Carbon summit to drive action on climate change
Environmentalists, community leaders, business people, politicians and local policymakers will join together for a one-day climate change summit and reception in one of the Lake District’s most stunning locations next month.
Two years after the Low-Carbon Lake District initiative was launched, around 100 delegates will take part in a series of presentations and workshops at the Merewood Hotel, close to the shores of Windermere on 1 July.
Lake District National Park Chief Executive Richard Leafe, who will chair the conference, said since 2008 partners had all been working together to make the most of the environmental and business opportunities a low-carbon lake district offers. And at the same time people have been working to encourage the area’s eight million visitors to join in and take action.
“At the summit we will take stock of our achievements to date and plan for the future. We will hear about successful initiatives elsewhere and learn what we could do better. We need to inspire all those who know and love this special place to take action on the major issue of climate change,” he added.
The summit begins at 12 noon and concludes with an evening cruise on Windermere around 5.45pm. Delegates will be joined by writer and environmental campaigner Tony Juniper. They will discuss a number of practical initiatives to tackle climate change in the Lake District including:
- establishing a ‘carbon budget’ for the Lake District to allow people to see where the biggest carbon impacts are;
- creating a Community Trust to allow local people to invest in renewable energy schemes;
- examining sustainable transport options for the national park;
- looking at low-carbon tourism solutions; and
- highlighting land management projects which lock more greenhouse gases into the landscape.
In the weeks that follow the national park will work with partner organisations to drive forward progress in each of these areas.
Also at the summit, a new short film will be launched showing how climate change will affect the Lake District, and profiling innovative carbon-cutting projects.
More information on the national park’s work on climate change is available at our climate change section including a link to the short film from 1 July.
