Event: Greater Manchester Green Summit 2024

Date: December 2024

Location: Manchester, UK

Type of CPD: Climate resilience / regional policy engagement / sustainability and innovation

Duration: Full‑day summit (plenary sessions + workshops + stakeholder engagement)

Summary of the Event

I attended the Greater Manchester Green Summit 2024, a flagship regional event convened by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to accelerate progress toward the city‑region’s environmental and climate goals. The summit brought together local authorities, utilities, environmental organisations, technology innovators, community groups, academics and business leaders to explore pathways to a net‑zero, climate‑resilient and nature‑positive Greater Manchester.

The 2024 programme focused on climate adaptation, clean growth, nature recovery, air and water quality, digital innovation, and community‑led environmental action. Discussions highlighted the region’s ambition to lead the UK in environmental innovation, green skills and integrated infrastructure planning.

Throughout the summit, I engaged with regional leaders and partners on the role of real‑time environmental monitoring, biological insight and digital optimisation in supporting climate resilience, river health and sustainable growth.

Key Themes Covered

• Climate resilience and adaptation Flood risk, drought management, infrastructure vulnerability and long‑term planning.
• Net‑zero and clean growth Decarbonisation pathways, low‑carbon technologies and regional investment priorities.
• Nature recovery and biodiversity River health, habitat restoration, catchment‑scale approaches and community engagement.
• Digital innovation and environmental intelligence Real‑time monitoring, digital twins, predictive analytics and integrated data ecosystems.
• Water quality and environmental performance Pollution reduction, transparency, storm overflow reform and ecological outcomes.
• Green skills and workforce development Building capability in digital, environmental and technical disciplines.