This year’s Greater Manchester Green Summit was held at The Lowry on the 17 October. The University played a key role in providing expertise on progression of reaching the University’s calculated science-based goal of Zero Carbon by 2038, which is pivotal to influencing stakeholders to take greater action addressing the key challenges of climate change. The conference is in its fifth year, and sought input from businesses, policymakers, local communities and industry on how the city-region should accelerate action on Greater Manchester’s five-year environmental plan.

A keynote speech was delivered by Professor Carly McLachlan, Director of Tyndall Manchester, an interdisciplinary team at the University working on policy relevant research on climate change. McLachlan’s speech highlighted the urgent need for city-region wide change to not exceed use of Manchester’s ‘Carbon Budget’: a calculated amount of Carbon that can be emitted that is a ‘fair share’ alongside other stakeholder’s emissions, which also takes into account themes of climate justice. 

Sustainable Futures, a platform which facilitates interdisciplinary research to deliver sustainable solutions to climate challenges, was also present at the summit with a booth to promote the University’s world-leading research on climate change to delegates throughout the day.

In promoting the importance of Sustainable Futures at public forums, Director Professor Michael Shaver said: ‘’Sustainable Futures represents both a celebration and an ambition, recognising that The University of Manchester is already world-leading in tackling global challenges in environmental sustainability, whilst understanding the urgency and complexity of these challenges, and the opportunity to grow our global leadership in transforming our world for the better. Through integrations with environmental sustainability and social responsibility, Sustainable Futures will help to strengthen our global reach to deliver new interdisciplinary research, innovation and impact for the benefit of our University, city, region and across the world.’’