Over 250 people attended the East of England Net Zero & Climate Resilience Summit 2024 at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge on July 18.

The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport played a prominent role in the organisation of the summit alongside the East of England LGA and sub-national transport bodies, Transport East and England’s Economic Heartland.

Opening the event was Cambridge MP and Defra Minister of State for environment, Daniel Zeichner, who set out the essential need for adaptation to a changing climate in his opening address.

CILT UK Chair of the Board, Vikram Singla, who spoke at the summit said: “Being a part of this collaborative event was fantastic. It was inspiring to see like-minded individuals discussing future sustainability initiatives for the East of England and sharing ideas that can benefit the entire UK.”

A key highlight was the launch of the 'Opportunity East' report, showcasing the region's economic potential to become a £220 billion economy by 2035.

The report, produced by the East of England LGA, Chambers East, and the All-Party Parliamentary Group, emphasised growth in sectors crucial to achieving net zero, including green energy, agri-tech, and advanced manufacturing.

Transport, as the largest emitting sector for greenhouse gases, was a central focus.

Commenting on the event, Councillor Graham McAndrew, Chair of CILT UK’s Eastern Region said: “This summit has truly highlighted the strength of collaboration between our key regional partners. Launching the ‘Opportunity East’ report here signifies a shared commitment to both economic growth and climate resilience.

“The insights and strategies presented are a testament to what we can achieve when we unite for a common goal. It is imperative that the Government takes note and supports our vision for a sustainable and prosperous future.”

‘Collaboration’ was a word used widely throughout the summit as a need to work together to achieve net zero targets seems more significant than ever.

Workshops on sustainable economic development, the Freeport East Green Freight Corridor and the challenges of decarbonising UK freight transport were notable sessions that showed examples of collaboration amongst delegates.  

Freeport East Chief Executive, Steve Beel, labelled decarbonising transport as a ‘complex problem’ suggesting the key is about finding ways of working together.

“We need to move forwards in a way that brings a range of different players together and move at a pace that everyone can do so collectively.

“Finding the right way of collaborating, such as the Green Freight Corridor between Freeport East and the East Midlands Freeport is a way of doing that,” said Steve.

Green corridors are specific routes designed using environmentally friendly methods to reduce the environmental impact of transport and logistics.

They are increasingly being developed to reduce the carbon footprint of the industry.

Dominic Scholfield, Environment Policy Group Chair at CILT UK and a panellist during the Decarbonising Rural Activity session, shared a key theme he had been discussing which was 'mobility hubs.'

Dominic explained there has been a lot of interest from local authorities, subnational transport bodies and bus companies on using mobility hubs in rural areas to link people into bus networks and he described it as a ‘good opportunity to work together’.

These hubs integrate multiple transport modes, promote public and shared transport, and leverage smart technologies for efficient travel.

The workshop on the challenges of decarbonising UK freight transport hosted by Nick Graham FCILT, head of External Networks at Stobart.

It allowed councillors and industry leaders to work together to discuss ideas on how to overcome decarbonisation challenges, showing a great example of cooperation between local government and industry. 

Miachel Whittaker FCILT, National Chair of CILT Cymru who was supporting Nick during the workshop said: “Decarbonisation is the ultimate question and never has that been more current.

“Here today at the summit we have been looking at those challenges across all modes of transport, it has been a real practical experience that many can take back and share with their organisations."

The summit underscored the East of England's vulnerability to climate change and the critical need for collaborative action across sectors to achieve net zero targets and ensure the region's economic prosperity, it's progress could further set an example in other regions across the UK.