Getting on with Going Green
Media Release: Immediate Release
The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate is joining 10s of 1000s of other visitors to Bristol this weekend to mark the start of Bristol Green Week. Ed Davey MP is the keynote speaker at the Green Liberal Democrat (GLD) conference, Getting on with Going Green, held at UWE, timed to coincide with the environmental festival. The GLD conference attendees include academics, industry leaders and political activists.
Energy & Climate Change Secretary, Ed Davey, said: "It's great to be here in Bristol for the Green Liberal Democrats Conference. It provides me with a valuable opportunity to listen carefully to delegates' views on how we 'get on with going green'. This year's focus on delivering the green agenda is timely, and comes at a time when the Liberal Democrats in Government are making unprecedented progress."
"The Energy Bill has passed the Commons stages and the overwhelming support it received sends out a clear message we are taking action to keep the lights on, create cleaner energy and green jobs, and keep consumers' bills down."
Taking a leading role in the conference on how the green agenda can aid in delivering a sustainable economy, Bristol West MP, Stephen Williams said: "It is fitting that the Green Lib Dem Conference is being hosted here in Bristol. The city is rightfully bidding to win the European Green Capital Award in 2015 and is home to many of the country's leading green energy companies.
"My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I are absolutely committed to radical action to move the UK to a low carbon economy. The government has set up the Green Investment Bank and it is now making its first investment decisions. The Green Deal will also be a big opportunity for Bristol householders to boost the energy efficiency of their homes. These ideas were developed by Liberal Democrats, put in our manifesto, argued for in our coalition negotiations and are now being delivered by a Liberal Democrat Secretary of State."
"Our approach has been to invest in the green economy, incentivise energy efficiency improvements to British homes and businesses and encourage the use of renewable energy sources. That is after all, what building a fairer society looks like."
GLD Conference volunteer co-organiser Mary Page said, "We have worked hard to bring together environmental and sustainability professionals from both academia and industry to provide expert information to Lib Dem policy makers."
"We did this because we believe, not that Lib Dems in government aren't trying hard enough to implement green policies but that they are doing so against very solid resistance. This means Lib Dem MPs and party policy makers need the GLD & other environmentalists actively engaged in the design, creation and evolution of a policies which will help produce a strong green economy in a fair and sustainable society."
Ends
Contacts:
- GLD Co-Organiser: Mary Page 07581 390347 or marypage3@yahoo.co.uk
- Alex Smethurst, Parliamentary Assistant to Stephen Williams MP Tel: 0117 942 3494
Notes:
- GLD Conference is being held at UWE June 15th 2013
Conference Agenda includes:
- Key themes of Economy, Energy and Environment following the publication earlier in the year of The Green Book http://www.green-book.org.uk/
Other speakers include:
- Merlin Hyman CEO Regen SW http://www.regensw.co.uk/
- Prof Jim Longhurst UWE Assistant Vice Chancellor Environment & Sustainability PhD, MSc, BSc (Hons), F.I.Env.Sc, FHEA, FWIGB, C.Env, C.Sci. http://people.uwe.ac.uk/Pages/person.aspx?accountname=campus%5Cj-longhurst
- Cllr Steve Bradley - Green Lib Dem Chair and Green book contributor
Details of Bristol Green week including GLD Conference can be found here: http://www.biggreenweek.com/