Low-Carbon Cities Conference Programme

What will Scotland’s cities look like in the future? How can cities evolve to incorporate renewable and low-carbon energy to drive and connect our economies, reduce carbon emissions and clean up the environment? This session sets out a vision for low-carbon cities and some of the key challenges and opportunities for Scotland in turning concept into reality.

Welcome
Jenny Hogan, Director of Policy, Scottish Renewables Keynote Address
Keith Brown MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work 

Speaker
Jan Johansson, Energy Manager, Växjö municipality, Sweden
James Alexander, Director, Finance & Economic Development Initiative, C40 Cities

What can we learn from the pioneering examples of sustainable cities? What strategies, technologies and infrastructure are being applied that could be transformative for Scotland’s cities? How were they achieved and what blueprints are available for other urban centres to follow in their footsteps? This session learns from the experience of some of the smart city pioneers. 

Chair

Rachelle Money, Director of Communications, Scottish Renewables

Speakers

Colin Reid, Energy & Sustainability Manager, Wheatley Group
Sam Greer, Engineering Director, Stagecoach UK Bus
Ian Booth, Chief Executive Officer, Aberdeen Heat and Power Ltd
Councillor Adam McVey, Chair, Edinburgh EsCo

How do we plan and create the infrastructure and regulatory frameworks for smart, sustainable cities of the future?  What is the transition from business-as-usual to transformative change, but with a ‘low-regrets’ outcome? This session explores how we alter the existing structural and regulatory infrastructure in our cities to make them ready to adopt renewable and low-carbon solutions.

Chair
Sara Thiam Regional Director, ICE Scotland and Chair, Low Carbon Infrastructure Task Force

Speakers
Sue Kearns, Head of Energy Deployment, Scottish Government
Rory Shanahan, Energy Consultant, The Carbon Trust
Amy Braddick, Low Carbon Officer, Scottish Cities Alliance and Alastair Brown, Director of Localities and Infrastructure, Stirling Council
Rob Pedersen, City Architect, Dundee City Council 

What are the innovations that can unlock Scotland’s low-carbon cities and how can they be integrated into our urban environments? What are the behavioural and cultural changes we need to drive forward and what incentives are needed to drive this change?  

Chair:                                                                                                                       Richard Bellingham, Director, Institute for Future Cities, Strathclyde University 

Speakers:
James Higgins, Policy Manager, SGN
Professor Jill Anable, Chair in Transport and Energy, Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds 
Simon Tricker, Chief Digital Officer & Smart Cities Consultant, Urban Tide
Richard Long, Head of Business Development - Urban Energy, ENGIE UK   

Closing Remarks
Rachelle Money, Director of Communications, Scottish Renewables