“prosperity and sustainability NEED TO BE absolutely intertwined” says Mayor Brabin – ReGen Write Up

It was day two of the ReGeneration Earth conference and exhibition. This flagship event, held during the Yorkshire Sustainability Festival, proved to be an exciting addition to the region’s event calendar.

When Kate Hutchinson, Founder and CEO of The Sustainability Festival, took to the stage the previous day, she made the bold statement that the event would become Europe’s answer to COP. Building on the success of the first day—and with the speaker line-up for day two—that vision seemed very plausible.

Next up was the Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin.

Taking to the stage, she said:

“Looking for solutions is our greatest challenge. We need to ask how we can deliver a modern and sustainable economy along with a community.”

“This is a massive opportunity — a chance to build a lasting legacy for the people of West Yorkshire. As leaders, sometimes we are gifted the opportunity to plant a seed for a tree under whose shade we will never sit.”

“I may never personally feel the impact of some of our programs, but I know they will have a lasting effect for centuries to come.”

“For everyone to have a warm, safe, energy-efficient home; to make use of affordable and clean energy; to take advantage of an integrated, sustainable transport system with easy access to that critical first and last mile through safe and accessible walking and cycling infrastructure for all of our communities; to have access to green spaces and greater biodiversity and live life free of air pollution.”

“Tackling the climate emergency is vital. We must protect that for our people and for generations to come. And that’s why, when I was first elected, I put tackling the climate emergency right at the top of my agenda, pledging to get to net zero by 2038.”

“I am still determined to deliver for residents, still committed to radical change for our region—cutting our emissions by more than 80% and delivering the vision set out in our climate and environment plan.”

“We are currently in the process of refreshing this plan. So, watch this space. But rest assured, we are still taking decisive action, going further by collaborating with pan-northern mayors to influence energy reform and deliver energy projects at a major scale—creating a climate-resilient and nature-rich region through our local nature recovery strategy and supporting peat restoration.”

“I had the privilege of going up to Marsden recently to restore some peat. The volunteers there are heroes in all weathers, heading to the Moors to replenish what has been lost—tree planting and urban greening. So many volunteers are involved in these amazing projects, making sure our residents can live in warm, comfortable, and low-carbon homes, supported through Home Energy West Yorkshire.”

“Launching later this year, we will be transforming transport in the region. We are bringing buses back under public control, allowing us to expand our net zero program. You may also have heard the announcement that £2.1 billion worth of investment will be allocated for our tram, connecting Leeds and Bradford, and then going from Leeds towards the White Rose.”

“It is a great day at the office! We’re pushing ahead with getting spades in the ground for phase one of our mass transit program by 2028—bringing trams, finally, to the streets of West Yorkshire.”

“As well as all of this, we’re launching a multi-million-pound Climate Fund, supporting the de-risking of net zero schemes and leveraging private investment—and we’re making sure that businesses are part of the solution too.”

“We are engaging and discussing this with businesses to bring them on board, rather than leave them by the wayside. With a focus on businesses in key sectors like energy, waste, green tech, construction and engineering—and with interventions to help those businesses grow—we are supporting existing industries to decarbonise.”

“We are also supporting climate innovators to establish themselves and grow, bringing the technology of tomorrow to market.”

“As mayor, I’m determined to deliver growth in West Yorkshire through my local growth plan, which has the potential of adding £26 billion to the UK economy. This will help me close the productivity gap, which has held our region back for far too long.”

“We are committed to creating inclusive growth in this region, and I’m clear that prosperity and sustainability are absolutely intertwined. While we’re committed to addressing urgent environmental challenges, the potential of the green economy is huge for delivering growth—which is why it’s highlighted as a core focus of my local growth plan.”

“West Yorkshire’s economic future depends on resilient, clean, and technologically advanced industries—ending our dependence on fossil fuels through renewable energy sources. We want to deliver those transformational infrastructure projects like mass transit, developing new industrial processes that reduce waste, or becoming part of the supply chain for the green tech of the future.”

“We want to make sure that West Yorkshire businesses are front and centre of the green revolution—working hand in hand with the sector, creating new, innovative, and resilient opportunities for the people of our beautiful, brilliant region.”