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Jo has been leading the development of a new sector-wide concordat on the environmental sustainability of research practice. Jo also works closely with the UKRI Commercial team developing UKRI’s work on responsible procurement.
Jo joined the UKRI sustainability team (based in NERC) in September 2020, moving across from the Knowledge Exchange (KE) team in Research England. Previously, Jo worked for ten years in Local Government, specialising in Environment, Energy, Fuel Poverty and Community Development roles.
Jo has spent many years volunteering with local environmental action and conservation groups. She spends much time dabbling in range of crafting activities and tending to her allotment.
Jo Allatt
Chartered Environmentalist and Senior Environmental Sustainability Programme Manager
UKRI
Jamie is the founder Executive Director of SOS-UK, a youth-led educational charity
created in 2019 by the students and staff at NUS. SOS-UK supports students to take
transformational action to tackle the climate emergency and ecological crisis, and to
deliver climate justice. SOS-UK’s system-change campaigns include Invest for Change,
Teach the Future, Mock COP and The RACE Report. SOS-UK’s engagement programmes
including Green Impact, Responsible Futures and Student Switch Off. Prior to joining SOS-
UK, Jamie led on sustainability at NUS for 15 years, embedding sustainability across the
students’ union movement. Jamie has a degree in Ecology and a Master of Research in
Science of the Environment. Jamie is Chair of trustees at The Harmony Project, a Non-
Executive Director of the Aldersgate Group, sits on the Public Policy Committee of The
British Academy and is a member of Court at the University of Bath. Jamie is both dyslexic
and autistic and is a strong advocate for inclusive workspaces and intersectional
environmentalism.
Alison Anderson is a Professor in the School of Society and Culture at the University of Plymouth. She has over 30 years’ experience working in the field of public engagement and environmental communication and has recently undertaken a piece of research with the British Science Association ‘Climate change in secondary schools: young people's views of climate change and sustainability education’. This included a national survey of 1,000 14-to-18-year-olds and two follow up workshops to explore the responses in greater depth. Her research on empowering youth voices to mobilise behaviour change was exhibited at COP26 and her work has featured in BBC Radio, Der Standard; Financial Times; Toronto Star; and The Times Education Supplement. She is a founding member of the International Environmental Communication Association and former Editor-in-Chief of the Routledge journal Environmental Communication.
University of Plymouth
As a Learning designer at The Open University (OU), Paul leads on the pedagogic design process for new modules being produced in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Drawing on sector specific research and scholarship Paul supports academic teams through a learning design process which enables module material to be developed and delivered using an evidence based approach. Prior to joining the OU Paul became a qualified teacher with a focus on students with special educational needs at FE level. Paul has a particular interest in sustainability and is a member of an award winning learning design sustainability working group. He also has a keen interest in promoting the use of technology as a functional, supportive tool to help lead workshops and focused conversations.
Danielle Arbeiter is an international student from Canada and is currently in her final year of the LLB (Hons) at City, University of London, following her specialist degree in Criminology and Sociology from the University of Toronto. Her passion for environmental and social justice is not only reflected in her academic pursuits but also in her leadership within the sustainability community as Co-President of the City (University) Sustainability Society, with aspirations to integrate these passions into her future career in law.
Will has been Principal of Brighton Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College (BHASVIC) since 2016. His vision is for BHASVIC to be a Contemporary Creative Learning Community and sustainability is at the forefront of this desire to be contemporary. BHASVIC won the SFCA’s inaugural Sustainability award in 2022 and as part of FE Sussex they won the Beacon Award for Sustainability in 2023. As well as being Principal, Will is a Dad to three young children – more than anything he wants them to inherit a habitable planet.
Principal
Brighton Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College (BHASVIC)
Tom has a BSc in Environment and Sustainability and an MSc in Global
Sustainability Solutions. With extensive experience in the net zero transition
including delivering key renewable energy projects, supporting local authorities on
their net zero transitions and net zero consultancy in the private sector. Tom supports
several key organisations in the region, playing a critical role in the Staffordshire and
Stoke-on-Trent Climate Commission and sitting on the Board of Directors for Chase
Community Solar. In recent years, Tom has conducted research on the net zero
transition with a focus on place-based decarbonisation, addressing Midlands skills
deficits and improving governance for the transition.
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Dr Belinda Bell is co-Director of the new Finance for Systemic Change Centre at the
University of Cambridge. The mission of the team is to undertake and deploy academic
research to mitigate systemic risks by working to change the practices of asset owners
and seed the elements of a future equitable financial system. Previously Dr Bell had a
career as a Chief Executive in a series of social enterprises and social finance
organisations before moving to academia where her work was one of five impact case
studies submitted to the Research Excellence Framework 2021, which resulted in the
Cambridge Judge Business School being ranked No. 1 in the UK for business and
management research. Dr Bell is a Fellow od Social Innovation at Cambridge Judge
Business School, and a Senior Research Associate at Jesus College Cambridge.
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Sasha is responsible for delivering the Sustainability Strategy at Barnsley College. Sasha aims to make sustainability accessible and relevant for all the staff and students within the institution, whilst remaining ambitious and confident in the positive impact that FE can have. Sasha regularly shares learning from the colleges sustainability engagement with others in the FE sector and finds great value in networking with organisations and groups such as the EAUC and SustainFE. Before working in education and with a degree in Environmental Science, Sasha had worked in sustainability roles in local government, private organisations, behaviour change charities and international environmental youth NGO’s.
Sasha Beswick
Head of Sustainability
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Charlotte joined the EAUC team in February 2023 as CEO and is responsible for the strategic leadership of the organisation. She has over fifteen years’ leadership experience across membership and tertiary education organisations where she’s focused on business development, transformational engagement and policy and advocacy.
Before joining us, most recently she was the Education and Training Foundation’s education for sustainable development (ESD) lead, and before that was a keystone of NUS’ sustainability work, most notably project managing the UNESCO ESD prize winning Green Impact programme from its inception. She is one of the co-founders of Students Organizing for Sustainability International. She’s previously held senior teaching associate positions at the University of Bristol and was a sustainability consultant working with private and public sector clients prior to her tenure at NUS.
Charlotte has an MSc in energy and environmental technologies, is a Fellow of the RSA and a board member at Change Agents UK. She lives in Scarborough and is happiest when on her bike, traveling overland or cooking for friends.
Katy has led the development of wide-ranging sustainability initiatives at the University of Worcester. Her work focuses on the campus, working in the community and embedding sustainability in the curriculum. Overseeing the development of students as partners on major sustainability change programs and building sustainability skills with students and student volunteers Katy’s work has won several national and international awards.
Katy's research interests include frameworks for measuring sustainability culture in Higher Education, managing energy in student rented homes, an online magazine for students, academics and practitioners to engage students in sustainable development and developing bike share schemes. An EAUC fellow and part of the teaching team that devised the EAUC Emerging Leaders training for cross sector early career sustainability practitioners. Katy is a new Board member for Change Agents UK.
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Regional Director & Passivhaus Designer at ECD Architects
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Alex Cockburn
Sustainability Education and Engagement Officer
Change Agents and EAUC
Alex joined Change Agents UK at the start of 2024. His interest in sustainability came
from studies at the University of Birmingham, firstly in his BA Philosophy degree
where he began studies of the ethics and politics of climate change. Following this
he completed the Teach First Programme and trained to be a Geography teacher, but
felt he was not making the impact he wanted to. He returned to university where he
studied MSc Global Ethics and Justice, writing his dissertation on 'What
responsibilities individuals have in tackling the climate crisis'. The focus was on the
need for individuals to not only reduce their personal emissions, but also how they
can delegate effectively to governments to push for more robust climate polices on
the collective level.
The study fulfilled his values, but he was eager for an opportunity to put what he
had researched into practice. Joining Change Agents as a Sustainability Education
and Engagement Officer gives him an opportunity to combine experience as an
educator with knowledge and passion for sustainability.
When he’s not working you can usually find him hiking, kayaking down a rapid or
playing his tuba in a brass band!
Sam is a creative technologist and strategist who has been working in web design
and build since 1997. As such he sees parallels with the late nineties and the
emergent world of AI, in that there will be winners and losers.
Sam is an advocate of AI usage within education and within commercial agencies,
including his own.
In addition to his role at University of Winchester, Sam is also the Director of web
agency Practically.io, and part of the Obsolete.com AI collective.
John has held senior positions across the international education sector for more than two decades, currently as Director, Partnerships UK at IESG - International Education Sustainability Group. His journey from marketing and international student recruitment through to operations, immigration and compliance has led him to take a keen interest in Sustainability and Net Zero in the #intled sector.
As an Associate member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (AIEMA), Climate FRESK and Small99 CRAB facilitator, John is now focused on helping institutions use the IESG Climate Action Barometer to drive meaningful change in this critical area.
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Dean leads a team within the University of Edinburgh Net Zero and Carbon
Leadership Directorate responsible for low carbon utilities infrastructure, energy and
water efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, sustainable construction and
broad sustainability and environmental strategy for the estate. He has held roles in
energy and environmental management and climate strategy for two decades in
higher education, government and industry. Dean has a B.Eng in Mechanical
Engineering and an MSc. In Environmental Studies and Sustainability and is a
Chartered Engineer and Chartered Environmentalist. He is Canadian and lives with
his Scottish fiancé and three children in the Trossachs.
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Laurence joined South Devon College as Vice Principal Corporate Services in February 2010, bringing a strong background of strategic leadership and management in the private sector and in education. Beginning his career in Banking & Finance, Laurence gained significant experience during 17 years in that sector, including as an underwriter of corporate lending to a range of large SMEs and mid-corporates, as an Area Retail Manager he left the world of banking in 2002 to begin his new career in education.
In 2015 he became Deputy CEO for the College and until 2019 he successfully led professional services at the College, including Business Development, Employer Engagement, Estates & Facilities, Sustainability & Carbon Management, Finance, Human Resources, IT, Data & Systems, Commercial Services and Catering & Retail. Laurence has also been instrumental in growing and diversifying College income including successful partnership working and project development to secure bids which have also included in excess of £30m of new capital grants.
Laurence was appointed Principal & CEO at South Devon College in September 2019 and also holds positions as a Governor, Director or Member of other Boards including, EAUC, the Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education. South West Business Council, Torbay Economic Development Company, Torbay Place Leadership Board, Bay Education Trust and Riviera Education Trust, together with a number of national Association of Colleges Policy Groups.
Neil Glasser is Professor of Physical Geography at Aberystwyth University. He is
currently the Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences (FELS),
a position he has held since 2018. He is a full member of the University Executive.
As well as the leadership of FELS, he is also responsible at Executive level for all
sustainability and environment issues across Aberystwyth University including the
Net Zero strategy. He is on the Board of EAUC and serves as both the Wales Branch
Convenor and EAUC Treasurer. His research and teaching interests are focused on
the relationship between climate, ice sheets and glaciers. He has published widely
on these topics in the Arctic, Antarctica, Andes and Himalayas.
Professor
Aberystwyth University
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Dr Victoria Hands empowers individuals and organisations to discover and adopt regenerative practices through collaborative strategy development and delivery, training, innovation and research. As Director of Sustainability at The Open University, Victoria coordinates a pan-institution matrix team to deliver sustainability, upskilling over 700 staff and students to become ‘carbon literacy’ certified. Victoria authored a 100-hour microcredential ‘Climate Change: Transforming your Organisation for
Sustainability’ featuring five ways of working for sustainability and referred to as ‘game changing’ by learners. Victoria holds a PhD on implementing sustainability from the London School of Economics, where she also initiated the LSE sustainability team.
Director of Sustainability
Open University
Matt has extensive knowledge of the Education Sector having been in FE for 15+ years &
serving 8 years as a College Governor sitting on all Committees.
Matt led on the applications & teams that have previously won national awards in the AoC Beacon Awards & EAUC Green Gowns (where he is now an established Judge).
Matt drives the Sustainability Agenda at South Devon College & is passionate about
embedding it into all aspects of College life.
Ellie is a lecturer in Ecology at Keele University, where her research focuses on biodiversity and renewable energy, pairing together the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss. Ellie is a researcher, educator and practitioner who embeds sustainability into the curriculum, aiming to give students skills to champion sustainability in their future endeavours. She is particularly interested in implementing biodiversity net gain, rewilding and fostering natural spaces in urban environments.
Cath leads the York St John Living Lab, a network of staff and students collaborating to address local ecological justice issues, and co-convenes the Ecological Justice Research Group. Her research interests fuse performance (storytelling) and Education for Sustainability, particular higher education pedagogies which empower students to contribute to solutions to the climate and other intersecting crises.
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Georgina Gough is Professor of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) at UWE Bristol and a recognised expert in academic leadership of ESD across the higher education sector. She is a passionate advocate for holistic approaches to sustainability and believes firmly that collaboration and partnership are critical in the pursuit of sustainability objectives. She holds roles with several national organisations and initiatives including Advance HE, EAUC and the UK and Ireland Chapter for the United Nations Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME). Georgina is programme leader for UWE Bristol’s MSc Sustainable Development in Practice. She leads work on ESD and competence development and is currently working with one of her students to explore demand for sustainability skills.
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Michael is the longest-serving member of the sustainability service at the University of Leeds and has developed and delivered a number of core projects in this time, but his passion has always been in the biodiversity field and he has led the University’s biodiversity programmes since 2010 and is the chair of the Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges (EAUC) Biodiversity Community of Practice.
With a background in a variety of disciplines, from farming, landscaping, forestry, academic
research and practical conservation and events management, Michael has built up a wealth of experience in the strategic and practical delivery of biodiversity.
Gavin became Chief Operating Officer at the University of Winchester in March
2020. Prior to this, he worked within the transport industry for 17 years, leading
him to become Managing Director of six bus companies across several counties
in Southern and Eastern England.
Gavin is originally from Troon in South Ayrshire, Scotland where he grew up, and
now lives in Bishops Waltham. He studied for an Honours Degree in Geography
and Urban Planning at Strathclyde University and then a Master of Science in
Business and Information Technology at Strathclyde Business School.
Gavin is a member of the Institute of Directors and holds a Diploma in Company
Direction. He is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and
Transport. Outside of work, Gavin is a keen walker and has completed the Three
Peaks Chellenge. He has also climbed the highest peak in North Africa – Mount
Toubkal
Within the University, Gavin is responsible for areas including Finance and
Planning, Registry, Estates and Facilities, Continuous Improvement Unit, ITS and
the Library.
Richard has over 30 years experience within the sustainability field, from early work as a conservation volunteer through to his current role as Director of Sustainability at the University of Bath (which he started in November 2023). He has been involved in many aspects of sustainability – strategy development, operational management, policy and lobbying and research. Prior to his current role, he led UCL’s work on sustainability including the development of its ambitious Strategy, ‘Change Possible’. Before that, he worked for 7 years leading the Olympic Delivery Authority’s (ODA) sustainability work, with a primary focus on developing and implementing the ODA’s Sustainable Development Strategy.
Since 2016 Tilly has worked on many projects including supporting students to set up
social enterprises selling sustainable food, supporting campus food growing initiatives,
organising farm visits for students, and working on a transition to agroecology with
farmers on university and college owned land. The aim is for all students to have access to
nutritious, safe, and culturally appropriate food that has been produced in a fair and
sustainable way.
Tilly is a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) and has an MA in Sustainable Development
Advocacy. Outside of work Tilly is a Director of Stockwood Community Benefit Society, a
community-owned organic and biodynamic farm and business park in Worcestershire.
Scott manages the sustainability programme at UCA, and leads the Salix, DESNZ funded
decarbonisation programmes at the University’s Farnham and Epsom campuses. Previously
Scott was a researcher on circular economy and innovation at UCA’s Centre for Sustainable
Design following a career in sustainability within the retail industry.
Jackie has worked in ecology, environment, and sustainability for the last 10 years, with
experience across public, private, charity and education sectors. Now working as the
Sustainability Director at Hartpury University and Hartpury College, Jackie is responsible for
overseeing and managing sustainability for the whole institution, covering everything from
strategy and policy development to energy management, carbon reporting and sustainability in education. Hartpury is a specialist land-based institution with unique challenges beyond the normal remits of a typical college and university, including a commercial farm, a small zoo and providing livery for 230 horses on campus.
Jackie Jobes
Sustainability Director
Hartpury University and Hartpury College
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Nicola Kemp is a reader in Education for Sustainable Futures at Canterbury Christ Church
University. With an academic background in rural and environmental geography, her
research interests include children’s connection with nature, outdoor learning and
sustainability education. She is co-editor of the Routledge book Good Education in a
Fragile World: The value of a Collaborative and Contextualised Approach to
Sustainability in Higher Education
Simon is an award-winning academic recognised for his student-focused work in ESD and employability through the Times Higher Education ‘Most Innovative Teacher of Year’, a National Teaching Fellowship, and the Green Gowns ‘Sustainability Professional of the Year’ awards amongst others. He is the University Lead in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as part of the Southampton Sustainability Strategy where he is responsible for the embedding of sustainable development across the whole of the university curricula and student experience. He also set up and runs the ‘Meliora’ Student Sustainability Research Symposium and Journal programme.
University Lead, Education for Sustainable Development
University of Southampton
Briony is a climate change researcher whose work mainly focuses on communication and public engagement, the arts and culture sector, and social transformations across different sectors and scales. Her research has covered a range of areas such as co-designing climate resilient communities with older people, how arts and culture events can engage people with climate change, communicating climate justice with young adults, and sustainable travel. She is in the final stages of a PhD exploring universities’ responses to the climate crisis, specifically their climate emergency declarations and researchers’ engagement in climate action. Briony has a background in communications and the creative industry.
Briony Latter
Climate change researcher
Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST), Cardiff University
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Charlotte leads a team at Edinburgh Innovations – the University of Edinburgh’s commercialisation service – which is responsible for supporting academics and industry partners to drive innovation in the transition to a net zero, nature positive, circular economy. Previously, she has held roles in research consultancy, and at Defra (the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs), where she has managed the design and delivery of projects to inform policy and business sector decision-making to address climate change and related sustainability challenges. She has an MSc in Environmental Technology (Business & Sustainability) from Imperial College London and an MA Oxon in Geography.
Melanie Lenehan is Principal and CEO of Fircroft College. She has been in post since 2016.
Previous to this role, Melanie has been in teacher in FE, HE and Adult Education. She has also worked in various leadership roles in a national adult education charity. She was a patron of the Centenary Commission on Adult Education in 2019. Melanie is passionate about adult education and
has lead work on education for sustainable development and social justice for many years and is currently studying for a Doctorate in Education with a focus on adult educator’s agency in climate and social justice action. She is an Honorary Fellow of the University of Nottingham and is Chair of the Colleges West Midland’s Sustainable Futures Partnership. She is also Chair of the AoC’s Sustainability and Climate change reference group. Melanie is also a trustee of Birmingham Friends of the Earth.
Principal
Colleges West Midlands Group
Judy is a painter, poet, environmentalist, and expert advisor on multicultural environmental
participation. She is probably best known as the Honorary President of Black Environment
Network (BEN). For 27 years she was the UK Director of BEN, with an international
reputation as the pioneer and creator of the field of multicultural environmental participation in the built and natural environment. Judy is a major voice on policy and practice towards social inclusion.
She is recognised as a visionary advocate for diversity and equality. She was awarded an
OBE for pioneering multicultural environmental participation in 2000, and a CBE for services to heritage in 2007. Recently, she was included in the BBC Power Women List 2021, and the Forbes List of 100 Leading Environmentalists in the UK 2021. She was given the Vanity Fair International Women’s Day Challenger Award 2021 and the Earth Day Green Plaque Award 2021. She was given the Elizabeth Medal of Honour 2023.
Her current contribution includes Member - Net Zero Living Programme Advisory Group,
Innovate UK. Chair - Green Apprenticeships Advisory and Technical Education Panel,
supporting the Green Jobs Delivery Group. Member - Climate and Sustainability Strategy
User Group, DFE. Member - Weston Communicating Climate Advisory Group. Media Trust.
Co-Founder - National Park City Foundation. Member - IUCN/WCPA Urban Conservation
Strategies Specialist Group. Member – Aluna Cultural Strategy Development Group. Patron -
Population Matters Advisory Group. Patron – CIEEM Chartered Institute of Ecological and
Environmental Management. Advisory Board member - Botanic Gardens Education Network. Ambassador – Women’s Environmental Network.
Executive Lead, Sustainability & Environmental Management,
Estates Services
University of Strathclyde
Rufus’ career has been centred on supporting innovation across the built environment and enabling sustainable development at scale through the application of research outcomes, standards, and delivering demonstration projects, networks, and skills development.
Rufus joined the University of Strathclyde as Executive Lead Sustainability, providing leadership for the delivery of the University’s strategic priority for social and environmental sustainability. Rufus heads up the Sustainability and Environmental Management Team - Sustainable Strathclyde, which is part of the Estates Services Directorate. Prior to joining Strathclyde, Rufus worked for four years at the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) as Associate Director, Capital and Climate Change. SFC is Scottish Government’s non-departmental body responsible for the funding of Further and Higher education. Prior to SFC Rufus worked for
BRE (Building Research Establishment) for seventeen years in a variety of roles across the UK and internationally, notably nine years as Director, BRE Scotland. BRE is an independent research, standards and advisory business, wholly owned by a charity – the BRE Trust.
Catriona is a Learning Designer based in the science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM) faculty at the Open University (OU). She supports academic teams
through an evidence-based learning design process which places student experience at its
heart. Catriona’s current role builds on her prior experience in the Higher Educator sector
supporting the design of online courses, drawing on student’s voices and co-creation, and
promoting active learning approaches. Catriona is a member of the OU’s award-winning
learning design sustainability working group who have been exploring how Education for
Sustainable Development and sustainability competencies can be meaningfully integrated into courses. She also has a particular interest in inclusive learning design, student experiences of workload and using tools to support learning design.
Catriona Matthews MA, FHEA
Learning Designer
The Open University
Luke’s remit covers green skills and business. Key priorities within green skills include retrofit and green careers, working with a range of educational institutions and businesses across the county. Surrey’s work on retrofit skills has recently been shortlisted for an Unlock Net Zero Skills and Training Award.
Previously, he worked for Impetus, a charitable foundation supporting charities running employment programmes for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Prior to this, he held senior leadership positions in two charities offering employment support, working closely with schools.
He studied Business Sustainability Management with the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.
Sampriti is a lecturer in green economy and resource efficiency at University College London. She earned her PhD from the University of Manchester. Her research is focussed on circular economy, sustainable resource use, responsible innovation, and foresight methods. She is currently involved in the UKRI funded circular economy centre for technology metals where she is focussing on developing a circular economy roadmap for
technology critical metals. Sampriti has worked with policy actors, academics, NGOs, and practitioners in different sustainability-oriented contexts. Before transitioning to academia, Sampriti had short stints at an investment bank and a Big 4 consulting firm.
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Manu Maunganidze works at the crossroads between education,
environment, culture and diversity. He has been a lifelong vocal and
passionate campaigner for equality in the civic and professional spheres. As
an inclusion and diversity trainer Manu focuses on issues of cultural competence, institutional change in the context of unconscious bias and recruitment practice, and creating strategies towards better communication and partnership building. His work is always tailored to the client or group he is working with. Clients have favoured him
for his effective facilitation skills as well being a responsive communicator of often difficult and complex ideas. He is adept at both one-off training sessions as he is at long-term strategic involvement. Manu’s work has primarily been with non-profit and public sector
organisations, green companies and charities, and cultural institutions. This has seen him advise and work in tandem with organisations as diverse as the National Trust, Voscur, City to Sea, The Crafts Council, Resource Futures, Future Economy Network, Bristol City Council and many smaller community organisations, and individuals seeking mentorship. His interest is in balancing the real practical pressures facing organisations with the need to pursue social justice and create sustainable solutions to meet these aims; provoking
“out-of-the-box thinking”.
Andrew Meikle has worked at Lancaster University for the last sixteen years as Head of Corporate Information Systems, leading a team of developers who look after student records, finance, virtual learning and many other systems. He started the Sustainability group in UCISA two years ago to try and build awareness, understanding and good practice in IT sustainability. The group will be hosting its second annual conference in June 2024. The group looks at how to reduce the carbon footprint of IT as well as how to use IT to reduce overall carbon emissions for universities.
Head of Corporate Information Systems
Lancaster University
Wolfram Moebius is a Senior Lecturer at the Living Systems Institute and the Physics & Astronomy Department of the University of Exeter. In addition to his research interests at the interface of biology and physics, he advocates for the research community to walk the talk and make research sustainable. He co-initiated the Slack community Plane Talk and co-organised the first hub-based conference in microbial ecology and evolution, MEEhubs2024, which combined reducing emissions with affordability. As a volunteer for Citizens' Climate Europe, he lobbies politicians to adopt Climate Income, a policy that is similarly both effective and fair.
Nigel is responsible for the development and delivery of a circular economy strategy.
Together with the development of a supporting programme of projects and initiatives that will assist the institution towards the achievement of its ambitious carbon commitments, he
seeks to identify and realise opportunities that will contribute to the university’s overarching environmental ambition. Nigel’s previous roles have been within the commercial waste sector and environmental media arena. He is also a Centre Councillor with the Chartered
Institution of Wastes Management in the South West region.
Joanne Murraybrown is the Sustainability Strategy Project Manager in the environmental sustainability team at Oxford University. She is responsible for planning and managing implementation of the Environmental Sustainability Strategy. Joanne has also been responsible for implementing the Travel Policy which includes a flight levy of £30 tCO2e and a flight reduction target. Joanne joined the University in 2017 as Sustainable Transport Officer in the environmental sustainability team. Joanne is a qualified lawyer, she practised law in South Africa and is a non- practising solicitor of England and Wales. Joanne was also co-owner of a public sector consulting firm in South Africa. Joanne moved to the UK in 2016.
Dr Lou Mycroft facilitates the Green Changemakers Programme at Fircroft College, which is a devolution project of the West Midlands and Warwickshire Combined Authority.
After a career in community work, public health and social purpose FE, Lou now works with changemakers and policymakers, helping the sector move from good intentions to sustainable change. This takes graft, and there are still people looking for magic bullets, but change is in the air. She is a TEDx speaker (‘Ethics of Joy’), co-founder of the JoyFE Collective and a long-time Thinking Environment advocate. Momentum needs both potentia - joyful collective changemaking power - and pause.
Dr Lou Mycroft
Green Changemakers Programme
Fircroft College
Helen is an AI specialist within Jisc’s Artificial Intelligence team. Her work is focused on
encouraging the ethical and effective implementation of AI to support teaching and learning.
She is part of a team producing advice and guidance for the sector, as well as building a
community network to enable members to collaborate and share best practices around AI
adoption. One of her key focuses is around AI for accessibility and inclusion, exploring the
history and potential of AI technology to enhance accessibility for students and staff.
Kirsti blends her experience facilitating transformative group work with her 22 years as a sustainability practitioner in corporate and FHE sectors to offer workshops so needed at this time of climatic and ecological emergency. How do we, as sustainability practitioners, remain inspired and effective whilst truly acknowledging what we know about the state of the world? Kirsti is currently Energy Manager at UWE, leading a team of passionate energy and sustainability professionals on a mission to reduce the university’s carbon emissions. Alongside this role, she runs Action for Sustainability Ltd, offering large group facilitation, as well as offering empowerment workshops to organisations and individuals, and training others to do this on the nine-month training programme, the Facilitator Development Adventure.
Heather is responsible for delivering the University's biodiversity net gain strategy, incorporating nature positive principles into the University’s operations and supply chain to achieve better outcomes for people and planet.
Biodiversity Manger
Oxford University
Dr Reese is the new Biodiversity Manager for the University of Cambridge, where she will be leading implementation of existing biodiversity plans and crafting new policies. She is a research ecologist with experience working in academia and government. Most recently she worked with the US federal government on climate change policies and prior to that she was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology Behaviour and Evolution at the
University of California San Diego. Aspen holds a PhD in Ecology from Duke University and a Bachelors degree in Biology from Yale University.
Dr Aspen Reese
Biodiversity Manager
University of Cambridge
David’s role is to spearhead impactful initiatives aimed at environmental stewardship and
innovation. His leadership has been instrumental in driving forward key sustainability
projects, notably overseeing the development of three net zero carbon buildings, leveraging
modern methods of construction at Corby Sixth Form and Kings Hill Farm Teaching Centre.
Additionally, Dave has successfully orchestrated two campus refurbishments, integrating
cutting-edge technologies such as river water source and air source heat pumps to
maximize energy efficiency.
Dave's commitment to sustainable development extends beyond infrastructure projects. He
has secured LSIF Green Skills funding for the Southeast Midlands region, empowering
communities with essential green skills for the future. Furthermore, Dave is dedicated to
continuous personal and professional growth, currently pursuing a master's degree in
Sustainability at Cranfield University. His relentless pursuit of knowledge exemplifies his
unwavering dedication to creating a more sustainable future for all.
Begonia is an Environmental Scientist and Chartered Environmentalist with a passion for
climate resilience and has about 17 years of experience in this field. She has been working with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) since 2004 on a variety of sustainability roles, starting as a student in placement ecology role. She became DIO Technical Services senior subject matter expert in climate adaptation and resilience in July 2017.
While her current role is to support internal customers in meeting their climate resilience targets, she has been proactive in making this happen by coaching and positively influencing them. As well as being initiative-taking in identifying and delivering improvements to existing processes and pioneering new ones.
She also supports MOD policy leads with external engagement including the development of the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment, UK National Adaptation Programme, UK Climate Projections and UK Adaptation Greening Government Commitment. She has helped others externally including other UK Government and Defence Departments and inspired others e.g. Natural England and British High Commission in Cyprus. She also volunteers to help others understand climatic risks and how to manage them e.g. charities in the UK and Spain, and schools in Bristol and surrounding area.
Shandin is Education for Sustainability Lead at University of Bristol Students’ Union. She manages a growing cohort of student-staff who work within their academic departments to embed sustainability within the curriculum and academic experience – including working on careers guidance and employability, wellbeing and climate anxiety as well as teaching and assessments. Shandin takes a climate justice approach to her work – centring care, collaboration and inclusion in her own practice and through her influence within student engagement and advocacy. She transitioned to ESD in 2021 from a career in international higher education (including international student support, recruitment and education abroad).
Education for Sustainability Lead
University of Bristol Students’ Union
Zoe Robinson is a Professor of Sustainability in Higher Education and Director of the
Institute for Sustainable Futures at Keele University. As Director of Education for
Sustainability at Keele for 10 years she had responsibility for embedding sustainability
across the curriculum and student experience. Zoe is a researcher, educator and practitioner in the field of sustainability science with a background in sustainability transformation, the energy transition, climate education, and glacial environments. In recognition of her work in education for sustainability, Zoe was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in 2012, is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA) and was shortlisted in the ‘Most Innovative Teacher of the Year’ category of the Times Higher Education Award in 2019. Zoe has worked in an advisory capacity on education for sustainability for a number of national organisations and is Co-Chair of the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges.
Zoe also currently Co-Chairs the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Climate Commission,
bringing together leaders in organisations from different sectors across the region to
collaborate on accelerating and aligning action on climate and nature recovery
Emma joined ShareAction in February 2020 as an engagement manager, supporting the
members of ShareAction’s asset owner networks. Emma now leads our asset owner
initiatives team, supporting ShareAction's work with charities, universities, and pension funds, alongside emerging work on private equity. Emma has spent her career working within responsible investment and the financial services sector. When not working, Emma is kept busy by two young children and enjoys long walks in the great outdoors.
Amy is the Senior Environment Officer at the University of Nottingham, based in the Sustainability Team. Working mainly in the public sector since 2010, Amy is an experienced and passionate sustainability professional with a wealth of experience in environmental management, climate change policy and strategy development, sustainability reporting, and engagement and training activities. Amy joined the university in September 2021, and her role focuses on developing an environmental management system for the Estates & Facilities Department, waste management, and reporting. As well as this, Amy is currently developing an Adaptation & Resilience Strategy for the university, focusing on managing the risks of climate change, realising the possible co-benefits and opportunities, and helping to ensure a more resilient organisation.
Professor Eunice Simmons BSc, MSc, PGCE, PhD, FRSB, FRSA, PFHEA leads the University of Chester as Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Sustainable Environments. She is also Chair of Mersey Forest Partnership, one of the UK’s most successful community forests and the founding Chair of TASO; the national research centre for student access and outcomes in Higher Education. Her current priorities include addressing the financial challenges facing the Higher Education sector whilst ensuring the university delivers social value and economic uplift in Chester and in its University Centres in Warrington, Birkenhead and Reaseheath.
Beth leads on the organisation and delivery of impactful programmes that aim to give all
students at the University of Cambridge access to the knowledge and skills needed to contribute to a net-zero carbon world. This includes the Green Careers Festival, a climate
entrepreneurship competition, summer internships, and a postgraduate climate research
network. She is also a key member of the ActNowFilm team, advocating for the integration of youth voices in climate change negotiations at COP. Before Cambridge Zero, she served as Vice President Community at Edinburgh University Students’ Association, where she was
elected to represent over 45,000 students on issues related to housing and sustainability.
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Todd Smith is a former Airbus A320 Pilot turned sustainable aviation activist. After becoming medically grounded and later feeling unable to return to his dream job, Todd co-founded Safe Landing, a group of aviation professionals who are determined to ensure the aviation industry changes course through early design, rather than late disaster. This international community of aviation workers have already commissioned the world’s first ‘Aviation Workers’ Assembly’ in the UK and wish to continue to put workers front and centre as we collectively navigate the turbulent skies ahead.
Candy Snelling is the Associate Director for Estates and Sustainability at the Natural Environmental Research Council. Her specialist interests are in carbon reduction, sustainability in project & programme management and good governance.
She lives in the Cotswolds and if she could, would spend every day running over the hills.
Paul has worked in the renewable energy and environmental sustainability sector for
over 20 years. He currently works at Oxford Brookes University, supporting the
implementation of its carbon reduction plan which includes implementing and
developing low carbon and renewable energy projects and related areas such as
energy auditing, certification and measurement and verification. A Certified Energy
Manager (AEE) with over 15 years of practical energy management experience, Paul
has supported technical clienting of renewable energy and low carbon installations
including multimillion pound PSDS funded heat pump and battery programmes.
Rachel Works within the within the Estates Division Environmental Sustainability Team as our Environment Team Manager. We provide strategic direction, expert advice and operational support to help the University achieve its environmental sustainability commitments. Among other work areas I currently lead on the delivery of the University’s Biodiversity Action Plan, along with all other work strands relating to biodiversity including the role of secretariat of the University’s. Ecological Advisory Panel and support our strategic planning team to deliver Biodiversity Net Gain within our capital projects. Rachel has a background in community engagement, outdoor learning and environmental education working for two of our largest Wildlife Trusts.
Emily works closely with UNEP and UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration to encourage universities to measure their net impacts on nature and set ambitious targets and actions to move towards “Nature Positive”. Emily is an anthropologist who has worked in sustainability for 10 years, in areas such as eco-housing, hemp textiles production, and developing a sustainability framework for One Planet Living using ecological footprinting.
John is an environmentalist employed at Glasgow School of Art, engaging students and staff on environmental and social justice across the curriculum and on the GSA estate.
He believes art can emotionally connect us to ourselves, each other, and wider nature to help us identify and welcome the changes needed to address crises like climate change. And that better design and architecture can deliver a healthier, cleaner and safer World.
Stephanie has over 7 years experience as a sustainability professional and works at Kingston University as the University’s Strategic Operational Lead for Sustainability. Stephanie has a masters degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of Southampton, is a full member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) and a chartered Environmental Scientist. Since joining Kingston University in 2020, she has developed and implemented a 5 year Sustainability Plan to strategically embed sustainability across the whole institution. Stephanie trained with former Vice President Al Gore in 2020 as a Climate Reality Leader and delivers presentations inspiring others to take action on tackling climate change. In her spare time she is also a Trustee for the Surrey Wildlife Trust and is passionate about preserving the
natural environment.
James is Managing Director of ECD Architects and author of ‘EnerPHit - A Step by Step Guide to Low-Energy Retrofit’. He is a Certified Passivhaus Designer with over 20 years’ experience in low-energy design. James obtained an MSc in Advanced Energy & Environmental Studies at the Centre for Alternative Technology and is a graduate of the University of Liverpool school of Architecture. He has a particular interest in Post- Occupancy Evaluation as a means of improving building handover issues and addressing the gap between predicted and actual performance. In recent years James has been involved in a number of pioneering
projects which address the future of building refurbishment in the UK. He has created partnerships between industry and academia to improve wider learning and is passionately committed to creating attractive, affordable and sustainable environments that meet the long-term needs of the building user.
Diego is an Argentinean born British citizen with a BSc in Engineering from the University of La Plata (Argentina), an MBA from Royal Holloway University of London and a Phd in Management from Royal Holloway. Before his academic career, he worked for the Inter-American Development Bank and the Ministry of Public Works in Argentina.
Diego is Professor in Global Business Sustainability and Strategy and Sustainability Champion at the Faculty of Business and Law. He is the coordinator of the Greening of Industry Network ( http://www.greeningofindustry.org/) since 2008 and Editor in Chief of Springer’s book series: Greening of Industry Network Studies (https://www.springer.com/series/10444). Previously he was director of the Centre for Research into Sustainability (CRIS) at Royal Holloway and senior researcher/research manager in the ESRC Centre for Business Research, Accountability, sustainability and Society ( BRASS) at Cardiff University. More recently, he has been visiting professor at the University of Sao Paulo and the Federal University of Santa Catarina (Brazil).
I’m a passionate leader in education with experience spanning back to 2006, and over the course of my career I have worked as a teacher, an advanced teaching practitioner, a teacher educator, a teaching learning and education manager, a head of digital learning and most recently as assistant principal for quality and performance. My passion and specialism is around improving the quality of teaching and learning and how digital technologies can improve outcomes for students. In my role as head of digital learning, I ensured the progression of the college towards a digital future, specifically within teaching, learning and assessment to prepare students for a future world. As part of that integration of digital teaching, digital learning, digital assessment and digital upskilling I brought metaverse technologies into the college where those pedagogical principles were linked to
both virtual and augmented reality principles. Having vast success, with the installation of virtual and augmented reality in education has led onto winning the educate north award and then the national green gown awards and then were recognised as a centre of excellence for virtual and augmented reality, speaking at conferences and sharing our story of success with using immersive technologies.
In my role as Group Director Strategic Projects, I lead on all aspects of sustainability at New
City College, a large further education college in east London. Since the launch of our Green
Strategy in 2021, we have delivered significant reductions in our carbon footprint, secured
funding for several heat decarbonisation projects, rolled out new courses on green skills and embedded sustainability into teaching and learning. Our work has been recognised by the AoC Beacon Awards, with NCC selected as one of the three finalists for Education for
Sustainable Development in 2022/23. Prior to joining New City College, I worked at the
Association of Colleges and the European Commission. My background is in Education for
which I hold an MA from the University of Helsinki.
Sustainability Strategy Director
Imperial College
Harriet Wallace is a scientist by training and a policy, strategy and change practitioner by
profession. She is currently Director Sustainability Strategy at Imperial College, London
where she is leading the programme to implement Imperial’s sustainability strategy. She has had a lifelong interest in how we can make the most of science’s potential: for understanding the world better; for solving real-world problems; and to inform and influence both policy- making and human behaviours. She previously worked in government for many years, most recently as Director International Research and Innovation at BEIS - leading on the government’s science and innovation relationship with the rest of Europe and the world and sponsoring several Public Sector Research Establishments including the National Physical Laboratory and the Met Office; and before that leading development of the government’s Clean Air Strategy at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural affairs. Before joining government, she worked at Unilever on social and environmental responsibility and their corporate brand.
Mark joined the newly formed Climate Action Team in March 2021 and is responsible for
calculating the University’s scope 3 footprint. Initially, he developed the methodology for the process and subsequently reporting these emissions, with the added objective of
continuously improving its scope and quality. More recently, his worked has expanded to
focus on implementation and achieving the carbon reductions required to meet the
University’s targets. Mark has spent almost 30 years in the sustainable energy sector,
predominantly as a consultant. His work has included renewable energy modelling to
support the development of European energy policy, followed by working with organisations to develop their carbon management programmes, and as a carbon auditor.
Jenny Willis (MSET, ATS, CTeach) is a Health and Social Care Lecturer and Advanced
Quality Practitioner at Heart of Worcestershire College, and co-host of #SustainFE, a
community of practice where anyone from the Further Education and Skills sector is
welcome to share the joys and challenges of bringing a sustainability lens to their work. A
lifelong sustainability enthusiast, Jenny is currently undertaking an MA in Education for a
Sustainable Environment, as well as working with colleagues at How College and across the
FE sector to bring a sustainability worldview into all learning.
(MSET, ATS, CTeach) Health and Social Care Lecturer and Advanced Quality Practitioner Heart of Worcestershire College
At Imperial Mark Wilkinson supports the university & directly managed operations on the journey to Net Zero. He has an interest in sustainable business management and is
currently studying for an apprenticeship MBA with a focus on Sustainability and Net
Zero. He is actively involved in promoting Sustainability at Imperial, within the sector
through the EAUC and the local community through South KenZen+.
Charlotte joined NTU in August 2022 as Sustainability Manager, overseeing the programme management of activity to meet NTUs ambitious Net Zero Carbon targets. She works closely with the Net Zero Carbon work streams of Travel & Transport, Supply Chain, Partner Accommodation and Energy & Water to help plan, implement and monitor Net Zero initiatives at NTU. She heads up a small team within the Sustainability Team that works on net zero initiatives, student engagement and NTUs Cycle Workshop . Charlotte has a wealth of experience including 10 years working in local government in energy management and carbon reduction, plus more recently held roles as a Climate Resilience Manager and a Sustainability Programme Manager for one of the largest civil service organisations in the UK. Charlotte’s passion is for climate resilience and adaptation, ensuring that NTU prepared for the current and projected impacts of climate change.
Sustainability Manager Nottingham Trent University
Jeremy Woods is a Professor of Sustainable Development at Imperial College London
working on the interplay between development, human and environmental health, land-use
and the sustainable use of natural resources. In the lead-up to the 2015 Paris Climate
Agreement, he coordinated the land/food/bioenergy and climate science components of the Global Calculator and led the development of the Financial Times COP21 Climate Calculator (http://ig.ft.com/sites/climate-change-calculator/). This work continues to be highly influential, supporting national and international climate negotiations and in 2020 we completed the European Calculator for the European Commission aimed at supporting Europe’s transitionto a low carbon economy. With over 40 national calculators having been built and more under construction, alongside city and regional calculators, an International 2050 Calculator Programme was initiated to help support national and global transitions to sustainable, just and climate resilient futures. He is now leading the development of an Imperial 2040 Net Zero Carbon Calculator to guide the low carbon development of HE institutions in the UK.