Stand and ticket bookings are now open for South Wales’ first-ever Green Economy Conference and Exhibition. The conference is free to attend, with tickets available online now.
The event will be held at Swansea Arena on Wednesday, November 22, and aims to unite businesses and organisations from Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea and Neath Port Talbot to share knowledge and create initiatives for a resilient future.
The conference is run by 4theRegion, a membership alliance working to bring about positive change in the region. It builds on the success of the annual Swansea Conference and Exhibition, which took place in March this year, and Swansea’s Green Recovery Conference, which was held in June 2022.
Both events were organised by 4theRegion. Between them, they brought together hundreds of businesses and thousands of delegates to discuss the issues that matter most for Swansea’s future.
“The Green Economy Conference and Exhibition is the next step on that journey,” says 4theRegion founder and managing director Zoe Antrobus. “The Green Recovery Conference was attended by 300 businesses – a really diverse mix, ranging from Days Group to The Lovespoon Gallery, all of whom are keen to do their bit about becoming greener, and the Route to Net Zero.
“Our Green Economy Conference and Exhibition will have a similar structure to The Swansea Conference and Exhibition. Businesses and organisations will be able to network in the exhibition hall, access advice and support, share ideas and best practice, and create plans and initiatives for the future.
“They will also hear from key people in our local councils, and leaders in key sectors such as renewable energy sector, recycling, construction, transport and food production.
In the run-up to the conference, we’re bringing together experts for a series of roundtable discussions on themes that will be featured in the conference. We’ll be announcing these soon.”
The conference will address eight themes: energy, skills, transport, nature, buildings, materials, food, innovation. Its headline sponsor is CEIC – Circular Economy Innovation Communities, a fully-funded programme run by Swansea and Cardiff Met University that enables staff to co-create new products or service solutions and implement these with support.
One of CEIC’s core aims is to enhance circular economy knowledge and practice in Welsh organisations so that they can meet the Future Generations Act goals.
Dr Gary Walpole, CEIC Programme Director, Swansea University and Cardiff Metropolitan University said:
“The Green Economy conference demonstrates the value of open innovation and collaborative working. We are excited to be instrumental in the conference and to continue CEIC’s development of the circular economy ecosystem across the Swansea Bay Region and further afield. It has been amazing to see the impact professionals have had on reducing the carbon footprint of the region.”
The conference will be further supported by its event partners Swansea Council, Neath Port Talbot Council, Celtic Freeports and GreenEconomy.Wales.
David Gwynne, CEO, Celtic Freeports, said:
“South Wales has a rich future ahead based on new green industries like floating offshore wind, the hydrogen economy and sustainable fuels. We’re pleased to partner with 4theregion as we look to ensure Wales benefits from the many future skills, supply chain and infrastructure benefits ahead.”
Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart added:
“We’re delighted to support this year’s Green Economy Conference; it’ll help celebrate the good work underway and planned that’ll see businesses contribute to the council’s aim of moving to a net zero economy.
“The event will showcase a range of initiatives and will help inspire attendees to share expertise and ideas as, together, we strive for a greener economy.”
More information about the conference and booking links can be found here: https://www.4theregion.org.uk/green-economy-conference/
