Whether it is protecting green spaces, cleaning up our air or transitioning to a more sustainable economy, polling now consistently shows that the environment is now consistently a top three concern for voters. Despite action on the environment often being presented as a left-wing issue, conservatives since Edmund Burke have spoken about an ‘intergenerational contract’ that seeks to leave the earth in a better place than we found it for future generations. Consecutive Conservative governments have put this principle into practice: from the pioneering 1956 Clean Air Act and our world leading 2050 net zero target, to the landmark Environment Act and a successful COP26 summit last year.

Amid discussions about our economic recovery from the pandemic and delivering on levelling up, CEN and the CCA are hosting this virtual webinar to consider how action on the environment can help to deliver these objectives, and how activists can campaign for positive environmental change in their communities. Locally, conservatives have already taken bold steps to protect and enhance green spaces, deliver cleaner air and build more sustainable travel infrastructure — how can we showcase these achievements and continue to build momentum around them ahead of this year’s local elections with new environmental pledges? And how can councillors effectively communicate this conservative case for the environment to voters? This panel will address these questions and leave plenty of time for participants to ask their own.

Panellists include:

• Cllr Elliot Colburn MP, Sutton Borough councillor for Cheam, MP for for Carshalton and Wallington and member of the CEN Parliamentary Caucus

• Cllr Philip Broadhead, Deputy Leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, Chairman of the Conservative Councillors Association and Deputy Chairman and CEN councillor

• Cllr Louise Calland, Wandsworth Borough councillor for Northcote and CEN Councillor

• Cllr Rachael Matthews, Buckinghamshire Unitary Councillor for Little Chalfont & Amersham Common and CEN Councillor

In recent years the Conservative Party has demonstrated its commitment to the environment. CEN’s Parliamentary Caucus has led many of the green policy successes in Westminster, from enshrining the UK’s world leading net zero target into law to a series of successful campaigns to boost ambition in the landmark Environment Act.  However there remains much more to do to ensure we leave the environment in a better state for future generations.

This reception is a chance to hear from a senior minister on the government’s environmental agenda which will be a top issue on the doorsteps ahead of the elections this May. 

No registration is necessary for this event.

Improving access to nature can improve health and wellbeing - and save more than £2 billion in health costs every year according to Natural England. But not everyone in this country can enjoy nature-rich spaces close to their homes - over 11 million people in England live in areas deprived of local green space and almost half of UK wildlife is in long-term decline.

The world-leading Environment Act contains a range of measures to address this which councils will be tasked with delivering. For example, it will require county councils to develop local nature recovery strategies to map priority local habitats and identify areas where nature can bounce back. It will also introduce a new biodiversity net gain requirement to ensure all new residential developments and infrastructure projects deliver a 10% uplift in biodiversity. 

So how can councillors deliver these plans to improve and create green spaces? How should planning authorities integrate local nature recovery strategies into their Local Plans to inform the allocation of land for development and protection? Should local authorities be empowered to give legal protection to land by assigning it as Wildbelt, the new land designation proposed by the Wildlife Trusts? And what can councils do to improve the quality of our public green spaces, such as partnering with their local Wildlife Trust, establishing ‘Friends of Nature’ groups, leaving roadside verges unmowed during spring, and rewilding areas of local and national parks?

We know we need to build more homes, but how can we improve housing developments so that they are built with the grain of nature? And are we investing enough from developer contributions into green infrastructure, such as communal green space?

Panellists:

• Chris Grayling MP

• Cllr Jane Macbean

• Cllr Ian Courts

• Clare Warburton (principal advisor on green infrastructure at Natural England)

• Cllr Izzi Seccombe OBE, Conservative Group Leader and Vice-Chairman of the Local Government Association (Chair)

Join us on Zoom to discuss how we put the restoration of our local environment at the heart of local government!

Please note: this is a private webinar for Conservative councillors only.

Prepare for the event by reading our recent green infrastructure briefing.

If you have any questions about this event, do not hesitate to email local@cen.uk.com

The landmark Environment Act includes the first ever legally-binding deadline to halt nature’s decline by 2030. This half-day nature conference will bring together leading Conservative politicians and conservation experts to discuss how we achieve this goal ahead of the critical UN Convention on Biological Diversity summit in 2022.

The conference will feature a keynote speech from The Rt Hon George Eustice MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, followed by two panel sessions on the creation of market-based incentives to drive private sector investment in nature’s recovery, and the restoration of native habitats and species populations to conserve our precious natural inheritance. There will be ample opportunities for delegates to network between event sessions.

Please register your attendance by clicking the button below.

Agenda:

9am: Delegates arrive at the conference

9.15am: Welcome from Ben Goldsmith, Chair of CEN

9.30am: Speech by Secretary of State George Eustice MP

10.30am: Refreshment break

11.00am: Panel: Harnessing markets to protect and restore nature 

• Siobhan Baillie MP

• Ben Caldecott, Director of the UK Centre for Greening Finance & Investment

• Naomi Conway, Development Director of National Parks Partnership

• Guy Thompson, Managing Director of EnTrade

• Helen Avery, Director of Nature Programmes at the Green Finance Institute

• Emily Norton, Head of Rural Research, Rural, Energy & Projects at Savills

12:00pm: Refreshment break

12.15pm: Panel: Restoring our natural inheritance - The return of native habitats and species to Britain

• Danny Kruger MP

• Ruth Edwards MP

• Dr Tony Juniper CBE, Chair of Natural England

• James Cullimore, Senior Nature Programme Manager at CEN

• Tom Holland, historian and environmental campaigner

• Dr Andrew Terry, Director of Conservation and Policy at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL)

13.15pm End: Thank you from Sam Hall, Director of CEN

If you have any questions about the event please contact Kitty Thompson, our Outreach Manager, kitty@cen.uk.com.

Join us for this joint Conservative Policy Forum x Conservative Environment Network online event on the making of the landmark Environment Act where we will be joined by Rebecca Pow MP (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and Sam Hall, the Director of CEN. We will be looking at the Environment Act’s origins in our departure from the EU, the two year parliamentary journey from introduction to it receiving Royal Assent and the significance of its measures.

Click the button below to register for the event.

How can you reduce air pollution in line with conservative principles and in a way that is popular and good for the local economy? This will be an opportunity to hear from a Defra Minister Jo Churchill on the national direction of travel, hear from experts and to be inspired by the work of like-minded councillors from across the country on how you can deliver cleaner air for your residents. Air pollution harms all of our health and is estimated to cost the NHS in England around £157 million a year. So it’s no surprise that polling consistently shows that air quality is a priority issue for voters.

Conservatives have long championed action to improve air quality, from Anthony Eden introducing the first Clean Air Act in 1956, to Boris Johnson’s introduction of the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone in London and Theresa May legislating to reach net zero in 2019. In a message that still resonates today, Margaret Thatcher once said “we have not inherited this earth from our forefathers, we have borrowed it from our children”.

So how can we deliver clean air for the sake of our children, our local communities and the NHS? How can we develop a vision for the future of local, active travel that meets our environmental responsibilities whilst delivering on people’s mobility needs? How can we build enough houses to meet local and national demand, whilst minimising pollution from construction and heating? And what is the vision for green infrastructure that can absorb harmful air pollution as well as making our communities more beautiful and rich in nature?

To discuss these questions and more, CEN is hosting this clean air conference for councillors. It will be an opportunity to hear from and question government Minister Jo Churchill on the national direction of travel, to hold discussions with experts and to be inspired by the work of like-minded councillors from across the country.

Join us in-person or online on December 1st to hear more.

We hope you'll join us for the Global Conservative Climate Summit, jointly organised with the American Conservation Coalition and the Coalition for Conservation in Australia. The summit aims to foster support for bold climate action by conservatives at COP26 and beyond, and to provide a platform for conservative policymakers to debate market-based solutions to climate change. It will consist of public panels on the key themes of COP26 and keynote speeches from senior conservative politicians such as former UK Prime Minister Theresa May.

Agenda:

• 8:30am: Registration opens

• 8:45-9:45am: Introductory remarks by MoC and keynote speech from a leading international conservative

• 9.45-10.45am: Energy innovation panel - Accelerating emissions reduction through technological solutions.

• 10.45-11.15am: Coffee break

• 11.15am-12.15pm: Nature-based solutions panel - Conservationist conservatives: preserving our natural heritage to protect the climate.

• 12.15-1:15pm: Clean free trade panel - Unleashing the global market: how clean free trade can accelerate climate action.

• 1.15-2.30pm: Lunch

• 2.30-3.30pm: Local government and communities panel - Little platoons: empowering communities to protect their environment and create jobs.

• 4-5pm: Engaging younger voters on climate change panel - The future of conservatism: how the next generation is shaping the climate debate.

• 5-6pm: Clean finance panel - The role of green finance in creating prosperity.

• 6pm: MoC closes Day 1

• 6-8pm: Evening reception for all delegates and keynote speech from a leading international conservative

We are pleased to invite you to mark the anniversary of Margaret Thatcher’s landmark 1989 UN global environment speech, as we launch the world’s first Centre-Right Climate Action Declaration which we have coordinated alongside international partners. The reception will feature opening remarks (via videolink) from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as well as in person remarks from former President of the Maldives and Climate Vulnerable Forum Ambassador for Ambition, Mohamed Nasheed.

To watch the event livestream online, simply head to @CEN_HQ at the beginning of the event.

To attend this event at COP26 in person, please register your interest with lois@cen.uk.com

Polling suggests there is a great deal of public appetite for policies to make cycling easier and safer. We saw a significant increase in cycling rates during the lockdowns as people chose to get on their bike for their daily exercise and to reduce their exposure to Covid. As well as allocating new funding for local authorities, including the Emergency Travel Fund, the Government published the Gear Change strategy to connect up and create safe and accessible cycling networks for people of all ages and abilities. Yet many local authorities have faced opposition to the installation of emergency cycle paths. How can councils make this new infrastructure successful and what lessons can be learned for future cycling schemes? 

The conservative case for cycling is strong. Helping people swap their car for a bike to do shorter journeys helps us to hand on a healthy environment to future generations. Lower air pollution and increased physical activity also help us protect the NHS and reduce healthcare costs. We can give people more choice over how they travel and create more beautiful, liveable communities by making cycling safer. Conservative-led councils across the country have been pioneering cycling schemes, such as Kensington and Chelsea’s ‘School Streets’ initiative and Essex County Council’s ‘Cake Escape’ challenge. This event will provide an opportunity to hear what other Conservative Councillors have done to enable and encourage cycling in their communities.

CEN is hosting this webinar for councillors to hear directly from the Cycling Minister Chris Heaton-Harris MP. What positive policy proposals can we put forward to give residents real choice when it comes to transport? What guidance and funding is available for councils to create a comprehensive network of cycle lanes? What can we learn from other Conservative local authorities on boosting local cycling rates? How does the government’s vision for cycling differ for urban and rural areas and what is the positive conservative case for improving cycling infrastructure? This webinar will discuss these questions and more.

This is a private webinar for:

• Conservative Councillors. You can sign up to become a CEN Councillor: https://www.cen.uk.com/cencouncillor; and

• Conservative Councillor candidates who are CEN supporters. You can sign up to become a CEN supporter: https://www.cen.uk.com/our-supporters

Where possible please use the same email address you’ve used before to register below.

Join us for this public webinar to discuss how the UK can demonstrate international leadership on nature in 2021 and help to secure a stretching set of international biodiversity targets at this year’s critical UN nature summit as well as greater support for nature-based solutions at COP26.

We’re delighted to be joined by Ruth Edwards (Chair), CEN MP and member of the Home Affairs Select Committee; Lord Goldsmith, International Environment Minister and CEN Alumni; H.E Malik Amin Aslam, Pakistan's Federal Minister for Climate Change; Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, former Chancellor of the Exchequer; Kate Norgrove, Executive Director of Advocacy and Campaigns at WWF; and Stanley Johnson, CEN International Ambassador and former Conservative MEP.

The UK has the opportunity to play a leading role in securing ambitious international agreements at the two major environmental summits this year - on nature in China and on climate in Glasgow. Climate change and biodiversity loss continue to worsen around the world, with the world’s surface temperatures in 2020 tied with 2016 as the warmest year on record and average wildlife populations falling by two-thirds since 1970.  We know that nature provides significant services for people, from the food we eat, to the air we breathe and beyond. Its loss threatens our very existence, and so the success of these summits will be crucial if we're to hand on a healthy environment to future generations. 

Post-Brexit, Britain rightly wants to take an increasingly active role on the world stage; no issue is more important for UK global leadership than the environment. The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) meets in Kunming, China this year to agree on a new set of global biodiversity targets  to protect and restore the natural world. While politicians and the public increasingly recognise the importance of the UN climate summit which the UK is hosting in Glasgow, the equally important nature summit in China isn't as well publicised. As president of the COP26 climate summit and the G7 this year, we have the opportunity and responsibility to better link up international negotiations on climate and biodiversity.

What does a successful outcome from the nature summit look like? How can we secure a global agreement to deliver the Prime Minister’s commitment to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, and protect 30% of land and seas for nature's recovery by 2030? This webinar will also consider how to ensure stronger recognition of the integrated climate and biodiversity crises, what role the UK can play in securing these ambitious global agreements, and if we are doing enough to restore nature domestically to lead by example. It will also consider the importance of the recently published Dasgupta Review into the economics of biodiversity, and how we should better account for nature in economic decision-making to strengthen our resilience to future shocks and improve public wellbeing.

Join us to mark Earth Day as we discuss how countries can work together on climate change to make COP26 a success and deliver on the Paris Agreement. We’re delighted to be joined by the Hon George Brandis QC - Australian High Commissioner to the UK, HE Dr Farah Faizal - High Commissioner of the Maldives to the UK, Stanley Johnson - CEN International Ambassador and former Conservative MEP, CEN MP Harriett Baldwin - Chair of the British Group Inter-Parliamentary Union and former Minister for Africa, and James Cameron - Friend of COP26, adviser and social entrepreneur.

Climate change is the defining global challenge of our age. While each country will approach that challenge in a different way, we will not meet it without working together. As the world marks Earth Day, and as President Biden convenes world leaders for a pivotal climate summit, CEN has convened a panel of diplomats, politicians, and experts to explore the significant role of international diplomacy in tackling climate change and to look ahead to this year’s global environment summits.

In its role as host of both the UN Climate Conference COP26 and the G7 summit, this year the UK has a unique opportunity to lead the global climate debate. In Glasgow, countries must accelerate progress towards the goals of the Paris Agreement, while a green economic recovery from Covid-19 will be at the heart of discussions at the G7.

This discussion will look at how to make the best of the UK’s leadership role, examining how we can encourage other nations to increase their climate ambition, how we can mobilise significantly more finance for developing countries, how we can champion market-based solutions to environmental challenges on the world stage, and how we can promote the innovative clean technologies and nature-based solutions needed to deliver net zero. We will also explore what key countries want these summits to achieve and the impact of renewed American climate leadership, and gain an insight into the role of ambassadors and diplomatic missions in tackling environmental issues.

The event will take place on the video conferencing platform Zoom and we'll be live streaming it via our social media. We hope you can join us!

Watch the webinar live on Facebook here.

Air pollution significantly impacts public health and is estimated to cost the NHS in England around £157 million a year. So it’s no surprise that polling consistently shows that air pollution is a priority issue for voters. UK Conservatives have long championed action to improve air quality, from introducing the first Clean Air Act in 1956, to Boris Johnson’s introduction of the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone in London in 2015. This resonates with the core Conservative principle that we should hand on a better environment for future generations, including one with cleaner air.

Amid the local debates around cycling infrastructure, public transport health and safety, and the future of commuting, CEN is hosting this private virtual meeting to consider conservatives solutions to tackle air pollution. What positive policy proposals can we put forward to reassure residents that they will breathe cleaner air under a Conservative-led Council? Further to this, how will Conservative Councillors ensure local authorities meet legal requirements to tackle air pollution when in post - especially considering the forthcoming particulate matter targets being set under the new Environment Bill? Conservative Councillors across the country have already taken great steps with the rollout of electric vehicle charge points and School Streets schemes - how can we showcase and build on this leadership to tackle air pollution? 

We hope that you will join us for this important discussion.

This is a private webinar for:

• CEN Councillors. You can sign up to become a CEN Councillor: https://www.cen.uk.com/cencouncillor; and

• Conservative Councillor candidates who are CEN supporters. You can sign up to become a CEN supporter: https://www.cen.uk.com/our-supporters

Where possible please use the same email address you’ve used before to register below.

Registration for this webinar is now closed.

This November, the UK hosts the UN Climate Summit (COP26) in Glasgow, the most important global climate summit since the Paris Agreement in 2015 and a chance to accelerate international action to reach net zero emissions by the middle of the century. This is also an opportunity for our regions, towns and cities to showcase their efforts to reduce emissions and deliver green jobs, and to learn from their counterparts around the world. 

With over 200 councils having declared climate emergency motions or adopted net zero targets, many have already made great progress on climate action locally. How can you engage your communities in this international summit? What can you learn from COP26 to feed into your local plans? Join us for this Spring Forum webinar to discuss how Councillors can get involved in this international summit and show local climate leadership.

Register for Spring Forum.

We’re also joining the Conservative Councillor Association 3-3:30pm with CEN Cllr Joe Porter to talk about environmental campaigning. Environmental issues should be an essential part of your work as a councillor and Conservative campaigner. Join us to find out about how you can ensure it is at the forefront of your campaigns.

When considering the severe impacts that climate change can have on the world, few people think of the potential consequences for our national security. These could include the impact on our Armed Forces, strategic assets abroad, and the threat of state destabilisation, which can amplify issues such as extremism, human and drug trafficking, and displaced people. Indeed, the World Bank predicts that climate change may cause as many as 143 million people to be displaced by 2050, with many millions in Europe’s near-neighbourhood. Resource-related conflicts have for decades focused on the exploitation of fossil fuels, and the transition towards a net zero economy in many parts of the world will consequently have major implications for global security.

Environmental and defence policy are two areas where the Conservatives have made ground-breaking progress, with the Prime Minister’s 10 point plan for a green industrial revolution followed the very next day by the announcement of the largest military investment in 30 years to revolutionise the British Armed Forces. Climate change was also a key theme in the Prime Minister’s recent speeches to the Munich Security Conference and the United Nations Security Council. The emergence of an independent Global Britain after Brexit has offered the opportunity for the UK to redefine how it conducts itself on the world stage, which is exemplified by the forthcoming integrated review of foreign, security, defence, and development strategy, the deepest since the end of the Cold War, of which climate change is set to play a central role.

CEN has invited a panel of key decision-makers, representatives, and thinkers to discuss the strategic necessity of tackling climate change. 2021 is set to be a crucial year for the UK with its presidency of the G7 summit in June and hosting the COP26 climate summit in November. With a new administration in the White House which prioritises climate change,, an increasingly assertive China seeking to dominate the supply chains of clean industries, such as batteries, and warnings of ‘zones of chaos’ being created in regions critical for international security, such as the Middle East, how can Britain conduct itself on the world stage to enhance its own national security in a warmer planet? How does our defence policy need to adapt to acknowledge the changing climate, and to ensure our security and armed forces are fully prepared for it?

CEN and the Coalition for Conservation in Australia invite you to their first joint virtual webinar

'Nationals and Tories: A green post-Covid recovery creating jobs and resilience for farmers and communities'

Join us for a conversation on climate change and conservation between Australian National Party politicians and UK Conservative politicians. The speakers will be discussing recent environmental policy initiatives in both the UK and Australia to deliver a sustainable and resilient post-COVID recovery, the future opportunities for clean growth and sustainable farming to generate regional jobs, and why conservative leadership on environment makes political and economic sense.

As part of our international programme in the run-up to COP26, CEN will bring together conservatives from the UK and overseas to share their perspectives on tackling climate change, to build support for more ambitious action on climate change, and to discuss how market mechanisms can help cut emissions while growing the economy and creating jobs. Our first joint webinar will be a great opportunity to hear how conservatives are addressing climate change in Australia, and to discuss some of the opportunities and challenges for rural communities in particular.

With special guests:

• The Hon Larry Anthony, President of the National Party of Australia;

• Susan McDonald, Senator for Queensland, National Party of Australia;

• The Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, Chair of the UK Environmental Audit Committee;

• Claire Coutinho MP, Parliamentary Private Secretary, HM Treasury; and

• Sam Hall, Director of CEN 

Join us for this public webinar to discuss opportunities for the UK to lead globally in afforestation and halting deforestation, including ground-breaking government plans to place a due diligence obligation on large companies to eliminate deforestation impacts from their supply chains. We’re delighted to be joined by Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP (Chair) and international forestry experts, including Johan Eliasch, Penny Davies and Dr Thomas Maddox.

Deforestation accounts for 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions, threatening global biodiversity and accelerating climate change. Since 1990, 420 million hectares of forest have been lost through conversion to other land uses, and the world now loses approximately one football field of forest every single second. While agricultural expansion is the main driver of deforestation and the loss of forest biodiversity, British imports of certain commodities such as soy, beef and timber are also contributing to these alarming deforestation rates, meaning we too have a responsibility to act. This webinar will discuss what policies can be enacted - including in the areas of trade, supply chain regulation, and diplomacy - to support efforts to halt the deforestation of the world’s most diverse, carbon-rich ecosystems. 

Afforestation - the process of planting new trees on land that has previously not been forested - is also an effective nature-based solution to climate change. Turning barren land into forest would not only help to absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but can also create new habitats for wildlife and support sustainable development overseas. However, financing afforestation projects and earmarking suitable land can be major challenges. What then are the implications for the UK’s international development spending priorities, what role can international carbon markets play in providing revenue for afforestation projects, and what potential is there for the UN biodiversity conference (CBD COP15) to support this agenda with new commitments around designating areas of land for the recovery of nature? 

Join us as we mark ‘one year to COP’ and launch our new international programme of work, which seeks to build a strong global network of conservative environmentalists at the UN Climate Conference, COP26 and beyond. We’re delighted to be joined by COP26 President The Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP and CEN MPs, including Tim Loughton and Alicia Kearns.

Five years on from the landmark Paris Agreement, next year’s Glasgow summit, COP26, is a critical opportunity to accelerate global efforts to tackle climate change and deliver a green recovery from Covid-19. It also provides a platform to showcase and build on the UK’s record of climate leadership, much of which has been delivered by Conservative Governments, and to promote the research, technologies, and services of businesses and experts working in the UK’s green economy.

The UK has been an international leader on tackling climate change, not least as the first major economy to legislate to reach net zero emissions by 2050, although there is more to do ahead of COP to get the UK on track to meeting it. The world will only meet the goals of the Paris Agreement if we build and maintain the support of conservatives around the world for climate action, who run governments and form a significant share of the electorate in many countries. In the run-up to COP26, CEN will bring together conservatives from the UK and overseas to share their perspectives on tackling climate change, to build support for more ambitious action on climate change, and to discuss how market mechanisms can help cut emissions while growing the economy and creating jobs.

Join us to mark ‘one year to COP’ as we launch CEN’s new international programme of work, which seeks to build a strong global network of conservative environmentalists at COP26 and beyond. This public webinar will feature remarks from the COP President the Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP, alongside CEN MPs, to discuss the opportunities and priorities for extending UK climate leadership at the summit. It will also launch CEN’s new template for local climate summits, which will be hosted by members of the CEN Caucus over the coming year in order to gather the views of their constituents on net zero and to champion local community initiatives to address climate change. 

Watch the webinar on our Facebook page.

Get in touch with events@cen.uk.com with any questions

Honest, revealing and urgent, 'David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet' is a powerful first-hand account of humanity’s impact on nature and a message of hope for future generations.

Join us to meet the filmmakers (pictured below) as they share the trailer and some of their favourite clips of this must-see film, and ask about the process behind making this urgent reminder that we must set nature on the path to recovery.

With opening remarks from CEN MP Selaine Saxby, closing remarks from International Environment Minister Lord Zac Goldsmith, and Q&A with executive producers Keith Scholey and Colin Butfield

Register for your free CPC virtual pass today: https://www.conservatives.com/conference

PHOTO CREDIT: Conor McDonnell / WWF-UK

SPONSORED BY WWF-UK

Join us for our virtual Conservative party Conference panel to discuss electric vehicles!

Cars alone are responsible for 55% of transport emissions in the UK, and also contribute to air pollution which is linked to up to 36,000 deaths per year. This makes the switch to low emission electric vehicles key to getting to net zero and cleaning up our air. This event will consider what the government can do to facilitate and accelerate this transition, and how private-sector investment in EVs and their charging infrastructure can support a green economic recovery from Covid-19.

In order to meet our net zero target, the Committee on Climate Change advises that all new cars and vans should be electric by 2032 at the latest, with an earlier switchover of 2030 being even more effective at boosting domestic supply chains, cutting motorists’ costs, and securing ‘green collar’ manufacturing jobs. The government has acted on this advice and consulted on bringing forward the date to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, but is it feasible to bring it forward again to 2030, and what additional support would be required for manufacturers, consumers, and councils to help deliver it?

While EVs are already cheaper than petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of total lifetime costs, the sticker price is set to remain higher for the next four to five years - potentially acting as a barrier to the mass uptake of cleaner cars. This discussion will explore whether the Government’s existing schemes including the plug-in car grant goes far enough, if further fiscal incentives such as higher fuel duty are needed, and how policy can drive down manufacturing costs, particularly through R&D for battery innovation. The panellists will also discuss what more can be done to support councils to increase the number of charge points available, which is crucial to addressing range anxiety, a key challenge to the uptake of electric cars. 

With confirmed panellists: Sam Hall (CEN Director, Chair), Ruth Edwards MP (CEN), Tom Clarke (Head of Electric Vehicle Strategy, LV=), Emma Gatten (Environment Editor, The Telegraph), George Freeman MP (former Transport Minister, CEN)

Register for your free CPC virtual pass today: https://www.conservatives.com/conference

SPONSORED BY LV = GENERAL INSURANCE

Join us for our Conservative Party Conference panel event on the potential for sustainable aviation and the opportunities for UK-led innovation in clean technologies.

While Covid-19 has inflicted significant challenges upon the aviation industry, decarbonising aviation can help us to ‘build back better’ by creating high-skilled jobs in the low-carbon industries of the future, and tackle climate change. Decarbonising international aviation will require a global effort, but the UK can and is leading in research and development into low-carbon technologies like sustainable aviation fuels, hydrogen and electric planes. This panel will discuss the feasibility of sustainable aviation, the opportunities for UK-led innovation, and how the government, the sector, and consumers can reduce our carbon footprint from flying. 

Contributing £28 billion to the UK economy each year and supporting almost one million UK jobs, the aviation sector already showcases British expertise in science and engineering. Through sustainable aviation, there are opportunities to unlock more jobs, particularly important as part of the ‘levelling up’ agenda, while delivering the Prime Minister’s goal of making the UK a ‘science superpower’. 

Currently, the sector is accountable for 2% of global CO2 emissions, but it is likely to be the largest emitting sector in the UK by 2050, with passenger numbers predicted to grow by around 70% up to 2050. The Government’s ambition for net zero flights is included in the UK’s first Transport Decarbonisation Plan, and reflected in the formation of the Jet Zero Council to make flights more environmentally friendly and support the development of sustainable fuels. But what short-term and long-term policies are needed to make these important goals a reality?  

So far our confirmed panellists include: Meg Trethewey (CEN Head of Programmes, Chair), Henry Smith MP (CEN), Roz Bulleid (Head of Policy, Green Alliance), Robert Courts MP (Minister for Aviation) & John Holland-Kaye (CEO, Heathrow Airport)

Register for your free CPC virtual pass today: https://www.conservatives.com/conference

SPONSORED BY HEATHROW AIRPORT

Join us for our Conservative Party Conference panel event to discuss the hydrogen economy and its important role in our transition to becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

Low carbon hydrogen will be critical to meeting the UK’s net zero target, as an alternative to fossil fuels for heating homes, industry and transport and in supporting the ‘levelling up’ of communities affected by the loss of jobs in fossil fuel industries. Currently, the dominant source of hydrogen is natural gas. With new green methods of producing hydrogen being developed using renewable electricity, unleashing a green hydrogen economy is important for this Government’s ambitious plans for clean growth, but how should ministers look to kickstart the industry? What storage and distribution infrastructure is needed and how can private-sector investment be stimulated?

Combined with renewable electricity, hydrogen can be produced, stored and used without causing harmful greenhouse gases. Hydrogen is already deployed in innovative projects across the country – such as blending it into the gas network at Keele University in Staffordshire and hydrogen transport innovation being progressed in Tees Valley. Hydrogen will be critical for decarbonising heavy industry such as steel. In homes and commercial buildings, hydrogen could be used for heating, while there is also potential to decarbonise heavy goods vehicles, shipping and aviation. The panel will discuss how much green hydrogen is likely to be available, and in which sectors it should be deployed.

Analysis from the IEA found that the cost of producing hydrogen from renewable electricity could fall 30% by 2030 as a result of declining costs of renewables and the scaling up of hydrogen production. To seize this opportunity, the Government has set up the Hydrogen Advisory Council and published a report on possible business models for low carbon hydrogen production. This event is a prime opportunity to discuss the benefits of low carbon hydrogen and how a new cross-government hydrogen strategy could unlock its potential.

So far our confirmed panellists include: Benet Northcote (CEN Board, Chair), Ben Houchen (Tees Valley Mayor), Jacob Young MP (Chair, Hydrogen APPG), Enass Abo-Hamed (Co-founder & CEO, H2GO power ltd) & Dr Angela Needle (Director of Strategy, Cadent Gas)

Register for your free CPC virtual pass today: https://www.conservatives.com/conference

SPONSORED BY CADENT GAS

Join us for our Conservative Party Conference panel event to discuss the future of farming and trade!

We cannot solve environmental challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss without our farmers. As food producers and stewards of some 70% of UK land, farmers are responsible not only for ensuring that the food we eat is high quality, but also for protecting our landscapes and enabling our wildlife to flourish. As we develop new policies on agriculture, the environment, and trade outside the EU, how can we support a sustainable and profitable future for British agriculture in a net zero world?

Farming is the foundation of the UK’s £120 billion food and drink sector, which is now our fourth largest exporting sector. Rewarding more sustainable land management and food production as we leave the EU will be crucial in reaching the UK’s world-leading net zero target and ensuring our farmers are able to carry on feeding the nation for decades and centuries to come. This progress is partly contingent, however, on a supportive trade policy that protects high UK environmental standards in agriculture. This panel will discuss agriculture's role in delivering net zero, high-quality food, and free trade. Chiefly, how the government can work with the sector to deliver the NFU’s ambitious 2040 net zero target. It will also explore how we can back British farmers in future trade deals and promote high environmental and animal welfare standards at home and around the world.

With confirmed panellists including: Sam Hall (CEN Director, Chair), Richard Walker (Managing Director, Iceland Foods), Minette Batters (President, NFU), Richard Graham MP (Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy for Indonesia, ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), Philippines & Malaysia, CEN)

Register for your free CPC virtual pass today: https://www.conservatives.com/conference

Sponsored by the National Farmers Union (NFU)

Join us for our virtual Conservative Party Conference panel event on clean, free trade and UK climate leadership!

The UK has a significant opportunity to lead the way in clean, free trade and increase international ambition on climate by reforming UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK’s export credit agency, an agency dedicated to supporting British business abroad. Despite our net zero emissions target, 97% of UKEF’s energy support in recent years has gone to fossil fuel projects, with only around 3% going to renewable energy. What reforms are needed to align our trade policy with our climate goals and shift export financing away from fossil fuels to clean energy?

The Government has already begun to reform UKEF. During the Budget, the Chancellor gave UKEF an additional £2 billion to support British business in creating clean energy projects abroad. Recently the Prime Minister announced a review into export finance and it has been reported the government is on the verge of agreeing to end support for fossil fuels via UKEF. This would put the UK in a world-leading position on the issue of phasing out public finance for fossil fuels overseas.

Fossil fuel projects risk undermining the UK’s climate diplomacy, and tying developing countries into expensive fossil fuel dependency as solar and wind costs fall dramatically. A reformed policy would not only demonstrate the UK’s climate leadership, but also create a jobs dividend for the UK’s low-carbon economy, growing trade flows, and leveraging the UK’s climate ambition to drive action globally. 

As host of the UN Climate Conference, COP26, in Glasgow and the G7 Presidency in 2021, how can the UK leverage its reforms of UKEF to encourage other export credit agencies to follow suit? To maximise the benefits for the government’s levelling up agenda, what other support does the UK clean energy supply chain need to grow and export more around the world?

With confirmed panellists: Sam Hall (CEN Director, Chair), Michael Liebreich (Chairman and CEO, Liebreich Associates), Barney Wharton (Director, Future Electricity Systems, RenewableUK) & Louise Burrows (Policy Advisor, E3G)

With closing remarks from Philip Dunne MP (Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, CEN).

Register for your free CPC virtual pass today: https://www.conservatives.com/conference

SPONSORED BY GLOBAL WITNESS, TEARFUND & E3G

We are pleased to be hosting a private roundtable, sponsored by Energy UK, on the contribution that the private sector can make to a green economic recovery in the UK. Attendance to this event is by invite only.

‘Building back better’ has dominated conversations around the global economic recovery from Covid-19, with three quarters of businesses declaring that the pandemic has caused them to reconsider their impact on the environment. In delivering new jobs, skills and investment, and in championing sustainable practices, the private sector has a significant role to play in the move to a greener, more resilient global economy. 

We can’t tackle climate change without the capital, skills and ideas of businesses. This event will consider how the government can encourage more private-sector investment into clean energy, across a range of policy areas, to support a clean and resilient economic recovery, and what more the private sector needs to integrate climate change into their business plans. Innovative pro-market policies have already proven successful in decarbonising the power sector in particular, with CfD auctions yielding a record-low price for offshore wind. Yet we know - with the right support from across government - the private sector can go further and faster towards net zero. There remain significant opportunities in carbon capture, hydrogen and new renewable technologies like floating offshore wind, to further reduce emissions in the energy sector and create good green jobs. 

The Comprehensive Spending Review and the publication of various government strategies, such as the Energy White Paper and the Heat and Buildings Strategy will be a critical moment for delivering a green recovery and getting on track to net zero. To achieve these goals and unleash the potential of the private sector, we have to mainstream net zero across all government departments, and put in place well-designed incentives and smart regulation. This discussion will explore the contribution of the energy businesses to net zero, and what a cross-government approach to net zero should look like.

SPONSORED BY ENERGY UK

Join us at Conservative Party Conference for our pub quiz - with some stuff on the environment - and special guest quizmasters! 

Building on our oversubscribed quiz at conference last year, and in a new virtual format, CEN is partnering up with Blue Beyond and Tories for Climate Action to bring you a bigger and better quiz than ever before!

Register for your free pass to Conservative party Conference to access the event: https://www.conservatives.com/conference

Pre-register your teams:

Extensive electrification is needed to reach net zero by 2050, in order to heat our homes and businesses, and move to cleaner forms of transport such as electric cars. But in order for this transition to be successful, we need to rapidly digilitise our energy system, encourage more consumers to embrace these new technologies, and move to a smarter, more flexible grid.  

Renewables-based electricity generation has grown significantly in recent years, powering an average of 37% of the UK’s electricity mix in 2019, compared to just 6.5% in 2010. With a target for 40 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030, renewable generation is expected to increase even further over the next decade. As we decarbonise our energy system, flexibility - underpinned by digital technology - will be key to meeting this increased demand. This panel will consider how the digital revolution and rapid development of smart and flexible low-carbon technology in the energy sector can help us reach net zero, and what policy changes are needed to unleash its full potential. 

A shift to a smarter energy system could save consumers up to £8 billion per year and give people more control over how they consume energy. The Government is driving private-sector investment into energy storage by removing regulatory barriers and reforming market frameworks. This panel will also explore how the flexible, low-carbon energy system required for net zero could change consumers’ engagement with their energy. It will also consider opportunities and barriers to enable domestic demand-side response (DSR) and its role in providing flexibility to the future low-carbon energy system.

With confirmed panellists: Rosa Stewart (CEN Steering Committee, Chair), Virginia Crosbie MP (CEN), Greg Jackson (Founder and CEO, Octopus Energy), Guy Newey (Energy Systems Catapult) & Lord Ian Duncan (former Minister for Climate Change)

Register for your free CPC virtual pass today: https://www.conservatives.com/conference

SPONSORED BY OCTOPUS ENERGY

Join us at our virtual Conservative Party Conference Dragons’ Den on nature-based solutions!

Nature-based solutions to climate change are critical to ensuring that we leave the environment in a better state for future generations – and have the potential, globally, to provide over one-third of the cost-effective climate mitigation needed to reach net zero. Yet since the Second World War the UK has lost 97% of its meadows, 80% of its chalk grasslands, and more than half its ancient woodland. By protecting, restoring, and expanding natural ecosystems at scale, on land and at sea, we can capture and store huge amounts of carbon, while also providing vital habitats for wildlife. The Prime Minister has already said that nature-based solutions will be a priority of our climate policy - so what more can be done to better protect our natural carbon sinks, and which habitats should be a priority for restoration in the UK?

Similar to the popular TV show, ‘Dragons’ Den’, pitchers will have the opportunity to present different nature-based solutions to climate change to a panel of special guest ‘dragons’. The pitchers will make the case for investment in the protection and restoration of various habitats and landscapes that have been best proven to soak up carbon. Examples could include woodlands, seagrass meadows, wetlands, and peatlands. Protecting these habitats can also hugely benefit local communities, for example, by reducing the impact of flooding or heatwaves and by providing employment opportunities.

So far, our confirmed special guest Dragons include: Ben Goldsmith (CEN Chairman), Environment Minister Rebecca Pow MP, Sally-Ann Hart MP (CEN), Tony Juniper (Chair, Natural England), Helena Horton (Environment Reporter, the Telegraph)

Chaired by Beccy Speight (CEO, RSPB)

With our pitchers:

• Agroforestry – Gareth Morgan (Soil Association)

• Peatland – Ben McCarthy (National Trust)

• Coastlines – Natalie LeBrun (RSPB)

• Meadows and Wildflowers – Councillor Ian Courts (Leader of Solihull Council)

• Blue Carbon – Tim Ferrero (Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust)

• International NBS – Beatriz Luraschi (RSPB)

Register for your free CPC virtual pass today: https://www.conservatives.com/conference

SPONSORED BY RSPB

Join us for our virtual Conservative Party Conference fringe panel to discuss the role of a green Global Britain in reducing our environmental footprint overseas.

As a nation of nature lovers, the British public were horrified by the images of fires burning through the Amazon rainforest last summer, which sparked widespread demands for more to be done to protect the world's largest and most precious tropical rainforest. But it is not just the Amazon which is under threat - 420 million hectares of global forest have been lost through land conversion since 1990. 90% of global wetlands have disappeared since 1700, with catastrophic consequences for wildlife - with an 84% in freshwater species since 1970. The seriousness of the problem has become increasingly apparent during the Covid-19 pandemic, with scientists pointing to a clear link between habitat loss and the emergence of animal-borne diseases. So what contribution can the UK make to halting the destruction of these biodiverse and carbon-rich ecosystems, which millions of people rely on for food and shelter, and what policies are required to reduce our overseas land footprint?  

Deforestation and land conversion is a global problem driven by international consumption - more than 50% of this change is the result of commercial agriculture and forestry. In the UK, we use an area almost the size of our own land mass to satisfy our annual demand for commodities such as palm oil, timber and soy, and that number is increasing. The government has recognised the need to reduce our global footprint, and is now consulting on a new world-leading law requiring large businesses to end deforestation in their supply chains. Building on this leadership, this panel will consider how a newly independent and truly global Britain can use levers such as trade policy, alongside its presidency of COP26, to further encourage sustainable production and development overseas. 

With deforestation accounting for 11% of greenhouse gas emissions and the most recent Living Planet Index showing a 68% decline in species population sizes, protecting and restoring nature worldwide is essential if we’re to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees and reverse biodiversity decline. What can the UK do to scale up investment in nature-based solutions at COP26, and how can we support an ambitious post-2020 framework to restore nature at the international biodiversity summit (CBD) in China?

With confirmed panellists: Sam Hall (CEN Director, Chair), Kate Norgrove (Executive Director of Advocacy and Campaigns, WWF), Anthony Browne MP (CEN), Bernice Lee (Executive Director, Hoffmann Centre for Sustainable Resource Economy at Chatham House), Rt Hon George Eustice MP (Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Register for your free CPC virtual pass today: https://www.conservatives.com/conference

SPONSORED BY WWF

Join us at our Conservative Party Conference virtual fringe panel to discuss how the UK can level up with a green recovery, and opportunities from the renewables sector for ‘red wall’ constituencies.

After winning the largest majority since Margaret Thatcher’s 1987 victory, the Conservative Party now has a huge responsibility to deliver on its promises to new ‘red wall’ voters, particularly in the North and Midlands, who shaped the outcome of the last election. Alongside Brexit, these communities expect to see increased infrastructure investment and many more jobs. Building back greener from Covid-19 with a huge boost to renewable energy capacity can deliver both of these goals by creating new green jobs, getting us on track to net zero and securing these ‘lent votes’ for the future. 

Decarbonising the power sector has been a Conservative success story, with renewables now making up 37% of the electricity grid. The UK now boasts the largest offshore wind capacity in the world, employing 11,000 people directly in many coastal areas and former industrial heartlands. It is particularly a Northern success story, which is the home of the majority of the UK’s offshore wind sector and which has huge potential to lead in new technologies like green hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, and low carbon steel manufacturing. Research estimates that the low carbon and renewable energy sector could support almost 45,000 jobs in the North East alone by 2030, many of which will be highly skilled roles in technology, science and manufacturing. But what additional policies are needed to ensure former red wall areas continue reaping the economic benefits from the transition to renewable energy? How significant are renewables to the government’s levelling up agenda? 

CEN’s recent polling shows clear support for an economic recovery that also tackles climate change. The Prime Minister and the Chancellor have both made clear their intention to build back greener, backed up a £2 billion grant for home energy efficiency upgrades and a £100 million investment into direct air capture technology. This panel will explore what steps should be taken in the Budget and Comprehensive Spending Review this autumn to deliver a green recovery, and scale up public and private investment in renewable energy and storage to benefit all regions of the UK.

So far our confirmed panellists include: Rosa Stewart (CEN Steering Committee, Chair), Alexander Stafford MP (CEN), Emma Toulson (Lead Stakeholder Advisor, Ørsted UK), Jennifer Powell (former special adviser) & Peter Lyburn (founder, Stonehaven)

Register for your free CPC virtual pass today: https://www.conservatives.com/conference

SPONSORED BY RENEWABLEUK