A MAJOR conference being held in Edinburgh next month will discuss how the UK’s Tory led departure from Europe could impact on international efforts to protect the environment.
Scotland’s environment minister Roseanna Cunningham will be keynote speaker at the European Environmental Bureau’s annual conference hosted at Dynamic Earth.
SNP MEP Alyn Smith, Scottish Greens Mark Ruskell, EEB President Mikael Karlsonn and former EU Chief Scientist Anna Glover are among the other contributors and panellists taking part at the event on Sunday, November 6.
It is understood Ms Cunningham will address the conference at around 10am where she is expected to outline Scotland’s position on sustainability and the environment during the forthcoming ‘Brexit’ years.
Her speech will be followed by a panel discussion likely to focus on both the threats and opportunities to come from a number of elections around Europe this November under the banner ‘Pursuing Sustainability in Times of Uncertainty’.
Ahead of the conference the EEB said: “More than ever, the EU needs a positive narrative to counter the spread of populist narratives based on fear and division.
“Sustainable development should be the overriding theme of that narrative, with environment enjoying a centre-stage position.
“The rise of President Trump and his appointment of what is undoubtedly the most anti-environmental US cabinet in living memory has made European leadership on the environment more important than ever.”
Among those helping direct conversations on the day for #EEB2017 are Tom Ballantine of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, broadcaster Lesley Riddoch and Helen McLachlan of WWF / Scottish Environmental Link.
The EEB is Europe’s biggest network of environmental groups drawn from ‘citizen’ organisations, now spanning 30 countries since it was set up in 1974.
Want to learn more? Read: EEB 2017 Annual conference – Changing Landscapes
Image credits: EEB
