Professor Brian Cox MBE to speak at the Manchester Green Summit on how to tackle climate change with science

Brian Cox is to give a speech in Manchester today looking at how science can be used to combat climate change.

Professor Cox, who is professor of particle physics at the University of Manchester and is a Fellow of The Royal Society, is giving the talk as part ofd the week-long Greater Manchester Green Summit in the city.

Manchester has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2038 and has a five-year environmental plan with a focus on the things young people can do to limit climate change.

The plan aims to “become carbon neutral by 2038, improving air quality in the next decade, protecting our natural environment and building resilience to the effects of climate change”.

Also taking part in the summit are Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the Environment Agency, Chris Boardman, Olympic cyclist and cycling advocate, and John Scanlon, of SUEZ recycling and recovery UK.

Best-selling author and media celebrity, Professor Cox is speaking about how policy can be shaped by science.

This week’s summit is taking place online with a range of live webinars, panel discussions and virtual workshops. Sessions are being held under the theme of ‘Taking Action: Today, Tomorrow and Together’, with a focus on four key areas:

• Nature, biodiversity and climate adaptation
• Green transport and energy efficiency
• Circular economy, waste and recycling, and sustainable construction
• Climate change resilience and building back greener

Andy Burnham said: “It is fantastic news Professor Brian Cox will be joining our already confirmed list of excellent speakers at Greater Manchester’s 2020 Green Summit. Over the last few months, science has played a vital role in informing how we address the coronavirus pandemic. In the same way, we must also use science to inform and influence policy on the ongoing climate emergency.

“Tackling a problem of this scale requires all of us to work together. The strength of Greater Manchester’s partnerships puts us in a great position to achieve the goals of the Five-Year Environment Plan and become carbon neutral by 2038. The input from Greater Manchester’s Youth Combined Authority also reflects the passion and determination our future generations have for achieving these goals.

The coronavirus crisis has presented us with a unique chance to build back better and greener, and so it is crucial during this year’s Green Summit we focus on these challenges to really bring about change to tackle the climate crisis in Greater Manchester.”

Greater Manchester’s Lead for Green City Region, Cllr Andrew Western, said: “This year’s Green Summit, although it will be different to the previous that have taken place, includes an amazing variety of speakers who will discuss how we can really make an impact on Greater Manchester’s green commitment.

“Whether it is improving air quality, ramping up cycling and walking or supporting energy-efficient initiatives to improve the way we live in our city-region, we now have the opportunity to celebrate our progress and set further goals to achieve our aim of becoming carbon neutral.”