Scotsman and Guardian journalist Lesley Riddoch will chair a sustainability conference in Dundee tomorrow.

She will guide the seventh annual Solar Cities Scotland event through its themes in front of an audience of public bodies, organisations and academics.

The charity has faced crisis recently as it was turned down for Government funding.

Politicians criticised the Climate Challenge Fund's decision not to renew its funding, which totaled more than £180,000 last year.

But Solar Cities Scotland was handed a lifeline last week when Dundee City Council considered giving it an interim grant.

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A spokesman for the charity said the conference would be going ahead despite funding woes as the funding that was pulled was for workers and projects, not the conference.

Themes of the conference include: Solar – the right choice for business; Building skills in renewables; changing communities and delivering a 2030 zero carbon business.

A representative from BRE Scotland will talk about training, support and construction standards.

And installers will be on hand to speak to potential clients.

Heading the list of speakers is solar expert Jeremy Leggett, who set up the Solar Century business in 1999 and was part of a consortium that led on the legal challenge to changes in the feed-in tariff last year.

Completing the day will be Paul Allen from the Centre for Alternative Technology, who has been leading on the impressive 2030 – Zero Carbon Britain study.

The event will take place at Gardyne Road Theatre.

To register, click here.

(NE)