Birmingham's ambitious plans to address the climate crisis will be in the spotlight this week when the city plays host to the UK’s Climate Change Committee (CCC).

Chaired by Lord Deben (former Environment Secretary, John Selwyn Gummer), the CCC is an independent, statutory body established under the Climate Change Act 2008 with the purpose to advise the UK and devolved governments on emissions targets and to report to Parliament on progress made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for and adapting to the impacts of climate change.

Employers should think carefully before reducing sick pay for isolating unvaccinated staff, says a leading employment solicitor. Joanne Stronach, who is Head of Employment Law and HR at Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors, said employers could put themselves at risk of contract or discrimination claims if they introduce rules without first seeking legal advice.

A record 92 businesses will be chasing excellence at the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce’s annual dinner and awards on Friday, 4 March.

The local business community will gather at the ICC in Birmingham next month to recognise those who have gone above and beyond in the last year.

This will be the first time the event, one of the largest business occasions in the UK, will have been held live for two years.

Covid-19 has cost some city and large town centres in the West Midlands more than half a year’s worth of potential takings since March 2020. This is according to Cities Outlook 2022 – Centre for Cities’ annual economic assessment of the UK’s largest urban areas.

Central Birmingham is worst affected, losing 46 weeks of sales between the first lockdown and Omicron’s onset. Businesses in Coventry and Stoke city centres are also among the worst hit.

Wolverhampton’s brand-new National Brownfield Institute has been visited by the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP during a whistle-stop tour of the city's university. The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities met with University and Council leaders during a visit Wolverhampton, which is home to the department’s second headquarters.

At the University of Wolverhampton’s Springfield Campus on January 28, Gove toured the recently completed £17.5m National Brownfield Institute (NBI) which is a flagship initiative backed by central and local government to transform the construction and housing sectors.

FareShare Midlands is building on its overall mission to fight hunger and tackle food waste, by creating opportunities through their employability programmes. With an ambition by 2024 to support​400 people into vocational training, placements or paid work, this year the charity has already shown impressive success across the schemes.

In Birmingham, the I-CAN employability programme in partnership with the PURE Employment Service (funded by the European Union through the European Social Fund) is a six-week programme of classroom and work experience to help individuals aged over 25 to develop the skills, knowledge and expertise they require to enter training and employment in the warehousing and logistics sector.