SEDA Conference 2022: A Meeting of Minds

Open to all, SEDA’s Conference 2022 is a chance to join in with a key group of people and organisations in Scotland to work out what we can do together, what we should be addressing to make Scotland’s future development more sustainable and really address the climate crisis.

Earlier this year at a special Gathering, SEDA’s members identified which subjects that we should focus on for the next year. Our annual conference picks up on many of these issues and builds on these conversations. The Conference themes will include:

• education;

• planning and land use;

• retrofit and re-purposing;

• health and wellbeing;

• materials and resources, and;

• sufficiency and de-growth

SEDA is inviting key people from other organisations that are working, campaigning and implementing sustainable solutions in Scotland, to tell us more about their actions and what we can do to help. Our aim is that this “Meeting of Minds” will help us to identify where we can have more impact by working together and strengthening our voices. It will be followed on Saturday by a series of related visits on the ‘SEDA Conference 2022 Field Trip’ (see at the bottom) which you will need to register for separately.

Speakers so far include; Peter Smith of RIAS and Home Grown Homes, Charlie Wright of Edinburgh Climate Forum, Thornton Kay of SALVO, Brian O’ Reilly of Egg Lighting, Aythan Lewes of EALA Impacts, and Tom Morton of Arc Architects and EBUKI. Further speakers and organisations to be confirmed shortly up to the date, but we will be seeking out the best people to get to the key issues for each issue.

On the day we will focus upon:

• Immediate action – sharing knowledge about what actions we can take now;

• Future goals – identifying how we can work together to deliver our long term sustainable design aims.

We’ve asked our speakers to help identify barriers to change as well as what they have been able to achieve. By having a diverse group of speakers we hope to spark cross-subject discussions, creating alliances that strengthen our networks and promote working together towards our common goals.

We invite SEDA members and anyone interested in these subjects to a day of knowledge sharing and conversation, to debate and work out ways forward together. We want as many people as possible to take part in our discussions and be part of our ongoing campaigning work.

The Conference will take place at the Greyfriars Charteris Centre, Edinburgh, and online, on 2nd September 2022. You can join online or in person, which will include a soup and sandwich lunch (all vegan and veggie).

Book your ticket here

Now available: you can also register for the SEDA Conference Field Trip on the next day, Saturday 03 September. This will be free, SEDA has arranged access and will help guide you round three great projects that are community based and innovative:

• The proposed Community Buy-Out of the Astley Ainslie Hospital Site, with members of the Astley Ainslie Community Trust;

• The Arcadia Nursery, at King’s Buildings, with architect Malcolm Fraser, and;

• Leith Community Croft, Community Growing project and Pavilion Refurbishment, with Earth in Common and Simpson and Brown Architects

Just book your places for each or all of the visits, winding up at the Edinburgh Climate Festival on Leith Links. Should be a great day out, using a bus day ticket or bike ideally! Reserve your places now from:

https://SEDAConf2022FieldTrip.eventbrite.co.uk

We hope you can join us for one or both days.