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Resourcing the Future to look at impacts of austerity

Resourcing the Future to look at impacts of austerity

The joint conference between the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), the Environmental Services Association (ESA) and the Resource Association (RA) is to consider the gap between the waste sector’s circular economy ambitions and the reality influenced by austerity.

Resourcing the Future 2015’, which is to be held at the Royal College of Surgeons in London between 24 and 25 June, will this year focus on a theme of ‘Austerity or Ambition?’ to explore the current market barriers to realising circular economy ambitions – such as changing materials markets, risks and price volatility – and the actions that are needed to overcome them.

Programme details

The new Resource Minister (yet to be announced) from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has been invited to deliver the opening keynote address at the event, which will be followed by an opening debate – with panellists including Lord Deben, Green Alliance CEO Matthew Spencer, Unilever’s Louis Lindenberg and Lee Marshall of LARAC – on the relative merits of some of the most popular manifesto calls from across the industry.

Major UK and European reprocessors and materials experts, including DS Smith CEO Jim Malone and Ball Packaging Europe’s Norma Lett, will also be in attendance to provide insight into the technical and economic pressures facing the sector, while Dominic Hogg, Chairman of Eunomia Research & Consulting, will reveal how risks associated with volatile commodity markets might be more effectively hedged against or mitigated.

Topics will also include: tackling waste crime; how government can support more collaborative public/private-sector relationships; whether waste should be classed as a utility; and how local authorities can deliver efficiency savings in a time of austerity cuts whilst maintaining recycling performance.

Scotland’s Environment Minister, Richard Lochhead, will open the second day of proceedings, and is expected to unveil plans for a Scottish circular economy strategy.

The future of the circular economy agenda, both at an EU- and UK-level, will close the debating schedule, with Dr Liz Goodwin, CEO of the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), amongst the panellists.

Other confirmed speakers include:

  • Peter Eglinton, Managing Director of Municipal Division of Shanks;
  • Dimitri Zenghelis, Co-Head of Policy at Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment;
  • Paul Vanston, Manager of Kent Resource Partnership;
  • Ian Wakelin, CEO of Biffa;
  • Lyn Carpenter, Chair of the London Environment Directors’ Network;
  • Judith Kelly OBE, Deputy Director of the Environmental Taxes Team at HMRC; and
  • Pieter de Pous, EU Policy Director at the European Environment Bureau.

The conference will also feature a new interactive app, which will give delegates the chance to watch live discussion, vote on different topics, submit questions to the session chairs, and read background information on the event and the speakers involved.

‘A must for anyone who cares about the future of our industry’

Speaking of the conference, CIWM Chief Executive Steve Lee said: “This year’s theme of ‘Austerity or Ambition?’ seeks to explore and address the gap between the UK waste and resource management sector’s desire to maintain strong growth and performance and consolidate its role in the circular economy agenda, and the reality of the financial, policy and market challenges that are constraining progress towards these objectives.

“It is a must for anyone who cares about and is involved with the future of our industry.”

Ray Georgeson, Chief Executive of the RA, added: “Policy uncertainty in the UK and EU, as well as commodity price volatility and changing consumption patterns, offer challenges for all of us, and we need to share responsibility for the actions needed to tackle these challenges. 

“Resourcing the Future 2015 will start this process afresh, and with new ministers and new proposals coming from Europe it is a great opportunity to gather, debate and collaborate more effectively.”

Jacob Hayler, Executive Director at the ESA noted that his association will be pushing the new government for waste crime enforcement, and highlighted that the conference will provide delegates with a good opportunity to “hear first hand” from government the “significant impact of waste crime and what we can all do collectively to tackle this problem, which blights the environment and local communities and severely undermines investment made by legitimate industry”.

Find out more about Resourcing the Future 2015.

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