Labour Party Conference 2024: The top environmental events to catch in Liverpool
Just over two months on from their landslide election victory, the Labour Party will gather in Liverpool for its Annual Conference from Sunday 22 – Wednesday 25 September.
Thousands of campaigners, party activists, politicians and business representatives will pack out rooms across Liverpool to debate the big issues facing the new Government. Ministers will be reporting back on their first weeks in post, with some already having overseen a flurry of action on environmental policy.
Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed has set out five priorities for his department, including urgently cleaning up our waterways and creating a roadmap to move Britain to a zero-waste economy. Meanwhile at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Secretary of State Ed Miliband has made good on his promise to launch GB Energy and introduce National Planning Policy Framework reform in the first 100 days. His team of Ministers are focussed on delivering the party’s central goal of a decarbonised electricity system by 2030.
So, with much to discuss, and a huge number of events taking place over the conference period, where should you focus your time? This guide offers some suggestions.
Seahorse are organising several events at Labour conference this year, so if you’re attending and would like to chat, please get in touch with Matthew Dawson mdawson@seahorseenvironmental.co.uk
Please note that all events listed as ACC will require a conference pass.
Saturday 21st September
17:30 - 18:30. Labour, Women and the Environment: Open Mic Event (Labour's Environment Campaign - SERA and Labour Women's Network). For the early arrivals, this event on the Saturday of conference sees Labour's Environment Campaign – SERA and the Labour Women’s Network, hosting an ‘open mic’ session where women can share policy ideas, campaign tactics, passion and lived experiences. Invited speakers include MPs Anneliese Dodds, Miatta Fahnbulleh, Kirsty McNeill, and Jess Phillips.
Venue: Labour Environment Hub, ACC
Sunday 22nd September
12:45 - 14:00. Achieving Labour's Joined-Up Plan to Tackle The Climate and Nature Crises (Zero Hour (Climate & Nature Bill campaign)). As Conference gets fully underway on Sunday, Zero Hour is hosting an event on solutions to the climate and nature crises. The event will be chaired by the sponsor of the Climate and Nature Bill Alex Sobel MP. It will also provide an opportunity to hear from Chris Skidmore, the former energy and science minister who led an independent government review into net-zero published in 2023, and Professor Nathalie Pettorelli at the Institute of Zoology at the Zoological Society of London.
Venue: Arena Room 1, ACC
16:45 - 18:00. Nature’s Comeback: How Species Reintroductions Can Deliver Labour’s Vision for Climate and Nature Recovery (Rewilding Britain and Beaver Trust). Species reintroductions can play a vital role in helping Britain’s nature, communities and wildlife thrive. This event will be a chance to hear from leading politicians and experts as they discuss how far we should go and how urgently we must act. Speakers will include Nature Minister Mary Creagh MP, Rebecca Wrigley, Chief Executive of Rewilding Britain, and Sandra King, Chief Executive Officer of Beaver Trust.
Venue: Arena Room 9, ACC
17:45 - 18:45. Delivering a Just Transition for the North Sea (Labour Climate & Environment Forum and Uplift). Uplift supports efforts to create a rapid and fair transition away from oil and gas production in the UK. The influential NGO works with policymakers and Parliamentarians, including through the APPG on Climate Change, as well as academics and campaigners. This panel, delivered jointly with the Labour Climate & Environment Forum (LCEF), will feature contributions by Labour politicians, energy experts and worker representatives on the challenges and opportunities in delivering a just transition away from fossil fuels towards clean homegrown energy in the North Sea, and how the government can play a leading role in ensuring fairness is at the heart of it.
Venue: Room 9, ACC Liverpool
Monday 23rd September
9:30 - 10:30. Cleaning Up Our Communities With a Deposit Return Scheme (Reloop). The new Labour Government has committed to deliver a Deposit Return Scheme during the current Parliament, with a launch date set for October 2027. This event, chaired by Daily Mirror Environment Editor Nada Farhoud, will be a chance to discuss the opportunities offered by the long-awaited scheme for tackling the climate and nature crisis. It will explore how the delivery of the reform can become a notable success story for the new Government. The panel will explore how the policy could have a transformational impact on the blight of drinks litter in our communities, with bottles and cans all too often polluting our rivers and seas. Confirmed speakers include Clarissa Morawski, CEO of Reloop, Giles Bristow, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage, and Mo Razzaq, National President of the Federation of Independent Retailers.
Venue: The Lobby, Avenue HQ
15.30-16.30. Marine Protected Areas and Beyond: the change we need for UK seas (Oceana UK). How can this government deliver thriving UK seas that support people and planet? Oceana UK will be joined by political and expert panellists for a lively discussion on the policies and strategies for success on this key issue. It will be a chance to discover more about the challenges facing our marine environment and opportunities for change as we transition to a nature-positive, net zero world with healthy seas at its heart. Chaired by Oceana UK’s Executive Director Hugo Tagholm, speakers will include policy expert Fernanda Balata from the New Economics Foundation; Catrine Priestley, who has helped deliver transformational marine protections off the South Coast through her work at Sussex Underwater; and Barry Gardiner, MP for Brent West, who has played an important role highlighting threats to our marine environment, including from oil and gas developments, through his work in Parliament.
Venue: The Lobby, Avenue HQ
19:30-21:00. How Labour can help end illegal fishing & its associated human rights & environmental abuses, evening reception (EJF/ICCF/ClientEarth/Open Seas). Continuing the oceans theme, this NGO-hosted reception will highlight the threat of illegal fishing which is wreaking havoc on marine ecosystems, driving overfishing and the targeting of protected species. It will explore how these activities undermine the livelihoods of honest fishers and provides fertile ground for the abuse of vulnerable crew. The reception will be a chance to hear about what the UK Government can do to end illegal fishing both at home and abroad.
Venue: Arena Room 8, ACC
Tuesday 24th September
08.00-09.30. Dip at the Docks: A swim to celebrate action for clean water (Surfers Against Sewage, Paddle UK, Swim England). Start the final day of conference with a bracing swim in the docks organised by environmental and sport groups. The swim in Queens Dock will see conference attendees and local communities celebrate the importance of protecting our seas and rivers and the benefits these bring to people across the UK.
Venue: Liverpool Water Sports Centre
09.30-10.30. How young people are key to achieving Labour's net-zero goal (OVO Foundation). Given the upcoming Curriculum and Assessment Review, this event presents an ideal opportunity to explore how the Department for Education can help younger generations navigate and thrive in a changing world. It will serve as the launch of the OVO Foundation’s new report ‘The State of Climate Education: opportunities to engage with a new Labour Government’. The event will explore the importance of the new Government introducing policy change that allows younger generations to seize the opportunities of a greener future. Speakers include David Buttress, CEO at OVO; Liv Marshall, Campaign Organiser at Teach the Future; Nicola Knowles, Director of Personal Development at Loreto High School; and Gina Cicerone, Chair of OVO Foundation and CEO of the Fair Education Alliance.
Venue: The Lobby, Avenue HQ
11.30-12.30. How can we use heat batteries to electrify industry? (Thermal Storage UK). Thermal Storage UK will be joined by political and industry experts to discuss how we can decarbonise UK industry using highly flexible heat batteries to harness the UK's growing renewables generation. The event promises to be a chance to learn how Labour’s Industrial Strategy can help strengthen the UK’s international competitiveness and achieve its net zero goals by radically reducing the industrial carbon emissions from fossil fuels. The event will be chaired by Tom Lowe, Founding Director, Thermal Storage UK, and include a panel comprising Chris Williams, Head of Industrial Decarbonisation, Industry Wales; James Macnaghten, CEO, Caldera; Pablo John, Head of External Affairs, The Association for Decentralised Energy; Jonathan Oxley, Senior Manager, Net Zero Team, Confederation of British Industry.
Venue: The Lobby, Avenue HQ
14:00-16:00. Leader's speech. The eagerly awaited Leader’s speech will be a chance for Keir Starmer to set out his vision to the party. For those unable to secure space in the conference hall, Seahorse will be screening the speech at Avenue HQ with refreshments provided. Come from 14:00 to watch along.
Venue: Conference Hall and Seahorse screening at The Lobby, Avenue HQ
16:00-17:00. Waste Not Want Not: How the UK Can Build a Circular Economy That Wastes Nothing by 2030 (Labour's Environment Campaign - SERA, Green Alliance and Suez). This panel will explore the UK’s considerable exposure to volatile international supply chains and focus on the role of reducing demand, incentivising a circular economy and ensuring sustainable supply. We will explore how to create new economic opportunities for reuse and recycling to deliver economic resilience as well as environmental benefits. Confirmed speakers include Councillor Lisa Trickett, SERA; Libby Peake, head of resources, Green Alliance; Dr Adam Read, chief sustainability and external affairs officer, SUEZ UK; Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh, director, Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations.
Venue: SERA tent, the environment hub, ACC
17.15-18.30. What is Labour’s plan for restoring nature? (LCEF, WWF, NatWest)
Chaired by Paul McNamee, Director of the Labour Climate and Environment Forum, this event will be a chance to discuss Labour’s plan for tackling the nature crisis. Speakers include the newly appointed Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, Toby Perkins MP, Tanya Steele CBE, Chief Executive, WWF UK; Maria Carvalho, Head of Climate Economics and Data, NatWest; and Joseph Evans, Researcher, IPPR.
Venue: Education Area 3, Museum of Liverpool (pass required)
21:00-22:30. Green Groups Reception. Environmental groups will be coming together to digest the events of conference at this final night’s reception. Join Green Alliance, The Wildlife Trusts, National Trust, RSPB, WWF, Marine Conservation Society, CPRE, Woodlands Trust, Greenpeace, Uplift, Chester Zoo, The Nature Conservancy, WWT, Hope for the Future, and Wildlife and Countryside Link, as conference closes and we head into the most important parliament yet for climate and nature. Confirmed speakers include Hilary McGrady, director general, National Trust, and Areeba Hamid, executive director, Greenpeace.
Venue: ACC, Room 11a
This list will be updated as details of further events are announced.