President Nasheed of the Maldives to Keynote Six Senses Eco Symposium in October

The Six Senses Eco Symposium at Soneva Fushi in the Maldives from 7-10 October 2010 will have an exciting line up of guest speakers including leading consultants, environmentalists, international policy makers and visionaries.

The Symposium’s opening speakers will be President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, and his advisor on climate change, Mark Lynas. President Nasheed has made worldwide headlines with his country’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2020. Mark Lynas’ bestselling book “Six Degrees: Our future on a hotter planet” won the prestigious Royal Society Prize for Science Books in 2007 and was turned into a documentary by National Geographic.

Practical examples of eco technology will be showcased at the Symposium to inspire the travel and tourism leaders attending. Clean energy specialists such as Lounette Dyer of Soledo Energy, Jeremy Leggett of Solarcentury, Eric Scotto of Akuo Energy Group and Dr. Anthony Michaels of Proteus Environmental Technologies will explain how existing technology can both reduce the carbon footprint of hotels and resorts and increase profitability, the holy grail for the industry.

Mike Mason, founder of Climate Care, a market leader in the development of projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, will focus on the economics of low carbon financing.

The design stage of any carbon reduction scheme is vital in order to minimize future expenditures and operational costs. Acclaimed architects Professor Manfred Hegger of HHS Planer + Architekten AG, Miguel Ruano of Miguel Ruano Associates Ltd and Sanjay Prakash of Sanjay Prakash & Associates Pvt. Ltd will highlight the benefits of responsible design.

In addition to travel and tourism experts the Six Senses Eco Symposium has also attracted leading environmentalists and visionaries. Jonathon Porritt, former Chairman of the UK Sustainable Development Commission, will present his view on what is required to adapt to the effects of climate change. Other speakers will include Professor Geoffrey Lipman of UNWTO, Stefan Schurig and Jakob von Uexkull of The World Future Council, and Costas Christ, editor of National Geographic Traveler.

And last, but certainly not least, the syposium will also hear what the airline industry plans are to improve their carbon footprint from British Airways’ Head of Environment Jonathon Counsell and World Economic Forum’s aviation expert Thea Chiesa.

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