Sir Richard Branson is a last minute addition to the list of speakers at All-Energy 2014. The U.K.’s renewable energy exhibition and conference is being held at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC), May 21-22.
Speaking live from his renowned Necker Island base, Sir Richard will be joining the conference on Thursday, May 22, through the medium of Skype; his presentation will take place at the end of “Investing in the future – innovation” a session devoted to innovation in the offshore wind sector (Crombie B at AECC).
“Sir Richard may not be directly involved with offshore wind, but the fact that this session is being chaired by Calum Davidson, Highland and Islands Enterprise’s Director of Energy and Low Carbon was the deciding factor. The work on island energy systems undertaken by Sir Richard and The Carbon War Room makes Calum’s involvement particularly relevant,” says Judith Patten, All-Energy’s Conference Director.
“Earlier in the day, Peter Boyd, Chief Operating Officer, The Carbon War Room will be speaking in the Plenary Session at 09:15 with its theme ‘Taking a different view’. The Carbon War Room is a global nonprofit organization, founded by Sir Richard Branson and a team of like-minded entrepreneurs that accelerates the adoption of business solutions that reduce carbon emissions at gigaton scale and advance the low-carbon economy. The organization focuses on solutions that can be realised using proven technologies under current policy landscapes. Having Sir Richard with us later in the same day will give our audience a greater understanding of the work of the organization.”
The Carbon War Room identifies and works in sectors where emissions can be reduced profitably, and where there are barriers preventing greater adoption of low-carbon solutions.
Peter Boyd will be combining climate change and optimism in the same talk, airing the view that “solving climate change is the single biggest society opportunity on the planet today” and encouraging everyone in the audience “to grasp the opportunities and profit from it at the same time” ….. Two case studies of Carbon War Room's recent work highlight the opportunities and have resonance in Scotland as well as around the world – island energy systems, and fuel efficient shipping.
All-Energy is free to attend.
The All-Energy conference program begins with political keynote addresses by Rt Hon Alistair Carmichael MP, Secretary of State for Scotland and Fergus Ewing MSP, Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism; and at lunch time on Day 1 includes The Great Debate, on the energy implications of the Scottish Independence Referendum between Fergus Ewing and Tom Greatrex MP, UK Shadow Energy Minister, and Chaired by Professor Sir Jim McDonald.
