Green Alliance, alongside our sponsorship partners, will be hosting events across the Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservative party conferences this year. Below are the details of our events which you can also find in the respective fringe guides.
If you have any questions about the events please contact Chris Venables, Deputy director of politics. You do not need to register for the events, they are open to anyone attending the party conferences.
Liberal Democrat Party Conference – Bournemouth, 23-26 September
Rising prices have pushed food security to the top of the agenda. As UK farming faces a challenging future, Green Alliance, the RSPB, and Wildlife and Countryside LINK will discuss how nature-friendly farming can deliver for farmers, as well as making progress towards vital environmental targets.
Chair:
- Lydia Collas, Senior Policy analyst, Green Alliance
Speakers:
- Baroness Bakewell, Lords EFRA Spokesperson
- Stuart Roberts, PPC for South West Herts and Three Rivers, and former Deputy president of the NFU
- Georgie Bray, Farm manager, RSPB
- Richard Benwell, CEO, Wildlife and Countryside LINK
Join Green Alliance, the National Trust, The Wildlife Trusts, RSPB, The Nature Conservancy, WWF and Greenpeace ahead of the most important election for nature ever.
Speakers:
- Baroness Kate Parminter, Chair, Lords Environment Committeee
- Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale and Spokesperson for Environment
- Rebecca Humphries, Head of climate policy Europe, The Nature Conservancy
- Shaun Spiers, Executive director, Green Alliance
Responding to the energy crisis holds some of the biggest opportunities and challenges for transforming the economy, bringing down bills and creating thriving communities. By taking ambitious steps to increase energy efficiency and decarbonise our power system, the next government can change day-to-day life for the better for millions of people, whilst also tackling the climate emergency. In this panel event, we’ll explore the scale of investment needed and how benefits can be maximised to ensure every household will be warm this winter.
Chair:
- Chris Venables, Deputy director of politics, Green Alliance
Speakers:
- Gwen Buck, Head of Public Affairs, Uplift
- Adam Corner, Chief Executive, National Energy Action
- Hina Bokhari, Liberal Democract, London Assembly Member and member of Environment Committee
Conservative Party Conference – Manchester, 1-4 October
Join Green Alliance and the Energy Networks Association to discuss how a Conservative government can help bring down bills, create thousands of jobs and grow business by capitalising on the epic opportunity to invest in the cheap, clean renewable energy that we need to secure a decarbonised power system by 2035.
Chair:
- Tim Shipman, Chief political commentator, The Times (invited)
Speakers:
- Andrew Bowie, Minister for Nuclear and Networks (invited)
- Lawrence Spade, CEO, Energy Networks Association
- Shaun Spiers, Executive director, Green Alliance
Join Green Alliance, the National Trust, The Wildlife Trusts, RSPB, The Nature Conservancy and WWF ahead of the most important election for nature ever.
Speakers:
- Shaun Spiers, Executive director, Green Alliance
- Claire Coutinho, Secretary of State for Energy and Net-Zero
- Therese Coffey, Secretary of State for the Environment
- Chris Skidmore, MP for Kingswood and Chair of the Environment APPG
- Alok Sharma, MP for Reading West, and COP26 President (invited)
- Rebecca Smith, PPC for SW Devon
Labour Party Conference - Liverpool, 8-11 October
Rising prices have pushed food security to the top of the agenda. As UK farming faces a challenging future, Green Alliance and the National Trust will discuss how nature-friendly farming can deliver for farmers, as well as making progress towards vital environmental targets.
Chair:
- Anna Hill, Presenter for BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today (invited)
Speakers:
- Daniel Zeichner, MP for Cambridge, Shadow Minister, DEFRA (invited)
- Hilary McGrady, Executive director, National Trust
- Dustin Benton, Director of policy, Green Alliance
- Susan Twining, Chief land use policy adviser, CLA
Join Green Alliance and National Grid to discuss overcoming current barriers in the planning system to delivery a net zero grid while ensuring continued protection of nature and support from local communities.
Chair:
- Roz Bulleid, Director of research, Green Alliance
Speakers:
- Sarah Jones, MP for Croydon Central, Shadow ESNZ Minister (invited)
- Matthew Pennycook, MP for Greenwich and Woolwich, Shadow DLUCH Minister (invited)
- Baroness Sue Hayman, Lords Shadow Spokesperson DEFRA and DLUCH (invited)
- Ben Wilson, Head of external affairs, National Grid
- Ailbhe Rae, Political correspondent, Politico
- Sue Ferns, Deputy general secretary, Prospect
Join Green Alliance and the Environmental Services Association to discuss how Labour can use recycling, re-use and the circular economy to support green jobs and build a greener, fairer future for all.
Chair:
- Cecilia Keating, Features editor, BusinessGreen
Speakers:
- Ruth Jones, MP for Newport West
- Jacob Hayler, Executive director, Environmental Services Association
- Libby Peake, Head of resources, Green Alliance
- Adam Read, Director of external affairs, Suez
Join Green Alliance and the Energy Networks Association to discuss how Labour can secure the infrastructure and skills for a decarbonised power sector that re-establishes the UK’s global leadership in the race to net zero.
Chair:
- Ione Wells, BBC political correspondent
Speakers:
- Kerry McCarthy, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Net Zero
- Lawrence Slade, CEO, Energy Networks Association
- Florence Boyd, political adviser, Green Alliance
- Lindsey Southworth, Head of external affairs, EDF Renewables
The survival of the car industry depends on securing a supply of UK produced batteries. This event will explore the existing barriers and opportunities for developing a battery manufacturing industry and unpick policy solutions for Labour to put the UK in the driving seat and reap the benefits.
Chair:
- Megan Kenyon, policy correspondent (sustainability), New Statesman
Speakers:
- Sarah Jones, MP for Croydon Central, Shadow ESNZ Minister (invited)
- Helena Bennett, Head of climate policy, Green Alliance
- Martin Dowson, Chief Engineer Electrification, WWG Warwick University
- Ian Townsend, Technical Advisor, Critical Minerals Association
Join Green Alliance and AECOM to discuss how Labour can support measures to deliver, affordable, reliable, and green buses that tackle both the cost-of-living crisis and climate crisis.
Chair:
- Helena Bennett, Head of climate, Green Alliance
Speakers:
- Simon Lightwood, Shadow Minister for buses
- Karen Britton, Technical Director, AECOM
- Stephen Frost, Principal Research Fellow, IPPR
- Oliver Coppard, Metro Mayor for South Yorkshire (invited)
Join the UK’s largest environmental organisations ahead of the most important election for nature ever. Hear from PPCs who are already standing up for the natural world and speak to organisations like National Trust, The Wildlife Trusts, The Nature Conservancy, Greenpeace, WWF and the RSPB, who represent millions of voters across the UK.
Speakers:
- Steve Reed, Shadow Secretary for the Environment
- Shaun Spiers, Executive director, Green Alliance
- Hilary McGrady, Director General, National Trust
- Rebecca Newsom, Policy and Political Adviser, Greenpeace
- Polly Billington, Labour candidate for South Thanet
- Kirsty McNeil, Labour candidate for Midlothian
- Andrew Pakes, PPC for Peterborough
- Jon Pearce, PPC for High Peake