National
press office - 1 October 2008 - Finding
solutions to safeguard livelihoods while
protecting the environment and adapting
to climate change is the headlining message
at the upcoming Environment Agency conference.
Environmental futures
08: creating the climate for change will
bring leaders in government, business, investment
and environment together to discuss their
roles in adapting to climate change and
working towards a low carbon economy.
With the European Commissioner
for the Environment, Stavros Dimas and London
Mayor Boris Johnson, we've got one of the
strongest speaker line-ups yet for this
year's conference.
This years event also
offers a rare opportunity to hear in person
from the eminent US climate scientist Dr
James Hansen. Director of the NASA Goddard
Institute for Space Studies in New York,
Hansen is passionate about the need for
policy makers and scientists to co-operate
on climate change. His demand for objective
and realistic climate scenarios has given
him a controversial edge worldwide.
Speakers and panellists
include:
Stavros Dimas, European
Commissioner for the Environment
Dr James Hansen, Director
of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space
Studies
Rt Hon Hilary Benn
MP, Secretary of State for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs
Rt Hon John Hutton
MP, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise
and Regulatory Reform
Boris Johnson, Mayor
of London
Sir Michael Pitt,
Independent Chair of The Pitt Review: Lessons
learned from the 2007 floods
Phil Woolas MP, Minister
of State for Environment
Jane Davidson AM,
Minister for Environment, Sustainability
and Housing, Welsh Assembly Government
Dr Chris West, Director
of the UK Climate Impacts Programme
Delegates to the Business
Forum can take advantage of the expertise
of industry leaders on the business challenges
of climate change. Business Forum speakers
include:
Martin Broughton,
Chairman of British Airways and President
of the CBI
Marjan Oudeman, Director,
Corus Strip Products Division
Nick Robins, Head
of Climate Change Centre of Excellence,
HSBC
Richard Gillies, Director
of Plan A, Marks and Spencer
Paul Cowling, Managing
Director, Npower Renewables
Delegates at the conference
will also have the opportunity to attend
workshops to voice their ideas, share best
practice and devise practical solutions
to the challenges posed by climate change.
To see the full line
up of speakers, seminars and workshops and
to register as a delegate visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk/conference
<http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/conference>
+ More
Environment Agency maintains
shingle sea defences at Lancing and Shoreham
Lucy Harding - 29-Sep-2008
- Excavators and diggers will be busy on
the beaches of Lancing and Shoreham throughout
the next four weeks maintaining the sea
defences along this stretch of West Sussex
coastline.
The Environment Agency
is responsible for maintaining the 3km stretch
of frontage which defends over 1,340 homes
and businesses from flooding. Over the last
three years the width of the shingle crest
on these beaches has naturally reduced due
to wave action and weather conditions. From
today (Monday 29 September), the Environment
Agency will be importing 8,500 tonnes of
shingle and re-profiling the beach crest
and slope to improve the defences. This
essential flood defence work will take around
a month to complete and will cost £115,000.
Andrew Gilham, Environment
Agency Area Flood Risk Manager, said: Storms,
high winds and severe weather conditions
can test our defences at any time of the
year. This routine maintenance work will
ensure the defences are at the required
standard ahead of any autumn and winter
storms.
Since 2000, we have
spent £18 million on improving the
sea defences between Shoreham and Lancing.
We are already working with local communities
who live along this coastline to develop
a long term plan for managing flood and
erosion risk for the next 100 years.
For more general information
on how to prepare for flooding and the latest
flood warnings in force visit: www.environment-agency.gov.uk
or ring Floodline on 0845 9881188.
