The brainchild of the summit is Cambridge MBA (2007) student Marisa Teh. The summit has been designed in response to the need to act now and to promote the clean energy agenda on the scale required for a carbon free future. This requires a step-up in collaboration and understanding between senior policy makers, investors, business and leading academics on the issues surrounding current dependencies on fossil fuels.

Among the speakers making presentations over the three days will be, Mr Bernie Bulkins, a venture capitalist from Silicon Valley and former Chief Scientist, BP; Mr Angus Norman, Managing Director Sustainable Solutions, EDF Energy; Dr Joachim Reiss from Q-Cells AG, a photovoltaic cell producer and Professor Robert Watson, former Senior Scientific Advisor of The World Bank.

The conference will open by addressing the issues surrounding aEmerging problems and solutionsa, including discussions on the global context of the impending energy crisis and the major causes of global warming, as well as the substantial role alternative agreen energy technologiesa can play in ensuring a more sustainable society.

Entrepreneurial, venture capital and corporate participation in developing low carbon solutions, such as large scale deployment of solar technology, will be debated under the title of aScaling-up lower carbon solutionsa. During which, economists will also discuss the utility of subsidies, or afreedom tariffsa, in encouraging the efficient development of new entrepreneurial solutions.

The responsibilities which corporations, academics and policy-makers, in particular NGOs, face in educating and influencing public opinion towards low carbon technologies such as carbon sequestration, electric vehicles and green IT strategies, are a significant area for development and will be considered on the final day, themed aInvesting in solutions, a way forwarda.

The summit will also provide a showcase of ideas from current student projects, entrepreneurial presentations, and examples of technologies from both local and international businesses.

aAs Director of Clean Technology Affairs at one of the Universityas entrepreneurship societies, I could see that despite an emerging awareness of climate change, and a flurry of events on the topic, concerted efforts to stimulate wider debate that resulted in the generation and investment of concrete solutions had to date been limited. I realised that Cambridge and its surrounding entrepreneurial aSilicon Fena could offer a unique opportunity. It could blend cutting-edge energy research and policy with entrepreneurial talent and investment, creating the optimum environment for the development of an integrated approach to achieving a low carbon society, and the actual innovation of new clean technologies to challenge the status quo,a said Marisa Teh.

For more information about the summit, logon to: http://www.cambridgeclimate.com