Technology helps to tackle climate change

A Shropshire conference examining the way technology will help tackle the climate change crisis has sparked interest from around the globe.

More than 350 people have already signed up for Tech Severn – a free two-day event organised by Shropshire Council on June 16 and 17 – with registrations coming from across the UK and further afield.

The high-profile virtual conference brings together leading technological and environmental experts to help set out a roadmap to a green future and is a key element in the council’s own response to the climate emergency.

Shropshire Council chief executive Andy Begley said he was delighted with the initial registrations to date and urged still more businesses, organisations and residents across Shropshire to sign up.

“We have gathered together speakers from the cutting edge of business to share their vision of how technology can help us reduce our emissions, develop a truly sustainable future and protect the environment for generations to come.

“As a council we have set a deadline of 2030 to be carbon neutral and we hope to show through this brilliant event how technology can help us reach that goal – and also inspire people across our area and beyond to match our commitment and join us in protecting the planet for the future.

“The quality of the line-up, bringing together both national and local experts, innovators and specialists, has already attracted registrations from overseas as well as across the UK and we know that this will be an event not to be missed.”

Key speakers include telecom giant BT’s head of environmental sustainability Gabrielle Giner, Sarah Tennison (head of clean growth at Innovate UK), Dr Niall McCann (conservation director for National Park Rescue) and Ellen Wilson (sustainability and smart cities expert at Microsoft).

Mark Thompson, managing director of Telford-based battery and energy storage pioneers AceOn, and Parveen Begum, the chief executive of Telford clean energy specialists Solisco, will share their expertise, along with Coventry University bioleaching expert Sebastien Farnaud, Mike Barry (Cambridge University sustainability expert) and Fflur Lawton, head of public affairs at Smart Energy UK.

Areas the conference will focus on include the role of technology and new innovations in helping the council:

• Reduce its carbon footprint and achieve ‘net-zero’
• Drive a new generation of global sustainability
• Mitigate the impacts of climate change
• Protect its built and natural environments.

The event, supported by The Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, has been funded through the Shropshire Council-led ARG Economic Recovery Programme and is aimed at businesses of all sizes and sectors, voluntary, community and public sector organisations, schools, colleges and universities and the general public.

The Recovery Programme is a £3.2m series of projects, utilising Additional Restriction Grant (ARG) funding from Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to fund wider business support activities.

To book your place and for more information visit: https://techsevern21.co.uk/

Pictured: Mark Thompson, MD of Telford-based battery and energy storage pioneers AceOn