News that Exeter is to host a major international meeting on climate change is another great boost for our city.
Leading figures from all over the world will be attending the two day conference in February as part of Britain�s presidency next year of the G8 group of leading nations.
The Prime Minister has put global warming at the top of the agenda for our presidency and the Exeter conference will set the scene.
The announcement has come not long after the British Association for the Advancement of Science held its annual conference in Exeter.
Hardly a day went by during that conference when Exeter was not mentioned in relation to some new discovery or scientific controversy.
That conference was held at the university while the climate change one will be at the Met Office.
There is little doubt that the Innovation Centre at the University and, even more, the presence of the Met Office, has made Exeter a more attractive venue for conferences like this.
As one of the leading centres for climatic research in the world, with a fine new building and good conference facilities, the Met Office could beat off competitors that are located more conveniently for the international airports.
The value of its relocation here is already clear, not just in terms of local jobs and incomes but putting Exeter on the map.
Many of the reports from the science conference were beamed around the world. The same will be the case for the climate conference. People from all over the world will come, stay in our hotels, eat in our restaurants and, hopefully, speak nicely about us when they leave.
Those of us involved in persuading the Met Office to move to Exeter all believed it would be a tremendous boost for our city.
But its value is already exceeding my highest expectations.
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