marine resources. Due to its landlocked nature, the region has limited direct interaction with marine environments, restricting its ability to impact marine conservation efforts.
However, the West Midlands has a unique opportunity to contribute to SDG 14 through its extensive network of inland waterways. The region’s 520 km of canal networks are central to the national network, with 51% of Birmingham’s population living within walking distance of a local canal. While these are not marine environments, these waterways play a crucial role in local biodiversity and water quality. By focusing on the conservation and sustainable management of these inland waterways, the West Midlands can still make meaningful contributions to the broader goals of SDG 14.
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
In the WMCA region, women, ethnic minorities, and disabled individuals face significant pay disparities compared to their counterparts. In 2022, the ethnicity pay gap ranged from -1.7% to 25.1%, with Black, Mixed, and other ethnic groups earning less than their White counterparts. The most pronounced disparity was seen among individuals of Mixed ethnicity, who earned £9.82 per hour compared to £13.11 for White individuals, reflecting a 25.1% gap. In contrast, Asian employees earned slightly more than their White counterparts, with a 1.7% gap in favour of Asian workers. However, this pay gap is smaller in the West Midlands than the national average, indicating a complex landscape of ethnic pay disparities.
The gender pay gap in the WMCA was 10.8% in 2022, with women earning less than men. The gap was slightly lower for full-time employees at 8.6%, but it widened to 14.5% when considering all employees, reflecting the higher proportion of women in lower-paid, part-time roles. Notably, the overall pay gap in the region was slightly lower than the national average.
The West Midlands Race Equalities Taskforce was launched to address these persistent inequalities in 2022. This independent group of leaders aims to tackle racial inequality and make the region fairer. In 2023, they introduced the ‘Race Forward 2023-2028’ strategy, focusing on key areas such as jobs, education, health, and leadership diversity, underscoring a committed effort to reduce pay disparities and promote equality across the region.
Conclusion
WMCA’s performance on the SDGs provides a snapshot of the region’s progress and challenges in aligning with the global goals. While the region has made significant strides in affordable and clean energy and climate action, it faces persistent challenges in gender equality and marine conservation.
To ensure a sustainable and inclusive future, WMCA must continue to build on its successes while addressing its weaknesses. This will require ongoing collaboration between government, industry, and civil society, as well as a commitment to innovation and inclusivity in all aspects of regional development. By focusing on these areas, WMCA can contribute meaningfully to achieving the SDGs locally and globally.
This blog was written by Annum Rafique, Research Fellow City-REDI, University of Birmingham.
Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this analysis post are those of the authors and not necessarily those of City-REDI or the University of Birmingham.