What is professional services role in delivering Andy Burnham’s GM Green Agenda?
Back in March this year, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham posed the question whether the City Region could respond to the pressing need to reduce carbon emissions at a more ambitious rate than the UK is currently tracking. With the backdrop of the Paris Climate Agreement, Andy’s vision is not solely driven by the obvious need to mitigate our impact on continued climate change, but to reap the benefits of being a first-mover city where economic, social, health and wellbeing co-benefits project Greater Manchester into a world leading position.
At the Green Summit, that he convened at the Manchester Conference Centre, Andy threw down the challenge to the full spectrum of society to determine what their response would be to meet this ambition – and clearly business can make a significant contribution to supporting Andy in meeting this goal – so how should we respond? Clearly some businesses have the opportunity to deliver direct impacts through reducing their emissions – this is clearly a fundamental requirement. However, businesses also represent an opportunity to support their staff to engage with the agenda in a more impactful way; in short - enabling and mobilising employees as a force for good.
If you’d like to learn more about how you and your business could get involved and support the wider transition, come and engage with our panel of speakers on 7th November:
- The Big Clean Switch provides consumers with the opportunity to swap their utility provider to a 100% renewable source. Jon Fletcher will highlight the benefits switching can bring in financial as well as environmental terms, and how the Big Clean Switch is seeking to support the transition of our power requirements and needs.
- Nicola Kane, TfGM will discuss the recently announced Beelines programme for Greater Manchester. Through the investment of £1.5bn, 1,000 miles of walking and cycling routes, including 75 miles of Dutch-style segregated bike lanes, will be created across the region. Along with the UK Government’s Cycle to Work scheme, business can make a significant contribution in supporting the transition of their employees transportation choice from vehicular to active modes of travel.
- Manchester’s City of Trees is another UK first. Forming part of the Great Northern Forest, Sian Day will explain the benefits of trees beyond their ability to capture and store carbon from the atmosphere and providing shade and city cooling opportunities, and how business can engage and take advantage of developing a partnered approach to helping City of Trees achieve their vision of planting a tree for every man, woman and child in Greater Manchester.
- Mark Atherton, GMCA, will provide closing remarks and inform all of what else they can do to get involved in activities in the lead-in to the next Summit in March 2019 when the GM Mayor will layout his plan for action;
- Steve Connor, Creative Concern, will act as panel host and MC, which as many of you may know, is a role that he performs excellently.
About the Speakers:
Mark joined the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) in May 2012 as Director of Environment for Greater Manchester and transferred to GMCA in May 2017. In this role, Mark provides strategic support to the Greater Manchester Low Carbon Hub by leading the development and delivery of strategies, policies, research and demonstration projects for environment and low carbon work areas.
Current projects include the a smart energy demonstration project on aggregation of heat using Air Source Heat Pumps, domestic energy efficiency programmes, community energy promotion, natural capital investment planning, climate change adaptation research plus developing joint work programmes between GM and several government departments, including the Urban Pioneer for the UK’s 25 Year Environment Plan.
Prior to his current appointment, Mark joined the Northwest Regional Development Agency in 2002, culminating in the role of Director of Energy and Environment. In this role, Mark managed a project investment portfolio of circa £30m/annum, providing innovative and strategic leadership to the Agency’s work on energy & environmental technologies sector development; climate change and carbon reduction; sustainable consumption & production and environment quality.
Mark holds a science degree in Organic Chemistry and Industrial Ecology; postgraduate qualifications in Leadership and Hydrobiology and several management qualifications.
Joy is Corporate Social Responsibility Manager for Galliford Try, a leading national construction company. She works with community partners, VCSE sector and supply chain to delivery social value initiatives across the North West.
Passionate about sustainability Joy has delivered numerous active travel, renewable energy, fuel poverty and carbon retrofit projects over the last 18 years. Galliford Try recently became the first construction company to achieve Carbon Literacy Organisation status, and have offered to provide free training to other construction companies, as they recognise the need to engage and influence change.
Nicola Kane is Head of Strategic Planning and Research at Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and spends most of her time thinking about what the future might hold, as her team works to develop and deliver a new long-term transport strategy for Greater Manchester, covering the period to 2040 (www.tfgm.com/2040)
Nicola is a chartered town planner (MRTPI) and qualified transport planning professional (TPP) and joined TfGM in 2014 after 15 years of working in consultancy. She has wide-ranging experience in transport strategy and policy development and travel behaviour change. She’s now enjoying the opportunity to help shape the future of transport in Greater Manchester and is leading on work to develop a new “Streets for All” Strategy for the city-region. Nicola was awarded “Transport Planner of the Year” by Transport Planning Society in 2017 for her work in leading Greater Manchester’s 2040 Transport Strategy.
Jon is marketer with over 15 years’ experience working in sustainability and strategy.
He currently runs Big Clean Switch, a B Corp that works with household brands including GMCA, IKEA, Ben & Jerry’s and Nando’s to help homes and businesses switch to clean electricity.
Past roles have included five years developing a pioneering behavioural change programme at PwC, and six years as a director of a market research agency focused on sustainability.
Sian works with companies to build the City of Trees movement, helping to plant more trees, manage more woodland and connect more people to nature.
Whether it’s through corporate sponsorship, staff fundraising, volunteering or pro bono support, City of Trees partners are working together to create a greener, healthier and more resilient Greater Manchester.
Interested In The Event?
If you’re interested in attending, you can book online here.
