At Labour Party Conference in Brighton last week, SERA celebrated its 40th anniversary with a series of events – and even a birthday cake!

Steve Cohen, founding Secretary of SERA, was the first speaker at the SERA rally on Sunday night, joined by Caroline Flint, Mary Creagh, Hilary Benn, Chuka Umunna, Alan Whitehead, Huw Irranca-Davies as well as figures from the European Parliament, local government, the trade union movement and environmental organisations. 

The event marked 40 years since the 1973 Labour Party Conference in Blackpool, where a number of activists came together to create a voice for the environment within the Labour Party.

The Sustainability Hub, which brings together environmental groups, the energy sector and like-minded organisations at the three main party conferences, even made SERA a cake. At their reception, compered by Melanie Smallman of SERA, Shadow Energy Secretary Caroline Flint led the celebrations and cut the cake.

SERA was also able to participate in events on aviation in the Transport Hub, in the RSPB Nature Question Time and the launch of Labour Cyclists. SERA co-hosted events on water with WWF and Coca Cola, on smart metering with PRASEG and the Micropower Council, and a round table on popular environmentalism with the Fabians.

But of course the real action this year was on the Conference floor with major announcements on energy and water market reform, on cycling, on green jobs, on decarbonisation and on the structure of the rail industry. Further analysis to come…

Check out some of our rally highlights below, thanks to Romney Tansley.