The Summit kickstarted this morning with a rousing speech from Lord-Lt Peaches Golding, citing a warm welcome from His Royal Highness, and inspiring the audience to think about ‘our collective responsibility not being just about owning something, but being concerned about its future development”.
More than 160 expert speakers are attending the event including Hugo Tagholm (Surfers Against Sewage), Jonathon Porritt CBE, former Shell safety consultant Caroline Dennett (CLOUT Ltd), Tim Smit KBW (Eden Project), Kate Larsen (SupplyESChange), David Lindo (The Urban Birder), Melissa Thorpe (SpaceForge) and Mike Barry (Sustainability Leader).
This year’s format also welcomes voices from all over the world, including four environmentalists and activists from the Global South. Over the course of three days, attendees will learn from Nadia Owusu, (Youth Advocate) Abraham Bugre (climate change consultant and researcher) Emmanuel Ameyaw (Ghanaian journalist and Communications Specialist), and Akosua Manu (Deputy Chief Executive Officer, National Youth Authority-Ghana). The Global South, directly impacted by climate change, brings a diverse set of stories and learnings to encourage action.
Kresse Wesling CBE, Entrepreneur and Founder of Elvis & Kresse, who produce designer accessories from reclaimed fire hoses and donate 50% of profits to The Fire Fighters Charity, is also speaking at the event. She says: “The Blue Earth Summit is a place to discover a modern way of working that is good for the planet and helps us retain and inspire staff “. She adds that “The final question we ask ourselves before starting a project: is this going to make the world better for other people’s grandchildren? And if the answer is yes, we do it; if it’s no, we don’t”.
