YHEF, as an organisation, seek to question the conventional and have, since 2004, developed a reputation for bringing different audiences together at imaginative and challenging events. Topical events offer a great opportunity to increase our network of contacts, establish common ground amongst interested parties and identify gaps in the knowledge that partners feel is needed to make progress – leading to focused projects and research.

• In 2004, our first Conference established the principle that businesses and decision-makers need to look to environmental best practice as a key piece of the region’s competitive advantage.
• In 2006 the YHREF annual gathering challenged representatives of environment, tourism, diversity, faith and European policy to test the socio-economic implications of giving greater priority to environmental imperatives.
• The 2007 Conference turned the spotlight onto the environmental community, and examined the pros, cons and new opportunities in the way we communicate environmental messages in the fast-changing context of climate change politics.
• The challenge of a new government and new political structures means that 2010 saw a shift to fact finding workshops and seiminars that explored the issues around sub and city regions.
• 2011 will take this further and discussions will become actions via a more focused series of follow-up events.

Information about upcoming YHEF events will be published here and on the Integrated Regional Calendar that forms part of the site.