Environment Agency holds annual conference
Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, spoke this morning at the opening of the Environment Agency’s annual conference, ‘Environmental futures 08: creating the climate for change’. The conference, which is taking place on 24 and 25 November, aims to share the latest thinking and policies on the environment, with a focus on a low-carbon economy and climate change adaptation.
In his speech the Secretary of State thanked the Environment Agency for the work they have done over the past year. He emphasised the importance of working together to secure a healthy environment for future generations: ‘We can no longer take this earth for granted. That’s why facing up to all of this and doing something about it is a job for every single one of us,’ he said. Areas he discussed included flooding and coastal erosion, flytipping and food supplies, as well as the economic climate. ‘In uncertain times, when we are seeing volatile food and energy prices and changes in our climate, we must be even more aware that we can’t take our environment for granted,’ he added.
Also speaking at the conference were EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband, and Mayor of London Boris Johnson.
Page published: 25 November 2008