Selaine Saxby MP will be hosting the North Devon Climate Summit ahead of the upcoming UN Climate Conference taking place in Glasgow.
This event will discuss the purpose of COP26 with North Devon residents and seek their views on current environmental priorities, ahead of writing an open letter to COP26 President Alok Sharma, before the Conference itself in November.
This year, at the UN Climate Conference (UNFCCC COP26), the UK will assemble global partners to negotiate the next stages of implementing the Paris Agreement and encourage other countries to commit to stronger action on climate change.
To further encourage more local participation and engagement in our national mission to reach net zero emissions by 2050, Ms. Saxby hopes that the North Devon Climate Summit will engage individuals, businesses, and civil society groups across North Devon and across the political spectrum. The virtual event will feature a distinguished keynote speaker, followed by three panels, each with its own Q&A. Participants will be encouraged to submit questions in advance, and will also be able to submit questions during the event itself.
The North Devon Climate Conference will open with a keynote speech from Lord Deben, Chair of the UK’s independent Committee on Climate Change and former Secretary of State for the Environment. Following this, three panels will be held on “The road to COP26 and where to next”, “The role of education”, and “Blue Carbon”.
Panellists include Katherine Fletcher, Parliamentary Private Secretary to Alok Sharma; Andy Bell, North Devon Biosphere; Will Farrell, member of the COP26 Civil Society and Youth Advisory Group; Pru Maskell, Devon County Council; Lucy Woodall, Professor at Oxford University; representatives from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit and the Marine Conservation Society; and other leaders in their areas soon to be announced.
Ms. Saxby calls on all local residents and businesses to engage with this critical issue, and join the event on Saturday 18th September, at 10am on Zoom. Residents of North Devon can share their concerns and ideas about the environment by signing up to join the discussion here: https://north-devon-climate-summit.eventbrite.co.uk
Selaine Saxby, MP for North Devon, said:
“The UK is in a prime position to be a world leader in climate action, as we take further steps to reduce our own emissions at home and persuade other countries to accelerate climate action ahead of COP26. Climate change is a huge threat to our economy and national security, and we know we need to bring everyone with us and harness the best ideas from all parts of society if we are going to tackle it effectively.
“The North Devon Climate Summit will offer an opportunity to discuss some of the key decisions and issues relating to climate change, to hear from experts both national and local, and to gather the views and priorities of local businesses and residents. I am enormously grateful to all of our distinguished speakers for their help in preparing for this event and for giving up their valuable time to help us in this important mission.
“After the summit, I will send a summary of our conversations to COP26 President, Alok Sharma MP, and ask him to consider the views of North Devon as part of the UK’s strategy for the COP26 Conference in Glasgow in November. I know that my North Devon constituents care passionately about climate change, and so I hope that this Climate Summit will help the Government’s efforts to address it.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For further information on the North Devon Climate Summit, please visit: https://north-devon-climate-summit.eventbrite.co.uk. A full list of confirmed speakers is available here, and will be updated as more speakers are confirmed.
Journalists are also welcome at the summit. For enquiries, please contact william.frost@parliament.uk.
