The biggest challenge facing humanity is also shaping our future economy.

With the world on the cusp of an economy fuelled by climate innovation, the UK and Ireland have a unique opportunity to create jobs and growth at home while playing a leading role in the global transition to a zero-carbon economy and climate-resilient society.

How are we going to capture this opportunity, and translate leadership in climate policy into a leading role in the new climate economy?

Meeting the globally agreed aim of limiting temperature increases to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels will require transformation of human and economic systems at an unprecedented rate. Innovation is crucial for helping to trigger the whole systems change we need, in policy, behaviour, finance, business models, technology and skills.

It is critical therefore that appropriate frameworks are put in place in the UK, Europe, and globally to stimulate the pace and scale of transformational innovation required to deliver national and international climate goals, improve living standards and drive economic growth.

This discussion is timely given the development of the UK’s Industrial Strategy, which seeks to address long-term challenges to the UK economy, and the forthcoming Clean Growth Plan, which sets the framework for achieving emission targets while stimulating low-carbon growth.

The event will:

discuss the conditions that support rapid innovation in low-carbon and resilience goods, services and approaches, and the specific ingredients that make city-regions all over the UK and Ireland well-placed to unlock this opportunity for jobs and growth at home

explore the role that global and European climate innovation partnerships play in our ability to respond quickly to the increasing global demand for low-carbon and resilience goods and services, and

reflect on how the UK can translate its leading role in climate policy into a leading role in the new climate economy.

EVENT PROGRAMME

4.00pm Arrival and exhibition of a small selection of Climate-KIC projects

Tea, Coffee, Cake

4.45pm Welcome

Dr Tom Mitchell, Director, Climate-KIC UK & Ireland

5.00pm Keynote speaker

Professor Dame Julia King, member House of Lords and UK Committee on Climate Change

5.30pm Panel discussion

Our distinguished panel will be Chaired by Lord Hunt of Chesterton, ex-CEO of the Met Office and Emeritus Professor of Climate Modelling at UCL, and include:

Dr John Schellnhuber, Founder and Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and Governing Board Chair Emeritus of Climate-KIC
Mark Jenkinson, City Director London, Siemens plc
Dr Tom Mitchell, Director, Climate-KIC UK & Ireland
and others

6.30pm Drinks reception

8.00pm Close

The UK's role in the global transition to a zero-carbon economy