Writtle University College's Dr Poone Yazdanpanah is celebrating her appointment to the Essex Climate Change Commission. She is the second WUC lecturer to become part of the independent, cross-party group and joins Peter Hobson, Professor of Biodiversity Conservation & Sustainability, who has been a member since the launch of the Commission earlier this year.
As a Senior Lecturer in Landscape Architecture & Garden Design, Dr Yazdanpanah will draw upon her knowledge of sustainable architecture and outdoor spaces to suggest new solutions for the Essex area. She said: "I am pleased to be invited to join the Commission and I look forward to working with other members to improve the health and well-being of citizens by bridging the gap between natural and built environments. This will be a response to innate human-nature connections."
The Commission, which is chaired by former Government deputy chief whip Lord Randall, previously launched the Essex Forest Initiative, a project that aims to plant 375,000 new trees across the county over the next five years.
Professor Hobson commented: "The collective message from all the experts was quite clear. If we want any hope of changing the direction of trends in climate change we will have to agree on bold and transformative strategies across six main pillars of work, including the built environment and green infrastructure. I would take this a step further by adding the need for radical reform of our food and infrastructure systems, and on our relationship with nature."
The Commision will consider the following pillars:
- Green Infrastructure
- Adapting to Climate Change
- Transport
- Built Environment
- Energy and Waste
- Community Action
The next meeting will take place in July, with an interim report planned for October 2020.