The 2023 Northern Air Quality Conference

‘How to improve air quality in a recession’

As we navigate into another recession, it’s vitally important we come together to learn how to tackle and improve air quality in these testing times. That’s why our 2023 Northern Air Quality Conference will focus on how to improve air quality in a recession.

Join the Air Quality News team for this special event on Thursday 23rd March at The Midland Hotel in Manchester, where we will hear from our expert speakers how we can navigate the coming years, and learn from our market-leading exhibitors who can assist.

SPEAKERS CONFIRMED

Jenny Jones, The Baroness of Moulsecoomb.

Jenny has held several prominent political roles: Deputy Mayor of London, Deputy Chair of the London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee, Green Councillor for Southwark Council and Chair of the Green Party of England and Wales. When the Green party was offered its first seat in the House of Lords in the summer of 2013 Jenny Jones was at the top of the party’s selection list, the result of a vote by all party members. Jenny was introduced to the House of Lords on November 5th 2013, she took her title, Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb, from the council estate she grew up on in Brighton

Andy Hickford, Leeds City Council

Andy works in Leeds City Council’s Climate, Energy & Green Spaces service which has responsibility for our Climate Emergency action programme, Energy, decarbonisation, parks and countryside and corporate buildings. Andy works across a range of areas within the services portfolio, including fleet decarbonisation – supporting the delivery of one of the largest ZE fleets in the country, as well as working to encourage ZE and zePLV uptake across the city and region. 

Andy leads on EV infrastructure, working on charge point delivery for our fleet in addition to working on public charging facilities, delivering a 100+ unit rapid charge network across the region, Leeds schemes in residential areas, across our council estate and hub provision, including Park & Ride locations including solar generation and on site battery storage.  

Andy has responsibility for Air Quality strategy and action plan for improvement and also manage delivery of our Food Strategy, White Rose Forest engagement and work with the Combined Authority on Transport decarbonisation and air quality strategy development. Further, Andy works with a number of third sector groups supporting the delivery of the Climate Action Leeds programme that is driving carbon reduction in communities across the city. Andy previously supported this group with the successful application for £2.5m of Lottery funding.

Jacob Roberts, Cenex

Jacob has worked in the sustainable transport industry for over eight years, with a focus on enabling the transition to zero-emission vehicles. Beginning in local government, Jacob gained hands-on experience of local EV charging infrastructure delivery, before working for Energy Saving Trust and Cenex, where he supported public and private sector organisations to reduce harmful emissions from transport. At REA, Jacob co-ordinated an industry group representing and advocating on behalf of the UK EV charging companies. Jacob has now returned to Cenex – a not-for-profit sustainable transport consultancy – where his focus is on sharing the valuable insights that the organisation has gained from being at the cutting edge of the sustainable transport transition since 2005.

Professor Rosie McEachan, Born in Bradford

Professor Rosie McEachan is the Director of Born in Bradford. She is an experienced applied health researcher with particular interests in cohort studies, development and evaluation of complex interventions, environmental determinants of health, green space, air quality, and co-production. She has an internationally funded research portfolio which aims to quantify the health impact of environmental exposures and find ways of reducing exposure to these. She is currently leading the NIHR funded BiB Breathes study which will evaluate the health and economic impact of the Bradford Clean Air Zone. Rosie holds a visiting professor position at University College London and an honorary chair position at the University of Bradford.

Professor Alastair Lewis, University of York

Ally Lewis is a professor of atmospheric chemistry at the University of York. The Atmospheric Chemistry group studies gas and aerosol phase processes in the atmosphere using experimental and modelling approaches. The research focuses on air pollution and its environmental impacts

Nannette Yousef, Runnymede Trust

Runnymede Trust is the UK’s leading independent race equality think tank. Joining us on the day will be Nannette Yousef from Runnymede Trust to talk about the critical challenge that people of colour in the UK, who are more likely to live in economically deprived, urban areas, are more likely to breathe illegal levels of air pollution. 

Panel discussion 

We will be hosting a panel discussion from the leading experts in the field, where they will be taking questions on pressing matters from the audience.

Agenda

10.00 – 10.40 Andy Hickford,  Senior Project Manager Sustainable Energy & Air Quality at Leeds City Council

10.40 – 11.20 Prof. Rosie McEachan, Director at Born in Bradford

11.20 – 11.50 Morning refreshments break

11.50 – 12.40 Panel discussion

12.40 – 13.40 – Lunch

13.40 – 14.30 – Jacob Roberts, Senior Policy & Strategy Consultant at Cenex

14.30 – 15.10 Nannette Yousef, Policy Offer at Runnymede Trust

15.10 – 15.40 Afternoon refreshments

15.40 –  16.20 Jenny Jones, The Baroness of Moulescoomb

16.20 – 17.00 Prof. Ally Lewis, Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry at the University of York