Space Park Leicester is set to host the first in a series of public events highlighting Leicester’s role in sustainable technology during the UN’s Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow.
The University of Leicester’s new research, enterprise and education cluster will bring together a range of experts to showcase the impact of existing work to combat climate change and improve air quality – and highlight what more can be done.
Taking place from 5.30-7.45pm on Tuesday, November 2, it will be the first in a series of events under the title Space Park Conversations, aimed at sharing the research and expertise of the entire Space Park Leicester community.
Space Park Leicester is the new research, innovation and teaching hub for companies and academics, with 52,000 sq ft of office space, shared laboratories, teaching facilities and co-working spaces.
The first part of the complex, on land to the north of Leicester near the National Space Centre, has been open for a few months and could eventually help create and support 2,500 jobs.
Much of the work carried out there is based around using satellite data to help with everything from modelling transport and traffic, to looking at global sea temperatures or deforestation in the Amazon.
Subsidiaries of aerospace and technology companies such as Hewlett Packard, Airbus and Amazon have already signed up as tenants.
COP26 is taking place in Glasgow until November 12.
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Guests at this week’s event will have the opportunity to hear three short talks from Leicester experts on the variety of climate research taking place at the University – from ‘low carbon lettuce’ to detecting methane leaks from space – alongside a video update from the COP26 conference centre courtesy of Professor John Remedios, Director of the National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO), which is hosted at Space Park Leicester.
Professor Sarah Davies, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Science and Engineering, will chair a panel discussion on the impact of COP26 closer to home, to include Leicester Deputy City Mayor Adam Clarke; Anna Haskell, Professor of Environmental Epidemiology and Director of the Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability, University of Leicester; Josh Vande Hey, Lecturer in Environment & Health at the university and William Wells, non-executive director of air quality monitoring business EarthSense.
A spokesman said while the event is open to the public, guests are encouraged to register for their free tickets using Eventbrite.
He said: “Leicester has a long history of world-leading research, innovation and action in tackling environmental problems.
“The University of Leicester and NCEO use data from sophisticated instruments in space to tackle today’s greatest challenges, such as climate change and air pollution.
“Research is underpinned by state-of-the-art models, ground and aircraft observations and lab experiments.
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“Earlier this year, the University formally launched its Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability, which studies the impact of environmental exposures on human health.
“Leicester-based experts will be active scientifically at COP26, which aims to bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
“Their inputs are aimed at showcasing the measurement of greenhouse gas concentrations accurately from space, illustrating differences between the world today and the climate plus 2C.
“This research will provide information on changes in the carbon store of the world’s forests and illuminating the use of satellite information for climate change mitigation.”