City joins global green homes bid

The cities want to incorporate environmental factors into planning regulations

Birmingham is to become one of seven cities worldwide to join an initiative to develop environmentally friendly homes to tackle climate change.

City council officials are in San Francisco to sign up to the agreement, which is backed by former US president Bill Clinton and led by IT giant CISCO.

The UK's second largest city will join Lisbon, Hamburg and Madrid, San Francisco, Seoul and Amsterdam.

The cities want to take the global lead for developing "smart living".

"We have a unique opportunity to transform the way the world addresses its environmental challenges," said Nicola Villa, from CISCO.

This underpins Birmingham's resurgence as a global city that major cities want to partner with Mike Whitby, leader of Birmingham City Council

The Connected Urban Development (CUD) initiative will see information shared between the cities on issues including eco-towns and carbon neutral homes by incorporating environmental factors into planning regulations.

CISCO is providing access to new IT technologies and research and development staff.

While in California, council representatives will meet technology and financial companies specialising in investing in "green" projects in the hope of encouraging them to invest in projects in Birmingham, a spokesman said.

"'I welcome the invitation to join forces with San Francisco to become one of the world's leading authorities on tackling climate change," said Mike Whitby, leader of Birmingham City Council.

"This underpins Birmingham's resurgence as a global city that major cities want to partner with.'"

The council will also work with Birmingham's three universities and other agencies to develop training and business opportunities around climate change issues.