Essex Climate Conference explores future of transport

Essex County Council Climate Czar, Cllr Peter Schwier

Our Climate Czar, Cllr Peter Schwier, welcomed an audience to share ideas and expertise on what the future of transport in Essex could look like.

The latest Essex Climate Conference took place at County Hall in Chelmsford last month. Attendees included city, district and borough councillors, members of environmental groups, recipients of our Climate Action Challenge Fund and businesses.

Speakers at the event included:

  • Cllr Peter Schwier, Climate Czar, Essex County Council
  • From Oxfordshire County Council - Cllr Duncan Enright, Cabinet Member for Travel and Development Strategy and Aron Wisdom, Programme Lead
  • John Lippe, Director of City Engagement, Ford Mobility
  • Panel 1: Powering the Future – Jerry Stokes, Executive Chairman, Gridserve, Richard Lidstone-Scott, Commercial Director Tevva and Lucy Parkin, Director of Environment Social and Corporate Governance, Kleanbus
  • Panel 2: Beyond the Car – Rethinking Sustainable Transport – Julia Crear, Living Streets, Emily Harrup, Transport & Sustainability Joint Lead, Colchester Borough Council and Helen Morris, Head of Integrated Passenger Transport Unit, Essex County Council
  • Sam Kennedy, Director Environment & Climate Action, Essex County Council
  • Cllr Lee Scott, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Highways Maintenance and Sustainable Transport

Cllr Schwier said: “These conferences highlight the progress we are making here in Essex with our own investment in active travel and our new responsive electric bus service DigiGo to make travel Safer, Greener, Healthier. This has also helped us understand new developments and what others are doing to inspire further climate action throughout the county.

“We are showing how dedicated we are to ensuring transport in Essex becomes safer, greener and healthier with a commitment to active travel and improved public transport being one way that we can achieve this.”

Starting in April 2022 Cllr Schwier hosts bi-annual climate conferences with each conference focusing on a different sector.

Catch up on the conference and hear from those in attendance at our Youtube page.

Find out more about our £200m Climate Action Plan.