8.45am Registration and coffee
9.30am Welcome to the hub
Pamela Taylor, Chief Executive, Water UK
Session One - A vision for a sustainable water industry
Richard Ackroyd, Chief Executive, Scottish Water
Presentation: A blueprint for the environment
Water UK and the Environment Agency are working together on an environmental blueprint outlining the policy journey towards achieving a more robust and sustainable industry in 20 years’ time.
Sarah Mukherjee, Director of Environment, Water UK
Trevor Bishop, Head of Water Resources, Environment Agency
Ideas exchange
A panel of speakers will outline their vision for the industry in 20+ years’ time with perspectives addressing the social, environmental and economic. The audience will be invited to put forward their vision and ideas discussed during this interactive session will form a report. The report will be made available online after the event and will influence Water UK's Environment Policy Advisory Group and its agenda. The report will also be shared with the Government's external advisory panels working on innovation and resilience.
Panel facilitator
Prof Chris Baines, Environmental Advisor, writer and broadcaster
Panel guests:
- Jonathan Hodgkin, Business Development Director, United Utilities
- Dr David Lloyd Owen, Founder and Managing Director, Envisager
- Tony Smith, Chief Executive, CCWater
11.00am Networking refreshment break
Coffee and conversation with the Minister
Richard Benyon MP, Defra Minister for Natural Environment and Fisheries
11.45am Session Two - Water security and sustainability
Sue White, Professor of Integrated Catchment Management, Cranfield University
Taking less from the environment
Chris Loughlin, Chief Executive, South West Water
Discussion hubs
Through roundtable groups, participants will review the different approaches for a successful catchment management regime to adapt to climate change and increasing water demand. The groups will formulate strategies and generate searching questions for the sector which will be circulated to a wider audience.
1.15pm Networking lunch
2.25pm New perspectives: how to challenge our thinking
Richard Watson, author of Future Files and Future Minds
Session Three - Water environment: the context for change
Tony Harrington, Director of Environment, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water
Debate
“This house believes a measured pace of environmental change is the only realistic option”
Water UK is inviting a panel of speakers to debate the pace of environmental change needed to meet the complex challenges of increasing demand, water scarcity and reducing carbon emissions. Should it be incremental or is time against us? Following the debate, delegates will make their vote.
Debate facilitator
Ian Pearson, Consultant
- Mel Karam, Director of Asset Management, Southern Water
- Dominic Nash, Analyst, Utilities, Liberum Capital
- Rob Cunningham, Head of Water Policy, RSPB
- Dr David Smoker, Chairman, SBWWI
3.40pm Grab a coffee and vote
3.50pm Closing address: Key learning points and commitments
Pamela Taylor, Chief Executive, Water UK
4.00pm Close
