A leading business event taking place next month is to discuss just how business can access finance on their path to a net zero future.

The topic will form one of the debates taking place as part of the Kent and Medway Business Summit at the University of Kent's Canterbury campus on April 27.

The session will include Laura Bloomfield, vice president at IT giant Atos who will be looking at sustainability through the corporate supply chain.

She is joined by Fleur Record-Smith, managing director at Hayne House, a small business near Hythe which is building reputation by operating sustainably.

Also on the panel is Cam Ross, CEO at Green Angel Syndicate, specialist investors fighting climate change and Warren Ralls, managing director of the UK network at the summit's sponsors, the British Business Bank.

The discussion will be chaired by Susan Elliott, a senior manager at the bank.

She said: "We are really looking forward to meeting visitors to the event, and helping smaller businesses looking to start up, grow and operate more sustainably, understand their options and access the finance they need to succeed.”

Some 300 delegates are expected to attend the fifth summit, hosted by the Kent Business School.

Other high profile speakers include chief economist at the Institute of Directors, Kitty Ussher; Kent County Council leader, Cllr Roger Gough; and Andy Martin, strategic communications director at London

Resort.

The summit’s partners are the Institute of Directors, Federation of Small Businesses and Locate in Kent. Headline sponsors are Kreston Reeves and Thomson, Snell & Passmore.

Tickets to the summit cost £40 and can be purchased here.