24.02.2021
2021 Thames Environment Online Conference
Sustainability, innovation & change and habitats are the themes for this year’s Port of London Authority (PLA) annual Thames environment conference, set to be delivered as a series of three webinars, on 16, 17 and 18 March 2021.
Each day will take a specific theme, giving delegates opportunity to gain a broad insight into developments in the marine sector and on the Thames in particular, as the UK starts to work towards the legally binding Net Zero target by 2050.
Speakers already confirmed for the event will include Peter Livey, managing director (Great Britain) & global environmental ambassador at container line, HMM; Ashley Stehr, assistant director, Maritime Future, at the MCA; Isabel Donovan, senior sites manager – South Essex Reserves at the RSPB; Alex McGoran, researcher, Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway; and Helen Murphy, sustainability manager, Cory.
Tanya Ferry, PLA head of environment, said:
“This year our webinars will take delegates from vessels to the quayside, barges to new technology, habitats to food chain research. It’s a great range of topics and speakers, with webinars timed so that people can dip in, find out about the latest developments and have opportunity to see how they can be taken forward in their own organisations.
“We’re also set to make announcements about new and ongoing initiatives including on tidal energy, the new Sustainable Innovation and Environment funds and more besides.”
The focus for each of the three days is as follows:
Webinar #1 – sustainability – 16 March 2021 Looking at how vessel and terminal operators are improving the sustainability of their operations and how local councils are responding to the climate emergency.
Webinar #2 – innovation & change – 17 March 2021 Insights from terminal owners and inland freight operators on how innovation and change is being managed. Further insight will be from regulators sharing how they are adjusting to new and emerging technologies.
Webinar #3 – habitats – 18 March 2021 Will focus on habitats, including food chain research, habitat protection and improvement.
To register for the webinars, please follow this link: http://www.pla.co.uk/Events/PLA-Environment-Webinar-Series-2021
Notes to editors:
- The PLA plans to more than halve its carbon emissions within five years and achieve Net Zero by 2040, or sooner. For more information: http://www.pla.co.uk/Environment/2040-Net-Zero-Target
- The Air Quality Strategy for the tidal Thames, launched in 2017 was the first evidence air quality strategy for a UK port; the first update was published in summer 2020. Read the strategy: https://server1.pla.co.uk/Environment/Air-Quality-and-Green-Tariff
