Bradford is to host a major conference next month to encourage businesses to help make the Leeds city region into a world leading low carbon economy and boost their own fortunes.

Former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone will deliver a keynote address on the central conference theme of inspiring a world class vision for low-carbon built environment and infrastructure.

The event is designed to inspire more companies to ‘go green’ as the global low carbon market is expected to hit £4 trillion by 2016.

Other speakers will include Communities Minister Andrew Stunell, IBM’s vice-president of strategy, Steve Wood, Tony Reeves, Bradford Council chief executive, Neil McLean, chairman of the Leeds City region Local Enterprise Partnership, which is backing the event, and its new director Ben Rimmington.

Organisers said the BASE (Business And Sustainable Environment) conference at the University of Bradford on Tuesday, September 11, would explore how to achieve the city region's ambition to develop a powerful low-carbon economy.

The full-day programme will focus on ‘smart cities’, housing, public and commercial buildings, transport, energy, waste and water management through a combination of fringe events, workshops and keynote speeches.

The event is aimed at companies looking to expand business or find new commercial opportunities in Leeds City Region's low carbon built environment and infrastructure.

Senor executives from two leading Bradford-based companies will also feature on the agenda Jerome Saint-Marc, Morrisons ' development director in logistics, will speak about n green logistics and Gordon Rogers, climate change manger - environment strategy team, at Yorkshire Water will also speak.

Charles Abel Smith, UK Green Investments will give an update on the new and UK Green Investment Bank and Cal Bailey, sustainability director at Ilkley -based building services group NG Bailey will outline solutions for a sustainable future.

Sandy Needham, chief executive of Bradford Chamber of Commerce, which is also backing the event, said the programme was designed to provide sound practical advice to unlock business potential and it would not just be a ‘talking shop’.

She said: “The fact that this city region-wide event is being held in Bradford is great its also appropriate that the university, which has invested heavily in eco-friendly buildings and sustainable development, is the venue.

“Our involvement in the BASE conference builds on the Eco Fair which we held in the spring to highlight green business opportunities. The event will hopefully inspire more larger companies to adopt the green agenda, not because it's a nice thing to do, but also because it makes good business sense.”

The BASE event is free for business and public sector professionals in relevant decision-making roles. For further information and to register online visit basecities.com/leeds.