Sessions & Speakers
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT DIESEL

15:50
WHAT'S THE STORY
This year’s hot potato is urban air quality, and if you believe some politicians and legislators, the diesel-engined car is the devil incarnate. This panel discussion will explore the complex subject of air quality in global cities and the future of the diesel engine.

Justin Webb
Editor
Justin Webb is an experienced journalist who has worked for the BBC since 1984. Justin presents the Today Programme on BBC Radio Four and is a former North America Editor. He has an Economics degree from the London School of Economics.

Edmund King
AA President
Edmund King has been President of the Automobile Association since 2008 and is also a Visiting Professor of Transport at Newcastle University. He is also a trustee and director of the AA Charitable Trust for Road Safety and the Environment.
He has a politics degree from Newcastle University and a postgraduate diploma in broadcasting from Santa Monica College. He has worked as a committee secretary for the Social Science Research Council, for a Government Department in Whitehall, in public relations for a wine company in Burgundy, in the motor industry in California, as a broadcaster in Los Angeles, as Campaigns Co-Coordinator for the British Road Federation, and for various motoring groups and think tanks.
He has written several reports on transport and often appears as a transport commentator on radio and television. He is a member of the transport sector panel of The Institution of Engineering and Technology. He is also a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and PRCA, a committee member of the Motor Industry Public Affairs Association and a member of the Motorists’ Forum. He was awarded an OBE for ‘services to road safety’ in the 2016 New Year honours and recently was the runner-up in the Wolfson Economics Prize 2017, alongside his wife, Deirdre, for their work on ‘Road Miles’.
He has a politics degree from Newcastle University and a postgraduate diploma in broadcasting from Santa Monica College. He has worked as a committee secretary for the Social Science Research Council, for a Government Department in Whitehall, in public relations for a wine company in Burgundy, in the motor industry in California, as a broadcaster in Los Angeles, as Campaigns Co-Coordinator for the British Road Federation, and for various motoring groups and think tanks.
He has written several reports on transport and often appears as a transport commentator on radio and television. He is a member of the transport sector panel of The Institution of Engineering and Technology. He is also a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and PRCA, a committee member of the Motor Industry Public Affairs Association and a member of the Motorists’ Forum. He was awarded an OBE for ‘services to road safety’ in the 2016 New Year honours and recently was the runner-up in the Wolfson Economics Prize 2017, alongside his wife, Deirdre, for their work on ‘Road Miles’.

Iain Grey
Jaguar Land Rover Senior Manager Powertrain Advanced Controls
Iain is the Senior Manager of the Advanced Powertrain Controls team at Jaguar Land Rover, responsible for control system development for future powertrain systems. Iain led the diesel calibration team during development of the 3.0L V6 diesel project in Land Rover Discovery and Jaguar XF, and then the 2.2L 4 cylinder diesel in Range Rover Evoque which launched with class leading fuel economy. He then switched to gasoline products, developing the control system for the new Ingenium 2.0L Petrol engine from concept to production.

Mike Rann
Former Australian High Commissioner to the UK
Mike Rann was Australia’s High Commissioner to the UK, and Ambassador to Italy, Libya, San Marino and Albania. He was also Australia’s permanent representative to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation and to the World Food Programme. Premier of South Australia for nearly a decade, Mike led the state Labor Party to an unprecedented three successive election victories. Now living in London, Mike looks at smart cities and the future of urban living and considers what policy makers need to do to prepare for the future. He is a member of the King's Commission for London, looking at future policy challenges confronting the UK's capital.

Quentin Willson
Motoring Journalist, Author, TV Presenter and Campaigner
Quentin Willson is an experienced automotive journalist, author and campaigner behind the FairFuel campaign. Quentin also campaigns for greater UK investment in electric and hydrogen vehicles and held his own green motor show, Drive The Future, at Canary Wharf in 2011. He is a patron of the Hydrogen Trust and has worked with the Office of Low Emission Vehicles, Go Ultra Low and the Technology Strategy Board. Quentin joined the original Top Gear team with Jeremy Clarkson in 1989, appearing weekly on BBC2 for 15 years. Quentin also created and contributes to several TV shows including 'The Car’s The Star,' 'Worst Driver TV,' Watchdog, Tonight with Trevor McDonald, Panorama and Newsnight.

Simon Birkett
Founder and Director of Clean Air London
Simon Birkett campaigns for full compliance with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for air quality throughout London and elsewhere. Simon created the 'Birkett Index' and app which show the health impact of long-term exposure to PM2.5 based on WHO guidelines. He was a founder member of the Executive Council of the European Chapter of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology, appeared in Chái Jing’s ‘Under the Dome’ and is a member of the United Nations Environment Programme’s High-Level Intergovernmental and Stakeholder Advisory Group (HLG) for GEO-6.

Sophie Power
CEO and Co-Founder of Airlabs
Sophie Power is CEO and Co-founder of Airlabs – creator of a revolutionary new technology proven to effectively remove nitrogen dioxide and other urban pollutants. Airlabs' mission is to clean the air that people breathe wherever they are exposed to polluted air – including inside their vehicles. The Airlabs team is a mix of atmospheric chemists and airflow engineers, as well as sensor and materials specialists. Recent projects include a clean air bench (commissioned by TfL for Bird Street, London) and clean air bus shelters (in partnership with JCDecaux), with larger-scale installations to follow.