UCS Academy Guest Lecture series - 19/06/2013 - 5.30-7.30pm

Sustainable Transport: Who Needs it? - Malcolm Shepherd. Malcolm Shepherd is the Chief Executive of Sustrans, the UK’s leading sustainable transport charity which is behind the National Cycle Network, Safe Routes to Schools, TravelSmart, Bike It and other projects encouraging people to travel in ways that benefit their health and the environment. What is sustainable transport? Essentially for transport to be sustainable it must exist within the means of the planet to both generate the resources needed to create and fuel all modes of transport, and absorb the waste from their creation and use. Currently the way we travel is a major user of one of the world’s most valuable natural resource – oil. The burning of that oil for travel produces a lot of waste, including pollution and CO², one of the greenhouse gases responsible for climate change.There is also our health to consider. We are able to travel a huge distance without actually moving, and our sedentary lifestyles are taking their toll on our health and well-being. In this lecture Malcolm Shepherd will address the challenge of leading the way in creating an environment of safe roads, cleaner air and a better quality of life.

Profile: Malcolm Shepherd’s early career was in industry where he held Finance Director and Commercial Director roles with several large companies. He has long experience in the charity sector as a volunteer, consultant and Trustee, and has worked in the sector for 19 years. Amongst other things, he was a founding member of Saferworld, a Director and Chair of Friends of the Earth and on the Council of the National Trust and the Cycling England Board.