Lord Deben, birth name John Gummer, is a former Conservative MP and was UK Secretary of State for the Environment from 1993-97, having previously been Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food. He had several other senior portfolios during a long career at Westminster.

His lecture at Riddel Hall, Queen’s is being jointly hosted by the Institute for Global Food Security and the Gibson Institute for Land, Food and Environment, both of which sit within the School of Biological Sciences (SBS). The theme will be ‘Plausible Pathways to Net Zero for Agriculture and Land Use’.

Following his keynote speech, a panel discussion inviting questions from the audience will be chaired by BBC Radio 4 agriculture journalist, Anna Hill. Panellists will include Norman Fulton, a senior civil servant at the NI Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA); Bill Harper from the Ulster Farmers’ Union; and Professor Sharon Huws, Director of Research at SBS at Queen’s.

Now a life peer in the House of Lords, Lord Deben stepped down from his post at the CCC in June, after more than a decade at the helm. During his tenure, he was praised for pushing the climate crisis up the political agenda. He has been vocal in his criticism of the current UK government, warning it is being ‘too slow’ to act on Net Zero commitments and publicly opposing its decision to allow new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea.

A believer in the need for sustainability to go hand in hand with a thriving business sector, Lord Deben has enjoyed a corporate career in parallel with his political one, and is the founder and Chairman of Sancroft International, a consultancy that advises businesses and investors on environmental, social and governance factors (ESG). He is also Chairman of Valpak Ltd, an environmental-solutions company and of the Personal Investment Management & Financial Advice Association (PIMFA), a trade body representing financial advisers and wealth managers.

The lecture starts at 6.30pm sharp. Members of the public and media are welcome to attend but registration is necessary. Registration at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/plausible-pathways-to-netzero-in-agriculture-and-land-use-tickets-754540239167?aff=oddtdtcreator

 

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Inquiries to Una Bradley u.bradley@qub.ac.uk