PLA Environment Conference 2022
On 1 March 2022, the PLA hosted its 6th Environment Conference focusing on climate adaptation, where speakers from the Wildlife Trusts and RSPB, joined BPA and Lloyds Maritime Decarbonisation Hub to discuss the need to adapt while mitigating for climate impacts. The event was attended by 120 people.
You can catch up with the entire conference here or click on the session you want to view below:
Speakers
 Kathryn Brown OBE Dir. of Climate Action, Wildlife Trusts |
 Rachel Fancy Wallasea Site Manager, RSPB |
 Tanya Ferry Head of Environment, PLA |
 Alistair Gale Dir. of Corporate Affairs & Strategy, PLA |
 Ryan Hall Harbour Master, PLA |
 Charles Haskell Maritime Decarbonisation Hub Program Manager, Lloyds Register |
 Peter Lefort Green Futures Network Officer, University of Exeter |
 Tim Munday Environmental Resilience Officer, City of London |
 Sarah Nightingale Strategy Development and Partnering Manager, RNLI |
 Mark Simmonds Dir. of Policy & External Affairs, BPA |
 Steve Tuck Head of Data Governance & Data Quality, Thames Water |
Agenda
Opening (9.20 am to 9.30 am)
Welcome, Event chair: Tanya Ferry, PLA Head of Environment
Session 1 – setting the scene (9.30 am to 10.15 am approx.,)
Ten mins per speaker and then a panel discussion – Tanya Ferry, chair
- Climate Change – What the data is telling us – Peter Lefort, Exeter University
- Adaptation to temp and climate – Steve Tuck, Thames Water
- Thames Vision 2050 – Alistair Gale, PLA Director of Corporate Affairs & Strategy
Session 2 – Natural Thames – Restoring a changing habitat (10.15 am to 11.00 am approx.)
Ten mins per speaker and then a panel discussion
- The challenge and importance of restoration - Kathryn Brown OBE, director of climate action, the Wildlife Trusts
- Habitat restoration/coastal squeeze – Rachel Fancy, RSPB Site Manager for Wallasea
Session 3 – Destination Thames – A Mediterranean London (11.15 am to 12 noon approx.)
Ten mins per speaker and then a panel discussion
- Ebb tide flag closures – sport and recreation – Ryan Hall, PLA Harbour Master
- Planning for changing behaviours and changing operations – Sarah Nightingale, RNLI
- Planning for London’s changing climate – Tim Munday, Environmental Resilience Officer, City of London
Session 4 – Trading Thames – protecting jobs, homes and businesses (12 noon to 1.00 pm, incl close)
Ten mins per speaker and then a panel discussion – Tanya Ferry, chair
-
Adapting to climate change for ports and shipping
- Ports – Mark Simmonds, British Ports Association
- Ships – Charles Haskell, Lloyds Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub.
- A working river with increasing tidal variability – Laura Littleton, Senior Advisor for Thames Estuary 2100 at Environment Agency
Event close
Wrap up
Speaker Biographies
Kathryn Brown OBE
Kathryn Brown OBE has worked for the past 20 years in a range of policy and evidence roles on climate change. She is currently Director of climate change and evidence at The Wildlife Trusts. Previously, Kathryn was Head of Adaptation at the Climate Change Committee (CCC) where she directed the production of the UK’s Independent Assessment of Climate Risk (CCRA3) and the CCC’s analysis of progress in adapting to climate change in England. Prior to 2012, she worked for ten years at Defra in a range of roles on mitigation and adaptation, including as a lead negotiator for the EU. She was awarded an OBE for services to climate change research in 2022.
Rachel Fancy
Rachel Fancy is Wallasea Site Manager for the RSPB.
Tanya Ferry
Tanya Ferry is the Head of Environment in the Planning and Environment Department at the Port of London Authority and advises on the coordination and implementation of the PLA’s environmental work, statutory protection and improvements throughout the tidal River Thames. She has worked at the Port of London for eight years and has worked on the Thames for over seventeen in previous Environment Agency roles. Tanya is working to promote sustainable port operation, to improve stakeholders understanding of the contributions to the environment by the port industry and environmental considerations of the Thames estuary. Tanya works within environmental management with a particular focus on the water environment. Her roles have involved interpreting a wide range of regulatory compliance for a wide range of activities and sources, working with charities and local groups to improve the river and increase working partnerships with commerce.
Alistair Gale
Alistair Gale joined the PLA as Director of Corporate Affairs in August 2006. He leads on stakeholder engagement, internal comms, strategy and Thames Vision development. Prior to joining the PLA, Alistair set up and ran the in-house communications function for the UK’s largest cement maker, Blue Circle, remaining through the takeover by the Lafarge group and subsequent integration. Alistair has a degree in Geography from the University of Southampton.
Ryan Hall
PLA Harbour Master Ryan Hall provides the lead on external relations and liaison with other organisations, river works licensing, and support the Senior Harbour Master with emergency management, port security and new business and infrastructure projects.
Charles Haskell
Charles Haskell is the Programme Manager for Lloyd’s Register’s Maritime Decarbonisation Hub.
He’s been with Lloyd’s Register for more than 20 years, first in a practical, hands-on role as a project manager for new ship construction in South Korea, and then as a surveyor and auditor in the Middle East, before returning to the UK as a business development manager for Lloyd’s Register’s Marine and Offshore business stream before taken on his current role in Summer 2020.
Peter Lefort
Peter Lefort runs the University of Exeter’s Green Futures Network, connecting communities and organisations to the latest environmental research and resources. His work in this role, and as the Co-Chair of the international Transition Network, is to support people and places to collectively respond to complex challenges and our changing world.
Laura Littleton
Laura Littleton is Senior Advisor for Thames Estuary 2100 at Environment Agency
Tim Munday
Tim Munday is an Environmental Resilience Officer at the City of London Corporation, working on implementing the City’s Climate Action Strategy aim of having buildings, spaces and infrastructure that are resilient to our changing climate. He is working on programmes to increase greening in the City’s streets, leading on the City’s Riverside Strategy to raise our Thames defences and helping to upskill Corporation staff on climate risk. Tim originally joined the City Corporation as a building control officer. He is now using the experience he gained from this and his time studying at Civil Engineering at Imperial College London to help address the climate challenge.
Sarah Nightingale
Sarah Nightingale is the Strategy Development and Partnering Manager, RNLI.
Mark Simmonds
Mark Simmonds joined the British Ports Association in 2016 and leads on environmental and technical policy issues. He is also our main liaison for media and public affairs enquiries. Before joining the BPA he spent five years working for an MP in the House of Commons as a senior researcher and speechwriter, focusing on business and technology policy. Prior to that he worked in Government as a policy advisor and a Business and Systems Analyst at the Dreyfus Corporation, part of the Bank of New York Mellon in the USA.
Steve Tuck
Steve Tuck is Head of Data Governance & Data Quality, Thames Water.
