IEMA attends CPC23 – The Conservative Party Conference 2023

The Conservative Party Conference 2023 (CPC23) ran from 1-4 October, in Manchester. IEMA’s Policy and Engagement Lead on biodiversity and natural capital, Lesley Wilson, attended the conference with Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Ben Goodwin, and tells us more.

While cabinet ministers and the Prime Minister made speeches on the main stages, IEMA was taking part in some of the hundred or so Fringe events, focusing on those that discussed pressing environmental issues. These events ranged from carbon capture and storage, climate adaptation, net zero, and the circular economy, through to a range of nature-based events that were put on by the Conservative Environment Network.

IEMA was able to put across the asks from our Key Recommendations for UK Policy Makers, which included the need for, and opportunities in, green skills and the need for long-term monitoring and management of biodiversity net gain, as well as the importance of Local Nature Recovery Strategies in the placing of sustainable energy provision. Refreshingly, the Fringe events didn’t duck from discussing controversial issues such as the rolling back of pledges on electric cars, heat pumps, and nutrient neutrality, with Conservative members in the events expressing a mix of opinions.

IEMA was able to speak at events including a Green Alliance panel on carbon capture and storage, where IEMA's Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Ben Goodwin made the case for the skills pipeline that will be required to deploy the technology across the UK at scale. At a Royal Town Planning Institute event on the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill, we also set out IEMA's concerns on the negative impact the legislation could have on the environmental impact assessment regime in England.

The panels at the Fringe events frequently included key Conservative ministers alongside business, Conservative local authority representatives, and non-profit organisations, so we had the opportunity to talk to, for example, Parliamentary Under-Secretaries to Defra, Rebecca Pow (Environmental Quality and Resilience) and Trudy Harrison (Natural Environment and Land Use) to set out insights on behalf of the Institute.

Next week, Ben and IEMA’s Public Affairs Officer, Asim Ali, will be attending the Labour Party Conference which is taking place from 8-11 October.

IEMA will be taking the same key policy asks to this event and asking the same difficult (and not so difficult) questions so look out for posts and a blog from Ben and Asim.