In July 2019 Eastbourne Borough councillors unanimously declared a Climate Emergency and committed to delivering a carbon neutral town by 2030 as part of the national and international effort to help mitigate, and adapt to, climate change in line with the targets set by the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change at the Paris COP21 in 2015. This Symposium will ask: “What is our progress so far in aiming for carbon neutrality by 2030?” and explore some of the next steps that can be taken in working towards this 2030 target. This Symposium follows on from the first one held in 2024.
The venue for this event will be Emmanuel Church, a modern building run by a team that has won a coveted Eco Church award for its efforts to meet high environmental and sustainability standards.
A variety of keynote speakers will provide the background for the Carbon Neutral 2030 campaign and review the progress made so far, followed by a round of updates from many of the local organisations involved in the ECN2030 campaign.Then, after a break for refreshments and networking, the next part of the event will feature presentations about resources that can help all of us as individuals, or as leaders of local organisations, to set clear, meaningful, and achievable targets for, and to measure progress towards, carbon neutrality, and sustainability in general.
Finally, there will be a plenary incorporating a Q&A session to explore the pathway we need to take collectively as a community for the next 5 years, and particularly for the next year, to help achieve the 2030 target.
Spaces will be limited, so please book your free ticket as soon as possible. Refreshments will be provided free of charge.
There is easy wheelchair access to the venue and lift access to the first floor, where the event takes place. A disabled access toilet is just outside the main hall, which also has a hearing loop system. Please let us know if you have any special access requirements.
One keynote speaker will be Professor Scarlett McNally, a consultant surgeon at Eastbourne DGH, co-founder of Bespoke Cycle Group, and one of the top 100 women in cycling according to Cycling UK, has accepted our invitation to be one of our top speakers at our Eastbourne Carbon Neutral 2030 Symposium on Saturday 26th April at Emmanuel Church, Upperton Road.Scarlett has championed active travel and policies to reduce ill health, road traffic injuries, and air pollution. After a serious illness, Scarlett used an electric bike to regain fitness for a stem cell transplant. She now works part-time in the NHS and travels to conferences by electric bike and train.
Another keynote speaker will be Richard Watson, CEO of Energise Sussex Coast, an award-winning and rapidly expanding community energy cooperative which does a lot of work in Eastbourne and which is working with us to develop the Eastbourne Energy Champions network of trained volunteers able to help deliver basic energy advice and various community energy projects. Richard has designed and delivered many community renewable energy projects in his time at Energise Sussex Coast, and he will showcase one such project completed in Eastbourne.