Professor Brian Cox to speak at Greater Manchester’s Green Summit taking place next week

• Greater Manchester’s third annual Green Summit is taking place 21-24 September
• Professor Brian Cox, Chris Boardman and Emma Howard Boyd, Chair of the Environment Agency, are among the confirmed speakers for this year’s event
• Biodiversity, green transport, climate change resilience and building back greener will be discussed virtually through live webinars, panel discussions and virtual workshops

RENOWNED physicist and broadcaster Professor Brian Cox is among the latest speakers confirmed at the Greater Manchester Green Summit, taking place next week from 21-24 September.

The University of Manchester professor and Fellow of The Royal Society, whose popular science programmes and books have garnered critical acclaim, will be joining a conversation with Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Lily Rimmer from the Youth Combined Authority on how science can help to influence policy and tackle the climate emergency.

Professor Cox is currently Professor of Particle Physics at The University of Manchester, The Royal Society Professor for Public Engagement in Science and a Fellow of the Royal Society. He has also presented a number of science programmes for the BBC, including The Planets, and has written a series of best-selling books.

Other speakers confirmed for this year’s Summit include:

• Emma Howard Boyd, Chair of the Environment Agency, discussing the global challenges of the climate crisis and engaging young people in the future of a green city-region
• Chris Boardman, Olympic Gold medal-winning cyclist and Cycling and Walking Commissioner for Greater Manchester, talking about his role and our plans for more active travel
• John Scanlon, CEO of SUEZ, discussing how improvements made in the waste management contract mean we are reusing and recycling more household waste in Greater Manchester households
• Janet Sanz, Eduardo Rodrigues, Raymond Johansen, Deputy Mayor, City Council of Barcelona, Metropolitan President of Porto and Governing Mayor of Oslo, join a panel discussion on green commitments and young people as agents of change
• Nigel Topping, UK’s High Level Climate Action Champion, joining live panel to discuss Building Back Better in Greater Manchester

Now in its third year, the Green Summit will mark progress made towards the goals of the Five-Year Environment Plan, which include becoming carbon neutral by 2038, improving air quality in the next decade, protecting our natural environment and building resilience to the effects of climate change.

This year’s event will be taking place online, with a range of live webinars, panel discussions and virtual workshops happening across the four days. Sessions will be held under the theme of ‘Taking Action: Today, Tomorrow and Together’, with a focus on four key areas:

• Nature, biodiversity and climate adaptation
• Green transport and energy efficiency
• Circular economy, waste and recycling, and sustainable construction
• Climate change resilience and building back greener

The programme has been designed by Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Youth Combined Authority (YCA), with a focus on the leading role young people are playing in tackling the climate emergency.

For more information on the programme of events and to register your attendance, visit www.GMGreenSummit2020.co.uk

Andy Burnham said: “It is fantastic news Professor Brian Cox will be joining our already confirmed list of excellent speakers at Greater Manchester’s 2020 Green Summit. Over the last few months, science has played a vital role in informing how we address the coronavirus pandemic. In the same way, we must also use science to inform and influence policy on the ongoing climate emergency.

“Tackling a problem of this scale requires all of us to work together. The strength of Greater Manchester’s partnerships puts us in a great position to achieve the goals of the Five-Year Environment Plan and become carbon neutral by 2038. The input from Greater Manchester’s Youth Combined Authority also reflects the passion and determination our future generations have for achieving these goals.

“The coronavirus crisis has presented us with a unique chance to build back better and greener, and so it is crucial during this year’s Green Summit we focus on these challenges to really bring about change to tackle the climate crisis in Greater Manchester.”

Greater Manchester’s Lead for Green City Region, Cllr Andrew Western, said: “This year’s Green Summit, although it will be different to the previous that have taken place, includes an amazing variety of speakers who will discuss how we can really make an impact on Greater Manchester’s green commitment.

“Whether it is improving air quality, ramping up cycling and walking or supporting energy-efficient initiatives to improve the way we live in our city-region, we now have the opportunity to celebrate our progress and set further goals to achieve our aim of becoming carbon neutral.”

More than 1,700 people attended last year’s Green Summit at The Lowry to hear from speakers such as Emma Greenwood, Bury Youth Parliament and member and Climate Strike 4 Youth spokesperson, and acclaimed author and poet Lemn Sissay. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales also delivered a video message in support of the event.

Article Published: 18/09/2020 10:03 AM