The conference, taking place at the Royal Society in London on Tuesday, October 21, will examine whether clean coal can overcome the political, economic and technical challenges to realise its potential or will climate change finally consign coal to the dustbin of energy history?

The event could not be more timely, coming after the government shortlisted four companies – E.On UK, ScottishPower, Peel Power and BP Alternative Energy International – in its competition to build a carbon capture and storage demonstration project.

Speakers include the government’s special representative on energy issues, Malcolm Wicks; shadow energy minister Charles Hendry; Paddy Tipping, Sherwood MP and chair of the All-Party Energy Studies Group; and TUC deputy general secretary Frances O’Grady.

Other contributors include Ingrid Holmes from the SERA Labour Environment Campaign; Jeremy Nicholson, chief executive of the Energy Intensive Users Group and David Green, chief executive of the UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy.

An afternoon session entitled ‘Carbon capture and storage - from policy to practice’, chaired by Jonathan Leake, the Sunday Times’ science editor, will enable senior representatives from E.ON, Scottish Power, Yorkshire Forward and RWE, to discuss the technical challenges of making clean coal a reality.

For more information contact Prospect Communications on 020 7902 6625.