Tullamore to host major national climate change conference

The “Creating Economic and Business Opportunities from Climate Change” conference will take place in the Tullamore Court Hotel on Wednesday next, October 9. The first of its kind to be hosted in the Midlands, this exciting national conference explores how businesses, in addressing and responding to climate change, can realise unique economic and business opportunities.

The conference is an initiative of the Regional Transition Team under the auspices of the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan to 2020 (MREP).

This conference will examine how responses to climate change can drive innovation, and create economic and business opportunities. The conference will address international trends and emerging business opportunities in sectors such as energy production, advance manufacturing and sustainable tourism.

Attendees will gain insights into how a number of Irish business are capitalising on new opportunities, while mitigating the effects of climate change, through integrating sustainable investment, processes and technology.

The conference speakers, come from a range of business backgrounds, will highlight real world examples, which illustrate how the pursuit of initiatives that seek to address and respond to climate change, can be a powerful stimulus and a source of competitive advantage that can transform business and uncover opportunities.

The keynote speaker for the event is Dr Tara Shine, Environmental Scientist and Director, Change by Degrees. She is passionate about changing the conversation on climate change and sustainability. She is an environmental scientist with over 20 years’ experience working as an adviser to governments and world leaders, as a negotiator and a researcher.

A number of Irish businesses will give their experience of how they are adapting their business to take account of, and create opportunities from climate change. These include Bord na Móna, Lumcloon Energy, Viva Green, Watershed Group and ABB Ltd.

Ron Immink, Entrepreneur-in-Residence with Sustainable Nation will discuss funding and finance for Green Innovation. Others to speak at the conference are Dr Shane Ward, Professor of Biosystems Engineering in UCD, Deirdre DeBhailis, Business Development Executive, Dingle Hub and Dr Joanne Rourke, Resource Efficiency Officer, Eastern and Midlands Regional Waste Management Offices.

Paddy Matthews, Head of Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, Fáilte Ireland will close the conference by looking at the opportunities that Sustainable Tourism presents.

The conference is ideal for anyone with an interest in business and climate change and for entrepreneurs looking for new business opportunities, existing business owners seeking to pivot their business to become more sustainable. The cost to attend is €150 and bookings at www.midlandsireland.ie/events.

The conference partners are Midlands Regional Enterprise Office, Offaly County Council, Local Enterprise Office Offaly and the Eastern and Midlands Climate Action Regional Office.