South Tyneside Climate Summit: Business Sustainability Day

This exciting event will bring together businesses from across the borough to share best practice and learn about what others are doing on sustainability (to benefit their organisations) and highlight opportunities and barriers to further progress. It will facilitate networking and demonstrate the opportunities that are on offer through South Tyneside’s green economy, including the importance of South Tyneside businesses working together to keep things local through the South Tyneside Pledge.

Event Format

Networking and Expo (9am – 9.30am)
The day will begin with an opportunity for attendees to network over tea and coffee. There will be attendees from a wide range of businesses and organisations with differing experience and expertise from across the borough (and beyond).

Keynote Speaker: Patrick Allcorn (9.30am – 9.50am)
Patrick Allcorn, Head of Local Net Zero at Department of Energy Security and Net Zero will introduce the business day, climate summit and work that is being done by central government.

Councillors Paul Dean and Ernest Gibson will also present a speech about the South Tyneside pledge and its success so far, and the importance of business sustainability.

Panel Discussion (9.50am – 10.30am)
A panel discussion between local business on the importance of sustainability and their journey so far. This will feature panellists from the following organisations:

• South Shields Football Club
• The Electric Bike Shed
• Pentagon Assurance
• Turtons Removals/Want Not CIC
• Tyne Housing

Expo (10.30am – 11.20am)
There will be an intermission between presentations to allow attendees to network and interact with organisations at the expo. This networking opportunity gives attendees the chance to draw on knowledge from various sectors related to sustainability and net zero and will feature over 30 different organisations.

Guest Speakers (11:20am – 12:20pm)
A series of guest speakers will then present on various topics:

• South Tyneside Council: Procurement and Sustainability
  Sustainability plays an increasingly important role in procurement. Our first guest speakers will explain how sustainability is considered when evaluating tenders, how social value is measured and monitored and the importance of sustainability when bidding for contracts
• Smart Carbon: Carbon Accounting
  Measuring and monitoring carbon emissions is an increasingly important area of work which continues to grow in importance. The next presentation will highlight what needs to be measured, how you can do this (regardless of business size) and the benefits of knowing your businesses environmental impacts
• Northern Powergrid: Local Grid Infrastructure
  To facilitate the journey to net zero, grid infrastructure upgrades will be required. In this presentation, a guest speaker from Northern Powergrid will show attendees the work being done to support new developments and ensure resilience to existing grid infrastructure.
• Tyne Coast College: Green Skills
  The green economy continues to grow across the UK, with South Tyneside being no exception. To take advantage of this ever-expanding economy, businesses will need to ensure they have the requisite skills and experience. This presentation will explore the importance of green skills and the opportunities for training and development in South Tyneside.

Business Expo (12.30pm – 2pm)
Following the morning session involving presentations, attendees will be able to continue networking with exhibitors at the stalls. This networking opportunity gives attendees the chance to draw on knowledge from various sectors related to sustainability and net zero and will feature over 30 different organisations.

How to book

To book your place please follow this link and sign up using the landing page: Love South Tyneside | Protect | South Tyneside Climate Summit

Travel: How to get here  

We would like to ensure this Climate Summit is as sustainable as possible, therefore we encourage attendees to try to arrive by walking, cycling and using public transport. Where this is not possible, please try to carpool. 

Electric vehicle charge points can also be found outside in Tesco’s car park and Bilton Hall Community Centre. You can use this website to locate nearby charge points: Map of electric charging points for electric cars UK: Zapmap: https://www.zap-map.com/

The nearest metro station is Bede, which is a 4 minute (0.3 mile) walk away   

If you are travelling from North of the river Tyne you could take the ferry. South Shields Metro station is a short walk from the ferry  

If you would like to cycle, there is cycle storage available on site. For anyone travelling from north of the Tyne, please be aware that you can take your bike on the ferry, or through the pedestrian tunnel.   

If you do need to drive, please consider car sharing   

Limited parking is available on Shaftesbury Avenue, or in Tesco’s car park