Yorkshire Post Climate Change Summit 2024: Hundreds expected as event returns to Leeds

The event will take place on October 1 at the Royal Armouries in Leeds and is expected to be attended by hundreds of people.

Items on the agenda for this year’s event include decarbonising transport, putting public transport first, renewable energy, climate action in education, learnings from the past year and planning the road ahead.

Steve Frampton MBE, founder of the Sustainability Support for Further Education consultancy, will be hosting the event this year.

Mr Frampton said: "I am honoured and excited to be asked to chair this important call for action at the Yorkshire Climate Change Conference given the significant level of interest and commitment to this vital agenda on both sides of the Pennines, and further north.

“Businesses, public sector bodies, post-16 education and the voluntary sector are doing so much important and inspiring work in this space which we will all benefit from accessing and sharing.

"Given today is the planet's warmest day since accurate climate records began, and by the autumn it will be warmer still, eco-anxiety rates are rising and extreme weather events are impacting well over 500 million people we need a positive and hopeful conference that can explore the urgent, holistic action at scale and pace we will all need to take to help tackle this critical issue."

Vehicle leasing company Zenith is returning as headline sponsor, with other partners for the event including First Bus and SSE Renewables.

Climate change has only been a relatively minor feature of the General Election campaign with the major parties focusing on other issues but both the Conservatives and Labour have faced questions over their policies.

Last year, the Climate Change Committee said the UK was losing its leadership position on climate issues following backing for new oil and coal, airport expansion plans and slow progress on heat pumps.

When challenged on that assessment on the BBC on Sunday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak argued that the UK is decarbonising faster than many other leading nations and that some policy changes which have been introduced are designed to save money for taxpayers.

In September, Mr Sunak pushed back the ban on new petrol and diesel cars, watered down the plan to phase out gas boilers by 2035 and scrapped the requirement of energy efficiency upgrades to homes.

The Conservative manifesto pledges a “pragmatic and proportionate approach” to net zero, the legal target to cut greenhouse gas emissions to zero overall by 2050.

A major U-turn in February saw Labour abandon its plans to spend £28 billion a year on environmental projects – with Sir Keir saying at the time his party had had to “readjust” its plans due to the state of the economy.

But Labour says it believes its remaining proposals will unlock hundreds of billions of pounds from businesses to aid the push for net zero.

Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones said recently: “All of the evidence is very clear from the Committee on Climate Change from investors and businesses themselves that to hit zero by 2050 they want to invest billions of pounds in their own businesses, whether they’re building nuclear power stations or the hydrogen supply chain.”

Discounted tickets now available

​Tickets are now on sale for October's event at discounted ‘earlybird’ prices that are £20 cheaper.

The discounted offer runs until the end of July from www.yorkshireclimatechange.co.uk.

A spokesperson said: “Every individual, business, and institution grapples with the crucial need to reduce carbon consumption, underscoring our collective responsibility to forge solutions for a sustainable future.

“Now in its fourth year, this conference will unite politicians, business leaders, academics and media spanning various sectors. Through lively discussions, debates and networking, participants will confront Yorkshire’s climate challenges and strategize on the most effective paths forward to realise our common objectives.

“For anyone invested in driving climate emergency initiatives, attending this event is a must.”