Meeting ambitious climate and net zero targets will require a radical transformation of our systems of consumption and production. For this event we will be exploring four key areas of our economy that will need transforming if we are to keep warming below 2 degrees and avoid catastrophic climate change.

Our panel of experts will discuss four core systems that require transformation and how that process of transformation might be achievable. You will then have the chance to engage directly with speakers through a chaired Q&A discussion on these four areas.

Register now for a chance to engage in discussion with invited external experts and fellow environmental professionals.

Our speakers

Dr Helen Harwatt is a senior research fellow in the Energy, Environment and Resources programme at Chatham House. Helen focuses on food system shifts to identify pathways towards creating Paris-compliant food systems that minimize adverse environmental impacts, maximize public health benefits and address ethical issues. She is a frequent panellist and speaker at conferences and events around the world, and is currently part of the leadership team for Action Track 2 of the UN Food Systems Summit.

Prior to joining Chatham House, Helen completed a research fellowship at Harvard Law School, exploring dietary shifts from animal to plant-based as an option for meeting climate goals and restoring native ecosystems, and remains a visiting fellow.

Dr Anthony (Toni) Velazquez is TRL’s head of environment and decarbonisation strategy. He is responsible for creating and delivering cost-efficient technical solutions to mitigate the negative environmental externalities of transport. Toni’s innovations at TRL include sim-heuristics systems and vehicle analytics to support transport cost-efficient emissions mitigation and climate resilience tools for transport infrastructure. He is an expert in low carbon technologies and energy systems. He has an academic background in hydrogen systems and sustainable transport. In the private sector he worked in logistics research, quality control and supply chain management for several vehicle manufacturers, as well as engineering management and finance.

Jess Britton is a Research Fellow in the Energy Policy Group at the University of Exeter. Her research focusses on understanding the governance needs of a smart, flexible energy system with a particular focus on city-scale action. She has published across a range of sustainability topics including; heat decarbonisation, the role of cities in smart energy systems, green local economies and new energy business models. She has also carried out consultancy for Ofgem, Sustainability First, CSE and Bristol Green Capital. Prior to returning to academia she worked as a Sustainability Manager in local government and the NHS.

Dr Simon Hatherley is a KTP Research Associate at UCL’s Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering. His current research is an analysis of approaches to large-scale, mixed-use, net-zero carbon development with the architecture practice, AHMM, and builds on his previous work examining development models for low-carbon housing in rural areas of the UK. As an architect Simon has developed projects for various clients including the MOD, the House of Lords, the NHS, and Berkeley Homes and as a consultant to Welsh Government he has identified opportunities to reduce the carbon intensity of a new generation of Welsh schools developed through the MIM framework.