August 2021
Price: £95 PLUS VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
When it happened…
Thursday, 5 August 2021
What delegates came to discuss…
This conference examined latest developments, priorities, and practicalities for meeting the UK’s ambitious policy targets for net-zero.
Areas for discussion included: next steps for improving climate change preparedness across key sectors, developing cohesive UK-wide adaptation strategies, and driving forward green economic recovery.
We were pleased to be able to include a keynote session with Chris Stark, Chief Executive, Committee on Climate Change. There was also contributions from the Environment Agency; Anglian Water; COP26 Universities Network; Imperial College London; Earth Capital; EDF Energy; the Green Alliance; IMechE; the National Farmers Union; Transport for London; Somerset County Council; and UK100.
Chairing the conference were Lord Daniel Brennan QC, Vice Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Group on Microplastics; and Baroness Sandip Verma, Non-executive Director, Renewable Energy Association.
It took place in the run-up to COP26, the conference was also an opportunity to discuss:
- what the UK’s internationally-focused priorities should be for advocacy on tackling the climate emergency and meeting net-zero targets
- how best to use the opportunity of hosting the global gathering to cement the position of the UK, its businesses, and its research institutions at the forefront of climate action
Sessions in the agenda included:
- UK climate change preparedness - priorities for policymaker and stakeholder action, and key steps for enabling the economy to meet net-zero commitments
- building climate adaptation capacity - long-term strategic measures for boosting natural resilience, mitigating environmental degradation, and designing approaches at a local level
- developing net-zero pathways - priorities for meeting decarbonisation commitments in key sectors, and next steps for leveraging engagement across the economy, including:
- finance and investment - what is needed to tackle challenges for achieving net-zero, looking at priorities for making action affordable, the public/private funding mix, and supporting investor confidence
- low-carbon energy - scaling up and expansion, delivering deep decarbonisation for energy-intensive sectors, and making the UK a leader in renewable technologies
- transport and infrastructure - addressing barriers to readiness for net-zero, networks for clean mobility, delivering upgrades nationwide, and managing modernisation costs
- net-zero strategies on a local and regional level - priorities for designing tailored action plans, addressing local needs and risks, and leveraging local stakeholder input
- the COP26 Summit, and opportunities for global climate action and UK leadership - policy setting and coordination, economy-wide cooperation, and demonstrating best practice for a clean economic recovery
Who attended…
Officials from BEIS; the Cabinet Office; Cadw; the Climate Change Committee; DAERA, NI; Defra; the Department for Infrastructure, NI; the Department for International Trade; the Department for the Economy, NI; the Department for Transport; the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine, ROI; Department of Finance, NI; the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport; the Department of Health and Social Care; the Government Legal Department; the Health and Safety Executive; HM Revenue & Customs; the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; the National Audit Office; the Office for Government Property; Ofwat; The Scottish Government; The Planning Inspectorate; and the Welsh Government.
Representatives from A.C. Whyte & Co.; BAE Systems; Baringa Partners; Bristol City Council; British Geological Survey; Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales; Chemical Industries Association; Cornwall Community Flood Forum; Cornwall Development Company; Dawn Meats Group and Dunbia; Debevoise & Plimpton; Erasmus Student Network UK; Essex County Council; Forest School, London; Geological Survey of Northern Ireland; GPS Marine Contractors; H2Transition Capital Fund; Hertfordshire County Council; Imperial College London; Institution of Mechanical Engineers; MoyPark; Natural England; Net Zero Technology Centre; Ofgem; Okehampton Town Council; People's Postcode Lottery; Roadgas; Slow Food Birmingham; Somerset County Council; South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils; Strathclyde Partnership for Transport; The Campaign to Protect Rural England Wiltshire; TLT Solicitors; UK Hydrographic Office; Ulster Wildlife; University of Dundee; University of Leeds; University of Leicester; University of Reading; and University of Sussex.
Press: Argus Media; ICIS; IOM3; Montel News; NS Energy; Platts; Redactive and The Environment Magazine.
