Climate Emergency – Raising Ambition (London)

Event Background

With the consequences of climate change beinng increasingly perceptible through extreme weather events (both worldwide and in European countries), verifiable research is urgently needed to set targets and policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the amount necessary to secure a livable environment. At the same time, policies to reduce greenhouse emissions are often attacked for threatening existing jobs. 

GEF’s transnational project “Strengthening Climate Targets, Creating Local Climate Jobs” sets out to explore what greenhouse emissions reductions would mean in practical terms for our job markets and economies, and whether jobs could be created in rural areas across Europe. Can both a safe and just economically sound life for all be achieved? To this end, our project undertook research on the potential to create more climate jobs in three EU countries with diverse historic and economic prerequisites: United Kingdom, Ireland and Hungary. In 2019 the project is expanding also to Poland. 

About the Event: 

This climate energy conference is a one-day event for those looking to act on the climate emergency.  What can local authorities and communities do?  What scale of change do we need to be looking at?  What could the benefits be for jobs and local economies?  How do we keep fossil fuels in the ground? 

Speakers: 

• Andrew Simms, (Rapid Transition Alliance) – the Climate Emergency
• Nadine Andrews, (Green House) – Climate psychology & cultural shifts
• Paul Allen, (Centre for Alternative Technology) – Zero Carbon Britain
• Jonathan Essex and Peter Sims, (Green House) – Climate Jobs
• Sam Mason (PCS Union) – Need for a Just Transition
• Fatima Ibrahim (IPPR Environmental Justice Commission) – Need for a Just Transition
• Yves Marignac, (Association négaWatt) – Europe-wide transition
• Simon Pickering (Councillor, Stroud District Council) – Reducing in-house emissions
• Philip Webber (formerly of Kirklees Council) – Street by street retrofit
• Ian Christie ​(University of Surrey) – Widening the coalition
• Agamemnon Otero (Repowering London) – Renewable energy
• Page Dykstra (Community Supported Agriculture Network UK) – Land/Food Transition
• Robert Read (The A Team Foundation) – Land/Food Transition
• John Webb (Herts WithOut Waste) – Materials/Waste Transition
• Neil Pitcairn (United Kingdom Without Incineration Network) – Materials/Waste Transition
• Stephen Joseph (Transport Policy Consultant) – Transport Transition

Programme:  

10:00-10:30 – Registration & refreshment

10:30 – Welcome and introductions – Natalie Bennett Green European Foundation, Anne Chapman Green House
– The Climate Emergency – Andrew Simms
– Climate Psychology and cultural change – Nadine Andrews
– Questions and discussion
– Introduction to parallel sessions and workshops

11:45 – Tea/ coffee break

12:00 – Parallel sessions – Making a plan
– Green New Deal and Just Transition – Fatima Ibrahim and Sam Mason
– Climate Jobs – Jonathan Essex and Peter Sims
– Zero Carbon plans – Paul Allen (Centre for Alternative Technology) and Yves Marignac (negaWatt)

13:00 – Lunch and information/discussion tables on:
– Reuse and recycling – Herts WithOut Waste & UKWIN
– Sustainable and Active Transport – Stephen Joseph,
– Renewable energy – Repowering London
– Food and farming – Community Supported Agriculture Network & Team A Foundation
– Street by street retrofit – Philip Webber (formerly Kirklees council)
– Local councils – Simon Pickering, Stroud District Council

14:30 – Workshops – Making it happen
– Making an Action Plan – Simon Pickering, with Jonathan Essex and Peter Simms
– Identifying key enablers and blockers of a step change in emissions.
– Widening the Coalition – Ian Christie, Surrey Climate Commission
– Establishing partnerships, setting up a local climate commission and citizens assemblies.

15:30 – tea/coffee break

15:45 – Making change happen – Feed back from workshops and panel discussion chaired by Natalie Bennett

17:00 – Conference Ends

Practicalities: 

Conference fee: £10

Please register for this event via the form found here.