On 24 June, ecoConnect and Cleantech magazine hosted our monthly Green in the City event at the offices of Taylor Wessing. The sold-out event brought together over 125 people to listen to a panel discuss the night’s theme of “Funding 2020 Renewable Energy Targets.” Chaired by Robert Hokin, Chief Executive, ecoConnect CIC, and moderated by Anne McIvor, Chief Editor, Cleantech Magazine, the evening’s panelists included:

• Bruce Huber – Managing Director, Jefferies International Ltd.
• Alex Betts – Partner, Climate Change Capital
• Matt Taylor – Partner, Foresight Group
• Bob Blizzard – Waveney MP, 1997 to 2010
• Matthew Spencer – Director, Green Alliance

The evening’s discussion ranged from the challenges of finding financing to meet the targets to worries over potential cuts by the new government as well as the role of feed-in tariffs. After a question and answer session with the panelists, a networking reception capped the night.

The next Green in the City event will be held on 29 July, and will be a double session on “Moving to a Green Economy.” More information, along with registration, can be found at http://bit.ly/a3PNHe.

And please note: we plan to start a regular podcast of the Green in the City events, so be sure to keep up with the blog for more information.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of a future Green in the City event, or wish to sponsor the podcast, please contact Robert Hokin at robert.hokin@eco-connect.org.

Denton Wilde Sapte hosts ’Green in the City’ Waste to Energy Seminar

Denton Wilde Sapte hosted a seminar on Wednesday 24 February covering Waste to Energy as part of the ’Green in the City’ series run by ecoConnect, a coalition and support group focussing on green technology businesses and Cleantech Investor, a publisher of finance, investment and business information.

Moderated by Anne McIvor of Cleantech Investor, nearly 200 people attended to hear a panel of speakers comprising of Samantha Fuller, waste to energy development manager at Scottish and Southern, Peter Jones, waste adviser to the City of London, John Gibbs, corporate finance partner, PWC, Matt Taylor, partner, Foresight Group and Stephen Shergold, head of environmental and safety team at Denton Wilde Sapte.

ecoConnect’s Green in the City is one of London’s flagship cleantech events that looks at the challenges and opportunities involved in the transition to a cleantech economy.

The panel debated issues of government policy, the changing regulatory framework, opportunities for private equity investment and project finance and technology in the context of waste to energy transactions, touching on recycling, landfill gas, biomass, AD, pyrolysis and gasification.

“As a sub-sector of cleantech, waste to energy presents a very different challenge to other renewable energy or resource efficiency propositions. In bringing together the diversion from landfill and low carbon power agendas, waste to energy has the potential to address two major sustainability issues with one solution. The challenge though is in the interface between two previously very separate and established sectors. The interest in the seminar and the issues covered in debate underline that there is a groundswell of stakeholders ready to meet this challenge,” says Stephen Shergold.

“We were delighted to host this event and to welcome such a large number of attendees.  The panel discussions were lively and interactive and touched on issues of interest to the broad spectrum of attendees, from utilities through to investors and cleantech start-ups.  We are increasingly talking to corporates and investors about opportunities in the waste to energy sector and advising them on corporate, projects and regulatory issues, particularly following the recent amendments to the Renewables Obligation and the forthcoming introduction of the new feed in tariffs,” says Matt Bonass, corporate partner and co-head of the climate change and renewables group.

“The UK produces over 300 million tonnes of waste per year” said Robert Hokin, Chief Executive of ecoConnect.  ”And recycling can only deal with a fraction of this waste. Energy from Waste offer solutions, however, today’s regulatory environment could be much, much more conducive to investment. I was gladdened to see such robust debate and encouragement for this technology”

Green in the City, presented by ecoConnect in partnership with Cleantech magazine, is now in its second year and has rapidly become London’s flagship cleantech event. Each month, Green in the City debates the hottest cleantech topics – and addresses the challenges and opportunities involved in the transition to a Cleantech Economy.

These evening events bring together opinion leaders, entrepreneurs, leading innovators and top funding executives – the very people driving the adoption of cleantech products, technologies and brands in this rapidly expanding market.

ENDS