Devolution & Sustainability Debate At Anglia Ruskin

“The Great Devolution Debate” will be hosted by Anglia Ruskin University’s Global Sustainability Institute on Tuesday, 22 November (1pm), just hours before City Councillors in Cambridge decide on the devolution deal.

During an Extraordinary Council Meeting at 7pm, Councillors will vote on whether to accept the creation of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, headed by an elected Mayor.

Anglia Ruskin’s afternoon event will see experts from across the region discuss the implications of both increased local powers and Brexit for sustainability in the East of England.

The panel will include Matt Hullis, Head of Environment Strategy at Suffolk County Council, Andy Jordan, Professor of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia, Cecilia Tredget, Managing Director of the East of England Local Government Association, and Pete Tyler, Professor at the Department of Land Economy at the University of Cambridge.

Professor Aled Jones, Director of Anglia Ruskin’s Global Sustainability Institute, said: “The GSI is delighted to host this special panel discussion on the day that Cambridge City Council votes on devolution.

In the context of dramatically changing political structures there is a need to understand how sustainability should be delivered

“In the context of dramatically changing political structures – moving from regional development agencies, through Local Enterprise Partnerships, into devolution – there is a need to understand how sustainability should be delivered. A clear gap exists, and appears to be widening, in sustainability leadership and delivery at regional level in the UK.”

This debate is the first in a series of activities that mark a new partnership between Sustainability East, a social enterprise and the driving force behind the East of England’s sustainability agenda, and the GSI. This includes sponsoring PhD student Lauren Stabler, who will explore the critical conditions for sustainability delivery at a regional level.

“The Great Devolution Debate” runs from 1-3pm on Tuesday, 22 November in room OPT103 on Anglia Ruskin’s Cambridge campus. The event is open to the public, is free to attend and refreshments will be provided. To register, please email gsi-info@anglia.ac.uk