Don’t miss Yorkshire Sustainability Week, from 3 to 7 July. Here’s why you need to be there

The first business event of its kind outside London, the week-long festival will run from July 3 to 7 and includes keynote talks, debates, workshops and social gatherings in Leeds and beyond.

Developed in response to increasing concerns over the climate, waste and the world energy crisis, it aims to bring together businesses – from major players to start-ups and SMEs – in an upbeat, positive approach to tackling the shift towards sustainability.

The festival aims to create a unique melting pot for new collaborations, helping to forge connections between businesses which might not otherwise come together so they can share ideas and become inspired by the wealth of opportunities presented by the new, green revolution.

The event, which is backed by Headline Sponsors Leeds City Council and University of Leeds, has been inspired by the UN’s 17 Sustainability goals, which span issues such as ending poverty and hunger, improving education, affordable and clean energy, responsible consumption and tackling the climate crisis.

A key element of the UN vision is businesses, academia and public bodies working collaboratively to help solve problems, with a call that “Everyone will need to mobilise both existing and additional resources”.

With businesses under increasing pressure to ensure they hit sustainability targets, a new ‘green’ sector has emerged, providing fresh opportunities and prospects for jobs, investment and innovation.

As a result, jobs in the ‘green sector’ have grown nationally by 118% in the last year, and in Yorkshire by 58%: some 1.9% of jobs within the region are now within the sustainability sector.

However, Yorkshire faces a sustainability challenge: the technology sector, the region’s biggest employer, is also regarded as one of the biggest ‘polluters’. Globally, the tech sector’s cloud system uses more C02 than the airline sector.

Yorkshire Sustainability Week organiser Kate Hutchinson, Managing Director of The Secret Event Service, which is behind a series of highly successful business events, said: “We feel there’s a gap within sustainability community within Yorkshire.

“Big businesses talk to big businesses, smaller ones talk to smaller ones, but until now nothing has been done on a large scale that gives everyone the chance to connect and create opportunities.

“We are at halfway point on UN Sustainable goals – and we’re not moving fast enough.

“But it’s not all negative. We are on the precipice of a green revolution: there’ll be growth in the sustainability industry on the same level as we’ve seen in the tech sector. It’s a chance to shape the world of the future – that’s an exciting prospect.”

Join the revolution

Yorkshire Sustainability Week is expected to bring 2000 delegates together, including industry trailblazers at two days of conference talks and workshops.

Along with headline sponsors Leeds City Council and University of Leeds, the week is backed by a range of well-known names including Quorn, EY, North Invest and Surplus Group, which provides sustainable solutions to the food and drink sector.

It is also being supported by campaign initiative Force of Nature, Sustainability Partnerships, which nurtures initiatives within the healthcare sector, Leeds-based digital consultancy Axiologik, and environmental specialists Beyondly.

A key focus for the week will be a two-day conference, kicking off on Tuesday, July 4, with focus on expert speakers delivering talks on living sustainably, nature, food, fashion, technology and healthcare.

Day two, on Wednesday, July 5, takes the theme of Future Cities, covering construction, energy, water and waste, transport and economy and finance.

In total, the conference will offer 60 talks, with keynote presentations including a presentation from Jordan Brompton, Great British Entreprenuer of the Year and Co – founder of myenergi, a global leader in eco-smart home management solutions.

For five new businesses, the ‘Pitch it Green’ event, sponsored by North Invest, offers a Dragon’s Den style opportunity to win one of two investment prizes. The festival organisers are calling for applications for start-ups with ideas based on the UN Sustainability goals.

A women’s network event will celebrate what women are achieving across sustainability issues, while a highlight is expected to be the ‘Secret Business Lunch’, which offers the chance to be among selected guests at a location which remains under wraps until nearer the time.

The week concludes with a huge network event.

While the conference and key events focus on venues in Leeds city centre, there are also plans for a wide range of fringe events at locations dotted around the region.

Making change real

The event is not “all talk, no action”; the organisers have pledged to track and offset all of the carbon associated with the week-long festival to help ensure it is carbon neutral. There will also be a focus on vegan-led produce, printed materials will be kept to a minimum and emphasis on using recycled products.

While 20% of tickets available to attend the core YSW events go into the organisers’ ‘pay it forward’ initiative, ensuring small businesses at the start of their journey can be part of the event without worrying about costs.

Ms Hutchison said: “Sustainability feeds into every job market. We want to think about it in terms of ‘what could the vision for a sustainable future look like?’, rather than the perspective of what we need to do to stop the world from burning.

“There are opportunities to create a better world.

“And events like Yorkshire Sustainability Week have the ability to create water cooler moments and collaborative movements.”

To find out more, book tickets and be part of the green revolution, visit www.yorkshiresustainabilityweek.com