Welcome to the UCL Sustainability Leadership Conference 2025
Hear from Mary McHarg, President of UCL Students' Union 2023-2024, as she explains the thinking behind the creation of the UCL Sustainability Leadership Conference . The conference offers workshops, talks and networking opportunities, and is designed to upskill and empower students to become the next generation of sustainability leaders.
What's the secret to effective sustainability leadership?
Join Jason Clarke, Assistant Director of Sustainability at UCL, as he shares strategies for driving sustainability within a complex organisation. With a team of 12 professionals, Jason leads efforts to make UCL a sustainability leader in higher education. Learn about effective communication, problem-solving, and resilience in sustainability leadership.
Climate Change and the Urgent Need for Action
Join Mark Maslin, a Professor of Earth System Science at UCL, as he discusses the consequences of climate change, the importance of collective action, and the need for new sustainability leaders in response to the climate crisis.
What is climate justice?
Join Lisa Vanhala, a Professor of Political Science at UCL, as she explores the concept of climate justice and its importance in responding to the climate crisis. From addressing inequality in climate impacts, to amplifying marginalised voices, she underscores the importance of inclusive decision-making processes and the validation of diverse forms of knowledge.
Sustainability Insights
Select one session from each time slot.
| time | SESSION One | SESSION two | SESSION three | SESSION FOUR | Session five |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08:30 - 09:30 | ARRIVE ON SITE, ORIENTATION AND REFRESHMENTS 📍 Riverside East | ||||
| 09:15 - 10:30 | KEYNOTE - Taking the Temperature: sustainability in 2025 A panel discussion focused on the key trends of sustainability in 2025. Chair: Harriet Waters, Director of Sustainability, UCL Panellists: Ami McCarthy, Head of Politics, Greenpeace Cathy Yitong Li, Senior Climate & Energy Policy Manager, BirdLife International Illana Adamson, CEO, Be Better Education & Be Better Sustainability Membership Mark Maslin, Professor of Earth Systems Science, UCL 📍 One Pool Street Cinema | Keynote Livestream A livestream of the Keynote session for anyone unable to fit in the One Pool Street Cinema. 📍 Marshgate Lecture Theatre | Project Active: Hatha Vinyasa Yoga A beginner-friendly Hatha Vinyasa yoga session held by Project Active 📍 Marshgate Room 612 | ||
| 10:30 – 11:00 | MOVE TO NEXT SESSION | ||||
| 11:00– 12:00 | The Politics of Sustainability A panel discussion looking at how we can influence policymakers to adopt sustainable policies. Chair: Robbie Macpherson, Political and Climate Change APPG Lead, Uplift Panellists: Freddie Daley, Researcher, Centre for Global Political Economy Abdi Suleiman, Friends of the Earth Lucy Pegg, Senior Political Adviser, Green Alliance Nameerah Hameed, Member, Board of Directors, Climate Action Network International 📍 Marshgate Room 511 | Leveraging Finance for Sustainability A panel discussion exploring how financial strategies, investments and innovations can drive sustainable development. Chair: George Carew-Jones, Researcher, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment Panellists: Puninda Thind, Finance Nature Lead, Climate Champions Yaroslav Melekh, Research Fellow in Economics of Energy Innovation and Systems Transition, UCL 📍 Marshgate Room 528 | The Future of Food A panel discussion on how reshaping global food systems can create a more sustainable food future. Chair: Cicely Abdy Collins, Sustainability Manager, CH&Co Panellists: Emilien Hoet, Strategy Director, LENs, 3Keel Hugo Engel, Consultant, Bramble intelligence Marco Springmann, Professorial Research Fellow, UCL Gary Lye, Professor of Biochemical Engineering, UCL Stuti Rawart, Lecturer in Governance, Business and Sustainability, UCL 📍Marshgate Room 635 | Sustainable Aviation A discussion on sustainable aviation fuels and environmental pathways towards a cleaner aviation future. Speaker: Professor Chong Cheng Tung, Associate Professor, Shanghai Jiao Tong University China-UK Low Carbon College 📍 Marshgate Room 530 | |
| 12:00 - 13:00 | LUNCH BREAK AND NETWORKING | ||||
| 13:00 - 14:00 | Degrowth or green growth: how should we reshape our economy? A panel discussion exploring the trade-offs and systemic changes needed to build an economy supporting both human well-being and ecological balance. Chair: Andrew Scott, Lecturer in Public Policy, UCL Panellists: Sara Mahdi, Researcher, ICTA - Autonomous University of Barcelona Vivina Vincent, Carbon Neutral Programme Manager, Croydon Council James Medaway, Senior Director - Economics, Opportunity Green Zemira Humphrey, Senior Associate, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) 📍 Marshgate Room 511 | Turning the tide: how do we save our oceans? A discussion looking at innovative solutions for safeguarding our oceans. Chair: Liam Saddington, Teaching Associate in Human Geography, University of Cambridge Panellists: Gurvinder Kaur Uppal, Oceans Campaigner, Oceana UK Tom Ash, Senior Policy Officer, Senior Policy Officer, Wildlife and Countryside Link Jasmine Isa Qureshi, Ecologist and writer 📍 Marshgate Room 528 | Sustainability and Health A panel discussion exploring the importance of environmental sustainability on human wellbeing, and the opportunities to create healthier communities through integrated solutions. Chair: Maria Walawender, Research Fellow, UCL Panellists: Ben Ryder, Research Manager – Climate Impacts & Adaptation, Wellcome Trust Hugh Montgomery, Chair of Intensive Care Medicine (Honorary Consultant), UCL 📍 Marshgate Room 512 | Tackling Water Sustainability A panel discussion on the challenges of water sustainability and solutions for managing water resources. Chair: Illana Adamson, CEO, Be Better Panellists: Kathryn Pharr, Founder, Community of Women and Water Jacob Tompkins, Chief Technology Officer, The Water Retail Company Luiza Campos, Professor of Environmental Engineering, UCL Fiona Jeffery OBE, Founder & Chairman, Just A Drop 📍 Marshgate Room 530 | Thinking differently and systemically about climate change and sustainability: a cybersystemics view Speaker: Stephen Harwood, Lecturer in the Centre for Systems Engineering, UCL 📍 Marshgate Room 635 |
| 14:00 - 14:30 | MOVE TO NEXT SESSION | ||||
| 14:30 - 15:30 | Cities and Sustainability A discussion on building resilient, low-carbon, and inclusive cities that prioritise both people and the planet. Chair: Olivia Sweeney, Clear Air Foundation Panellists: Christina Xiao, Modelling and Evaluation Manager, C40 Cities George Leigh, Senior Adviser, London Climate Resilience Review, Environment Agency Pete Daw, Head of Climate Change, Greater London Authority Nina Wallace, Senior Consultant, Bioregional 📍 Marshgate Room 511 | Plastic Planet: How do we solve plastic pollution? A panel discussion on systemic changes necessary to combat climate change. Chair: Poli Pencheva, Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation and Circular Economy Fellow, UCL Panellists: Hoa Doan, Head of Sustainability, Notpla Benjamin Jones, Business Account Manager, WRAP Megan Adams, Solutions Lead, GoUnpackaged Harry Hazeldean, Circular Economy Research Analyst, Ellen MacArthur Foundation 📍 Marshgate Room 528 | Challenges and Opportunities in Transport A panel discussion on the challenges of transitioning into sustainable transportation. Chair: Emma Fenton, Senior Director - Climate Diplomacy, Opportunity Green Panellists: Xavier Brice, CEO, Sustrans Julian Sanchez, National Cycle Lead, The Active Wellbeing Society Anna Krajinska, Director, T&E 📍 Marshgate Room 530 | ENO Breathe – Building Personal Impact in a World in Crisis A practical session to align action with intention and unlock creative leadership in uncertain times. Build your capacity for sustainable action. Led by English National Opera 📍Marshgate Room 512 | Sustainability Leadership, Impact and Influence - Taking a Different Path This talk will take a look at alternative routes to delivering, advocating and leading in the sustainability space. Colin Brown, Founder & MD, Sustainability Connects. and Co-Chair, Scottish Forum for Natural Capital 📍Marshgate Room 635 |
| 15:30 - 16:00 | MOVE TO NEXT SESSION | ||||
| 16:00 - 17:00 | The State of Nature: Tackling the Biodiversity Crisis A panel discussion on the drivers of biodiversity decline and the pathways toward a nature-positive future. Chair: Kate Jones, Chair of Ecology and Biodiversity, UCL Panellists: Nigel Doar, Head of Science and Research, Wildlife Trusts Sebastian Dunnett, Senior Programme Officer, Nature Economy, UNEP-WMCM Kalpana Arias, Founder and Director, Nowadays Natalie Klepáčová, Programme Communications Coordinator, Cool Earth 📍 Marshgate Room 511 | Decarbonising the Energy System A panel discussion exploring the multifaceted pathways to decarbonisation. Panellists: Jan Rosenow, Director, European Programmes, Regulatory Assistance Project Isobel McPartlin, Net Zero & Energy Transition Analyst, Verdantix Malte Jansen, Research Director, Centre for Net Zero Market Design, UCL 📍 Marshgate Room 528 | Circular and sustainable fashion This panel discussion will explore how circularity, innovation, and responsible practices can reshape fashion into a force for sustainability. Panellists: Daisy Harvey, Founder, Loom Natalie Binns, Sustainable Fasion Consultant, Better Fashion Consultancy Lucy Tammam, Creative Director, TAMMAM Kaela Katz, Founder and Director, FibreLab 📍 Marshgate Room 530 | Project Active: Hatha Yoga A beginner-friendly Hatha Vinyasa yoga session held by Project Active. 📍 Marshgate Room 612 | Climate Justice Advocacy and Campaigning - Digging Our Way Out of the Climate Crisis? A discussion on the urgent need to dismantle the oppressive systems deepening the climate crisis, and the grass roots and community-led solutions needed. Maimoni Ubrei-Joe, Founding member & Director of Climate and Energy Justice, Environmental Defenders Network - EDEN 📍 Marshgate Room 512 |
| 17:00 - 17:30 | MOVE TO RIVERSIDE EAST | ||||
| 17:30 - 19:00 | Sustainability Quiz Hosted by Goksu Danci, Students' Union UCL President and Oskar Barltrop, Sustainability Officer 25/26 📍 Riverside East |
Becoming a Sustainability Leader
Select one session from each time slot.
| time | SESSION One | SESSION two | SESSION three | SESSION FOUR | Session FIVE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08:30 - 09:30 | ARRIVE ON SITE, REGISTRATION AND REFRESHMENTS 📍 Riverside East | ||||
| 09:30 - 11:00 | Climate Communications 101 This workshop focuses on the tools and techniques necessary for effective climate communication, thereby fostering leadership in sustainability initiatives. Tara Bryer, Associate, Climate Outreach 📍 Marshgate Room 511 | Speakers: Elena Falco, Module Design Lead, UCL Grand Challenges Sam Balch, Director, UCL Grand Challenges 📍 Marshgate Room 512 | Project Active: Vinyassa Yoga A beginner-friendly Vinyassa yoga session held by Project Active. 📍 Marshgate Room 612 | Recording Biodiversity Learn about how you can record and identify the species that occur around you and make meaningful contributions to scientific research.. 📍Olympic Park - Meeting Point Marshgate Reception | Sustainable Strategies During a Cost-of-Living Crisis A workshop on finding the balance between environmental practices and the cost of living crisis for emerging professionals. Enna Uwaifo, Intersectional Environmentalist 📍 Marshgate Room 528 |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | MOVE TO NEXT SESSION | ||||
| 11:30– 13:00 | Explainers, Translators, Storytellers: How journalists cover climate solutions A exploration into how to pitch compelling climate content that informs, engages and empowers people. Maeve Campbell, Journalist 📍 Marshgate Room 511 | Climate Communications 101 This workshop focuses on the tools and techniques necessary for effective climate communication, thereby fostering leadership in sustainability initiatives. Please note this session will run twice. Tara Bryer, Associate, Climate Outreach 📍 Marshgate Room 530 | How to Develop an Organisational Net Zero Strategy A discussion and workshop on the role of international standards in supporting organisations to transition to net zero and scaling global climate action! Panellists: Georgia Cavanagh, Climate Action Training and Communications Manager, BSI Shana Gallagher, Net Zero Engagement Manager, BSI 📍 Marshgate Room 528 | Rebuilding Ecosystems through Practical Intervensions and Ecological Praxis A nature walk and discussion on small mammal recovery and rebuilding of ecosystems. Led by ReNature London NOTE: This session will begin at 11. 📍 Hackney Marshes - Meet at Marshgate Reception at 11am. | Plant Workshop A relaxing workshop planting and decorating plant pots. 📍 Marshgate Breakout - Level 2 |
| 13:00 - 14:00 | LUNCH BREAK AND NETWORKING | ||||
| 14:00 - 15:00 | UCL Careers Presents: Sustainability Skills workshop with Unilever A workshop exploring a career in sustainability. Isabelle Parker, Human Rights and Social Sustainability, Unilever Jasmine Mir, Climate, Nature and Plastics, Unilever 📍 Marshgate Room 512 | UCL Careers Presents: Sustainability Consultancy skills with KLH sustainability A workshop exploring the world of sustainability consultancy. Rhythima Shinde, Senior Sustainability Advisor, KLH Sustainability Anna Cox, Operations and Marketing Coordinator, KLH Sustainability Venkatesh Nevase, Graduate Sustainability Advisor, KLH Sustainability 📍 Marshgate Room 511 | ENO Breathe – Building Personal Impact in a World in Crisis A practical session to align action with intention and unlock creative leadership in uncertain times. Build your capacity for sustainable action. 📍 Marshgate Room 612 | Don't call me a Jack-of-All-Trades: Why generalists are the key to a regenerative future A discussion on why generalists are uniquely placed to lead the transition to a regenerative future. Jessica Ferrow, Co-Founder and Director, Twelve 📍 Marshgate Room 530 | Nature Walk Learn about the biodiversity right on your doorstep in this guided nature walk around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. NOTE: this session runs from 14:00 to 15:30 Tom Bellamy, Biodiversity Manager, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park 📍 Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park - Meet at Marshgate Reception at 2pm to start. |
| 15:00 - 15:30 | MOVE TO NEXT SESSION | ||||
| 15:30 - 16:30 | Teaching sustainability to young people A workshop on how we educate young people about sustainability. Tessa Willy, Deputy Programme Lead on the Primary PGCE, IOE Nasreen Majid, Lecturer in Education, IOE 📍 Marshgate Room 512 | Sustainability Leadership in a Resistant Sector: Tackling Sustainability in Sport A panel discussion on sustainability leadership in a difficult sector using sport as a case study. Chair: Elliot Arthur-Worsop, Founder, Football For Future Panellists: Claire Poole, CEO, Sport Positive Elliot Arthur-Worsop, Founder, Football for Future Freddie Daley, Researcher and Campaigner, Cool Down - Sport For Climate Action Alexei Rojas, Professional footballer, Arsenal 📍 Marshgate Room 511 | Project Active: Hatha Vinyassa Yoga A beginner-friendly Hatha Vinyassa yoga session held by Project Active. 📍 Marshgate Room 612 | Engaging Public Policy for Sustainable Impact This workshop introduces practical approaches to policy engagement for sustainability advocate. Ine Steenmans, Associate Professor in Futures, Analysis and Policy, UCL 📍 Marshgate Room 528 | A relaxing workshop planting and decorating pots. Please note this session will run until 17:00. 📍 Marshgate R00m 615 |
| 16:30 - 17:00 | Move to Riverside East | ||||
| 17:00 - 18:00 | CLIMATE COMEDY WITH STUART GOLDSMITH 📍 Riverside East |
Breakout sessions
| time | SESSION ONE | SESSION TWO | SESSION THREE | SESSION FOUR | SESSION FIVE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08:30 - 09:30 | ARRIVE ON SITE, REGISTRATION AND REFRESHMENTS 📍 Riverside East | ||||
| 09:30 - 10:30 | Environmental Justice and Intersectionality A panel discussion on the intersections of race, class, gender, and other identities in the fight for environmental equity. Chair: Sunita Ramani, Campaign Manager, Foodrise Panellists: Emma River-Roberts, Founder & Co-Director, Working Class Climate Alliance Nnenna Belia Onwuka, Feminist climate advocate Beatrice Anomah, Inclusion and Climate Justice Project Manager, SOS-UK Leonie Taylor, Senior Researcher, The Young Foundation Josephine Ewoma, Researcher, Post Growth Institute 📍 Marshgate Room 528 | Presentation: Achieving equity in the energy transition A session exploring student pitches on how to achieve equity in the energy transition. Presenters: Sidhant Minocha, Michael Gaydamak, Mingye Li, Shuyao Zhuang, UCL Students 📍 Marshgate Room 530 | Designing a Regenerative Business A panel discussion exploring what it means to design a regenerative business. Chair: Leo Rayman, Founder & CEO, Eden Lab Panellists: John Willshire, Founder, Smithery and Associate Lecturer, Design Futures, Royal College of Arts Jessica Ferrow, Co-founder and Director, Twelve 📍 Marshgate Room 511 | Project Active: Mat Pilate A beginner friendly session of Mat Pilates, led by Project Active. 📍 Marshgate Room 612 | Turning Plastic into Purpose: A Journey of Hope, Creativity and Sustainability Flora shares her journey creating and running a social enterprise that turns plastic into purpose. Flora Blathwayt, Founder, Washed Up Cards 📍 Marshgate Room 512 |
| 10:30 - 11:00 | MOVE TO NEXT SESSION | ||||
| 11:00 - 12:00 | Taking Action in our Communities A panel discussion on how individuals, organisations, and grassroots movements are making a tangible impact through community-led sustainability initiatives. Chair: Sasha St John, Project Manager, UCL Panellists: Anna Hyde, Co-founder, Islington Climate Centre Siobhann Mansel-Pleydell, Director, Make it Good Chris Desai, Global Director of UOCEAN 2050 & Founder of Vayyu and The Vayyu Foundation Winnie Lin, Partnerships Lead, Hackney Herbal Niamh McBride, Local Authority and Environmental Partnerships Manager, Material Focus 📍 Marshgate Room 511 | Shifting Towards Sustainability with Long-term Thinking A workshop exploring how long-term thinking tools can cultivate care for the future and inspire transformative action in the present. Kate Greer, Senior Research Fellow, UCL 📍 Marshgate Room 512 | Designing Technology for Collective Intelligence Jaspar Tahany and Stirling Spowers, Co-founders of the Regenscape 📍 Marshgate Room 615 | ENO Breathe – Building Personal Impact in a World in Crisis A practical session to align action with intention and unlock creative leadership in uncertain times. Build your capacity for sustainable action. Led by English National Opera 📍 Marshgate Room 612 | Tech, Start-ups, Entrepreneurship: Innovating for Sustainability A panel discussion on highlight how startups, innovators, and visionary entrepreneurs are developing breakthrough solutions to address sustainability challenges. Chair: Harland Evans, CEO and Founder, Nature Based Panellists: Alice Chave, Co-founder, Incador Sarah Mackintosh, Director, Cleantech for UK Yash Rane, Investment Professional, Fortescue Maisie Kemp, Changemaking Programmes Associate, Subak 📍 Marshgate Room 530 |
| 12:00 - 13:00 | LUNCH BREAK AND NETWORKING | ||||
| 13:00 - 14:30 | Sh*tposting for Climate with Sexy Climate Change: How Humour Is One of Our Best Tools in Climate Crisis Communication A workshop on how comedy can be a powerful tool in climate communication. Issey Gladston, Climate Communications Consultant, Sexy Climate Change 📍 Marshgate Room 511 | The Fossil Bank Fallout: Rethinking Banks in the Age of Climate Crisis A discussion on how everyday banking decisions contribute to environmental breakdown. Alan Salazar, SU Sustainability Officer Facilitated by: Jamie Bragg, Cameron Gordon, Aaiza Ahsan, Clara Cohn, Anoushka Jain, Joshua Mallet (Students' Union UCL Sustainability Council) 📍 Marshgate Room 615 | Learn about the biodiversity right on your doorstep in this guided nature walk around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Tom Bellamy, Biodiversity Manager, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park 📍 Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park - Meet at Marshgate Reception at 1:15pm | A discussion about balancing the financial and environmental sustainability needs of a social enterprise from someone who has successfully done it. Levi Fernandez, Student Social Enterprise Manager, Students' Union UCL 📍 Marshgate Room 612 | An innovative look at artistic contributions to the sustainability discourse. Briony Campbell, artist |
| 14:30 - 15:00 | MOVE TO NEXT SESSION | ||||
| 15:00 - 16:00 | It's a culture shift: changing society through culture A panel discussion on how the power of art, media, celebrities, storytelling, and collective identity can be used to shape values and create societal change. Chair: Siobhan Bailey-Turner, Celebrity Relations Lead, WWF Panellists: Issey Gladstone, Climate Communications Consultant, Sexy Climate Change Victoria Burns, Movement Coordinator, Culture Declares Emergency Lewis Jamieson, CEO, Music Declares Emergency Amy Whight, Trustee, The Dixon Foundation 📍 Marshgate Room 511 | Changing from within vs pressure from outside: how do you change a sector? A panel discussion on examples of sector transformation and the tensions, collaborations, and strategies that lead to lasting impact. Chair: Claire Brady, Global Sustainability Manager, Savills Panellists: Alice Ritchie, Head of Healthy & Sustainable Diets, Tesco Francesca Favia, Research and Academia Consultant, European Commission Chris Moss, Senior Consultant, Greengage Environmental 📍 Marshgate Room 528 | Professional social media workshop A beginner-friendly workshop on the practical tools for use of professional social media, particularly LinkedIn, to advance your career in sustainability. Alina Congreve, Lecturer, UCL 📍 Marshgate Room 512 | From Athlete to Activist Etienne Stott MBE, gold medallist from the London 2012 Olympics, will share some perspectives on his journey towards Olympic success and his life as a campaigner and activist. Etienne Stott MBE, London 2012 Olympic gold medallist, campaigner, and activist 📍 Marshgate Room 530 | |
| 16:00 - 16:30 | MOVE TO NEXT SESSION | ||||
| 16:30 - 17:30 | Taking the lead now: engaging in youth sustainability leadership A panel discussion on how young people are shaping the sustainability movement. Chair: Anoushka Jain, UK YCC Member, UCL Panellists: Svetlana Chigozie Onye, Project Lead, SustyVibes Kristian Noll , UN Earth Programme Faith for Earth Youth Council Chair Lola Fayokun, Co-Founder, Breathe 📍 Marshgate Room 511 | This session will transform participants from conference attendees into active agents of change, equipping them with frameworks for understanding and developing future-fit models of leadership. 📍 Marshgate Room 528 | Sustainability Career Compass A workshop on finding meaningful work within the sustainability sector. Roy Kareem, Future Generations Lead, Centre for Sustainable Energy 📍 Marshgate Room 512 | Project Active: Hatha Yoga A beginner-friendly Hatha yoga session held by Project Active. 📍 Marshgate Room 612 | Degrowth 101: Why, What, How, and Where This session breaks down the basics: why degrowth matters, what it actually means, how it can work, what degrowth policies could look like, and how you can get involved in this movement. Sara Mahdi, Researcher, ICTA - Autonomous University of Barcelona 📍 Marshgate Room 530 |
| 17:30 - 18:00 | MOVE TO RIVERSIDE EAST | ||||
| 18:00 - 20:00 | Drinks, canapes, networking and live music celebration Closing remarks: Lisa Vanhala, PVP for the Climate Crisis, UCL 📍 Riverside East |
Malte Jansen
| Research Director, Centre for Net Zero Market Design, UCL | Dr. Malte Jansen is an interdisciplinary researcher at the intersection of energy markets, finance, and policy, with a focus on achieving net-zero emissions through innovative collaboration and effective communication. He is the Research Director at the Centre for Net Zero Market Design and a Principal Research Fellow at the University College London (UCL). Malte also is a Lecturer in Energy and Sustainability at the University of Sussex's Science and Policy Research Unit (SPRU), Malte has made significant contributions to academia, research, and consultancy in the renewable energy field. He holds an honorary visiting researcher position at Imperial College London and is a Special Consultant at the Technical University of Denmark. Malte holds a Doctoral Degree in Renewable Energy and Energy Economics, a Master of Engineering, and a Bachelor of Engineering in Energy and Environmental Management from the University of Flensburg. His academic and professional journey includes pivotal roles at Imperial College London, Fraunhofer IEE, ERM and the Technical University of Denmark. Malte has authored numerous high-impact journal articles, contributing valuable insights into the field of renewable energy. His research on hydrogen costs, contracts for difference, and the integration of renewable energy systems has been influential published in high-impact journal, such as Nature Energy. His work has real-life impact by numerous media appearances, recognition in the field, and considerable influence on policy. Malte is also recognized for his research on contracts for difference (CfDs), which are instrumental in reducing investment risks and fostering market creation for renewable energy. His publication "The enduring role of contracts for difference in risk management and market creation for renewables" in Nature Energy highlights the importance of CfDs in stabilizing the financial landscape for renewable projects, ensuring their competitiveness and sustainability. His research has been featured in over 150 media appearances across print, online news outlets, radio, and television. The work on Subsidy-Free Offshore Wind was covered in major publications like The Guardian, The Times, Forbes, and Der Spiegel highlighted his findings on the economic viability of offshore wind projects without subsidies. This research has helped shift public and policy perceptions towards the feasibility of large-scale renewable energy projects operating without financial aid. Malte has been actively involved in policy discussions, including regular meetings with members of the UK House of Lords and contributions to parliamentary proceedings in Germany. His research has been cited in policy documents, underscoring its influence on national energy strategies. He has recently led the University of Sussex's contribution to the UK DESNZ Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA). In his current role at the University of Sussex's Science and Policy Research Unit (SPRU) and a Visiting Researcher at Imperial College London, Malte was the Co-Investigator and IDLES Phase III Lead Investigator on "The cost of green offshore hydrogen production in UK waters." During his tenure at Imperial College London, he was a Research Co-Investigator on the UKERC Flexible Fund project, "Delivering a 40 GW offshore wind target: Securing investment and ensuring efficient price signals," which had a total project value of £300,000. Additionally, he secured funding from the Alan Turing Institute for nine months of Research Associate funding. As a Consultant at E4tech from 2016 to 2017, Malte led projects on renewables auction design, sector coupling, and renewable ammonia. He executed stakeholder engagement for the UK Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) on demand-response, showcasing his expertise in managing complex projects that bridge policy and technology. He led a work package for the German National Organisation for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells on the industrialization of electrolysers. In his first year, he acquired consultancy services worth over £50,000, reflecting his ability to generate valuable business opportunities. At Fraunhofer IEE, Malte successfully won research funding exceeding €1 million and consultancy services worth over €100,000. He was PI, leading research on wind turbines providing ancillary services and the techno-economic impact of virtual power plants in the energy market in the "Control Reserve from Wind and Solar" project. He bid, won and managed high-visibility consulting studies on power market design, which influenced German legislation in 2015 and 2016. Malte has secured over £1.5 million in research grants and consultancy services, demonstrating his ability to drive impactful research and provide strategic advice to stakeholders. Malte co-founded PowerSwarm, a network connecting over 650 energy professionals from industry and academia, fostering knowledge exchange and innovation. His work has garnered significant media attention, and he has delivered numerous invited talks and presentations, further establishing his presence and influence in the field of sustainable energy. |
Jacob Tompkins OBE
| Chief Technology Officer, The Water Retail Company | Jacob is an international water expert. With an academic background in hydrology and hydrogeology he has over 35 years experience in the water sector. He has worked for a wide range of water sector bodies and has a wide network of high-level water contacts in the UK and globally. He works regularly with UK water companies both at practitioner and C-suite level. He has extensive understanding of water policy and regulation. As the founder of a tech accelerator and a PhD mentor, he has detailed knowledge of most aspects of water and wastewater technology. He has a lot of print, broadcast and social media experience and is often called upon to provide expert comment and opinion. He is founder of one of the new UK water companies and has direct experience of regulation and delivering water and wastewater services. He is co-founder of a water tech accelerator working with innovative start-up and scale-up water technology companies. He has also just jointly set up Thunderstorm a new concept in driving environmental improvement and engagement is sports and entertainment, by working with green NGOs, rights holders and sponsors. In addition, he works with a range of organisations on water issues and most of his current work involves advising on strategy and making connections that help companies build their reputation and create a wider water ecosystem around their services. One of his core skills is to able to produce relatable accessible content from complex data and concepts. He is a visiting Prof at Exeter University, has an OBE for services to water, and has received Rastafarian blessing from the Marley family for his work on water. |
Zemira Humphrey
| Senior Associate, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) | Zemira Humphrey is an early careers sustainability professional, working as a Senior Associate at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). WBCSD is a global community of 240+ leading businesses driving systems transformation for a better world in which 9+ billion people can live well, within planetary boundaries, by mid-century. Since joining WBCSD in September 2022, her role has focused on scaling strategic partnerships – with philanthropies, governments, civil society and academia – to advance collective business action on climate, nature and equity. Prior to joining WBCSD, Zemira’s sustainability experiences and internships focused largely on climate adaptation and resilience. This included analysis that was presented at both the Malawi National Green Climate Conference and UNFCCC COP26, and Green Climate Fund proposals for water-security adaptation projects with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC). Zemira is also a One Young World Ambassador and represented WBCSD as a Young Leader at the Belfast Summit in October 2023. Zemira graduated from the University of Oxford in 2022, with a BA (Hons) in Geography. |
Tara Bryer
| Associate, Climate Outreach | Tara Bryer is a climate communicator, facilitator, and programme designer working with Climate Outreach and The Connectives. At Climate Outreach, she supports climate actors in telling more compelling stories about climate action rooted in trust, values, and systems thinking. With The Connectives, she uses her expertise in climate engagement to help organisations across sectors achieve meaningful impact by demonstrating the agency they have to shape a fair and sustainable future. Tara’s work spans trust-building with local authorities, enabling positive social tipping points with scientists, and designing participatory approaches to environmental impact. Her facilitation style is grounded in empathy, purpose, and co-creation—moving people from awareness to action. |
Marco Springmann
| Professorial Research Fellow, UCL | Marco Springmann is a Professorial Research Fellow in Climate Change, Food Systems and Health at UCL's Institute for Global Health, and a Senior Researcher on Environment and Health at the University of Oxford's Environmental Change Institute. He conducts multi-disciplinary research that connects food systems, climate change, and public health. His research has been published in leading journals, including Nature, Science, The Lancet, the BMJ, and others. In addition, he has contributed to high-level reports, including those of the EAT-Lancet Commission on Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems, the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, the Global Nutrition Report, and the UN Environment Programme’s Emissions Gap Report. |
Benjamin Jones
| Business Account Manager, WRAP | Benjamin Jones is an Account Manager at WRAP, an environmental action NGO, where he works with businesses and retailers to support the ambitions of the UK Plastics Pact and UK Food & Drink Pact. Before joining WRAP, Benjamin supported the launch of one of the UK’s largest reusable packaging trials with Tesco and Loop, combining innovation with real-world impact. An alumnus of UCL’s MSc in Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment (EPEE), Benjamin has built his career at the intersection of sustainability, policy, and business. Having grown up in Malawi and Kenya, he brings a global perspective to tackling environmental challenges and is passionate about driving systems change that bridges policy, business, and sustainability. |
Cheng Tung Chong
| Associate Professor, Shanghai Jiao Tong University China-UK Low Carbon College | Dr. Cheng Tung Chong is an Associate Professor (tenured) at the China-UK Low Carbon College, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He holds a PhD degree (Engineering) from University of Cambridge, UK. His research focuses on the production and application of carbon-neutral fuels, thermochemical conversion technologies, and renewable energy systems. He was the recipient of the Royal Society-Newton Advanced Fellowship award, PYRO ASIA Young Researcher Award and ASEAN Science Diplomat Award. He is listed as the Top 2% researcher in the world in the Stanford University’s Scientist List since 2020. He is passionate about teaching and has been actively involved in international teaching such as the SJTU SDG July Camp program and APRU collaborative learning program (global virtual classroom). He also serves as the board member of the International Conference on Low Carbon Asia, and as the Scientific Committee Member of Symposium on Ammonia Energy. |
Gurvinder Kaur Uppal
| Oceans Campaigner, Oceana UK | Gurvinder is a Habitats and Fisheries Campaigner at Oceana, where she campaigns to end overfishing and safeguard marine protected areas from destructive fishing practices such as bottom trawling. She supports innovative campaigns that inspire the public and hold policy makers to account. Her work focuses on ensuring meaningful marine protection in UK waters through strategic advocacy and policy reform. Previously, Gurvinder has worked for impact-driven organisations like Greenpeace and Climate Strategies, where she has been involved in campaigns focused on ocean protection, plastic pollution and climate justice. |
Winnie Lin
| Partnerships Lead, Hackney Herbal | Winnie is a partnerships and sustainability specialist working at the intersection of regenerative business and community resilience. She currently leads revenue-generating partnerships at Hackney Herbal, helping the social enterprise become less reliant on grant funding while deepening its local impact in connecting people with nature. She also does freelance work on impact strategy and B Corp certification, supporting businesses in long-term regenerative practices. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Edinburgh and has studied Business Sustainability Management with the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. Winnie has previously worked in commercial roles at start-ups such as Too Good To Go and Switchd, focusing on food waste and sustainable energy. Beyond her professional work, she’s a co-coordinator with Friends of the Earth and an active community garden volunteer, supporting local food growing and grassroots climate action. Her work is grounded in the belief that systemic change starts in the community. |
Maria Walawender
| Research Fellow, UCL | Maria Walawender is a research fellow with the global team of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, based in the Institute of Global Health. In her role, she coordinates an interdisciplinary collaborative of over 100 researchers and experts at institutions around the world and co-leads the design, drafting, and editing of the group’s indicator report, published annually in the Lancet. She manages the data generated from over 50 indicators and manages the collaboration’s online data visualization platform. She also works closely with the Lancet Countdown’s regional centres in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Oceania, and SIDS. |
Harriet Waters
| Director of Sustainability, UCL | Harriet is Director of Sustainability at UCL, a post she took up in February 2025 and will see her leading the implementation of the university's new sustainability plan which runs to 2035 and includes targets for net zero and biodiversity net gain. Harriet has worked in the environmental sustainability sector for over three decades, most recently setting Oxford University’s first sustainability strategy, the result of a wide collaboration between academics, senior management, practitioners and students. Under her leadership, the university set rigorous environmental standards for development projects, promoted the concept of a nature positive institution, implemented carbon reduction projects across the estate and identified sustainability content across the taught curriculum. Harriet’s ability to align sustainability with broader organisational objectives makes her an ideal fit for driving UCL’s ambitious sustainability agenda. In her new role, Harriet will work closely with senior leadership, professional staff, academics and students to ensure that sustainability continues to be integrated into UCL’s operations, research and teaching. |
Emilien Hoet
| Strategy Director, LENs, 3Keel | Emilien is Strategy Director at Landscape Enterprise Networks (LENs), a programme that funds regenerative agriculture at scale, developed by sustainability consultancy, 3Keel. He is also a co-founder of the Carbon Accounting Alliance, a non-profit with over 750 members in 60 countries, where he brings urgency and collaboration to solve the climate crisis. Previously, he has held leadership and commercial positions across carbon emissions management, supply chain transparency and tech start-ups. He was most recently the UK MD for ClimatePartner (advisory & solution provider), where he grew the business 10x in 4 years to become a major player in the climate space. He started his career in venture capital at Crowdcube (investment crowdfunding platform, backed by Balderton Capital, Numis and DFJ). |
Xavier Brice
| CEO, Sustrans | Ever since childhood Xavier has been fascinated by transport’s impact on society and our environment. He joined Sustrans – the UK’s sustainable transport charity – in June 2016 from Transport for London where he held a variety of roles, including leading the modernisation of London Underground’s stations, developing a new cycling strategy for the city and advisory positions in the Mayor’s office. Before this Xavier worked internationally as a strategy consultant across a range of sectors. Xavier was a member of the Department for Transport’s Net Zero Board, and a member of National Lottery’s Climate Action Fund Advisory Panel. He is an independent non-executive member of the Board of the Office of Rail & Road (the UK’s rail regulator and highways monitor). He is also a Trustee of Railway Paths Limited which owns and manages former railway land for public benefit. |
Annabel Hyde
| Co-founder, Islington Climate Centre | Anna Hyde enjoyed a successful career as a sales and marketing director in music and entertainment publishing, working with top brands like Disney, Unilever, Nike, and Mumsnet. She was Marketing Director at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, collaborated on the first iTunes Festival, and programmed a Chemical Brothers gig for 9,000 people in Trafalgar Square. Whilst working in social media in 2016 she became a stalwart campaigner with Islington in Europe and Peoples vote In 2019, she shifted focus to climate and democracy activism. She co-produced XR's Rebel Rebel stage at Byline Festival, created and presented Rebel Radio for three years, and helped launch the Zero Hour Campaign in 2020. In 2022, she co-founded the Islington Climate Centre with Bel Jacobs, hosting exhibitions, screenings, and public assemblies on issues like air pollution and flooding. Their work has influenced both local councils and the Environment Agency. A graduate of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, Anna facilitates Climate Fresk workshops and coordinates the London hub for The Climate Reality Project. |
Jessica Farrow
| Co-founder and Director, Twelve | Jessica Ferrow is a sustainability strategist, facilitator, and self-proclaimed Regenerative Generalist on a mission to rewild our approach to work and change-making. With 15 years’ experience in sustainability consulting, she has advised leading brands, non-profits, and systems-shifting organisations - but her emerging focus lies in helping people reconnect with their unique gifts in service of a thriving future. Blending systems thinking, nature connection, seasonal wisdom, and career experimentation, Jessica supports the next generation of changemakers to navigate uncertainty with clarity, creativity, and courage. She believes that generalists - those with range, curiosity, and the confidence to work across boundaries - are uniquely positioned to address today’s complex social and environmental challenges. Through her new platform, The Regeneralist, she champions skill-stacking, cyclical living, and regenerative leadership in the age of AI. Jessica is also co-founder of Twelve, a sustainability consultancy for ambitious consumer brands. |
Svetlana Chigozie Onye
| Projet Lead, SustyVibes | Svetlana Chigozie Onye is a writer, journalist, researcher, and facilitator working at the intersection of climate justice, equity, and mental health. She leads The Eco-Anxiety Africa Project, which explores the psychological impacts of climate change across African communities and builds adaptive responses. Svetlana has delivered workshops across Africa and virtually for global organisations, guiding conversations on climate action and mental health. She is a Director and COP Working Group Member of the UK Youth Climate Coalition and has spoken at UN climate negotiations, including COP29, advocating for transparency and youth inclusion. She was a key contributor to the first-of-its-kind African Youth and Health Position Paper backed by UNICEF. She has been featured by the BBC for her climate work. Her journalism amplifies Global South voices and has appeared in Shado Mag, SCREENSHOT, (Re)imagining Peace + Justice, and more. |
Natalie Binns
| Sustainable Fashion Consultant, Natalie Binns Consulting | Natalie Binns is a fashion buying and sourcing expert with 18 years in industry, starting her career in the buying offices of some of the UK’s most recognisable brands. Seeing first-hand how damaging the fashion industry could be drove her to start her own consultancy helping fashion businesses drive sales with sustainability at the forefront. A sustainable fashion thought leader Natalie also advocates for a better fashion industry through university lecturing, public speaking and writing making notable appearances on BBC Woman’s Hour, Metro.co.uk, and Drapers. |
Tessa Willy
| Deputy Programme Lead of Primary PGCE, IOE | Dr Tessa Willy is the Deputy Programme Lead on the Primary PGCE at IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society and teaches geography on the foundation subject programme. She started her career teaching in secondary and then primary settings across the UK and in Malawi. Since moving into higher education, she has been Programme Lead for the Primary PGCE at the University of Roehampton and School Director of Teacher Education at Kingston University. Her areas of interest are the ethics of geography, notably climate change and social justice as well as our relationship and interactions with nature. Tessa is Chair of the Editorial Board of the Geographical Associations’ Journal, /Primary Geography/, a Fellow of the RGS, a Chartered Geographer (Teacher) and a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teachers. |
Megan Adams
| Solutions Lead, GoUnpackaged | Megan joined the GoUnpackaged team late 2021 to support on a consulting project, and in March 2022 started as Programme Manager for The Refill Coalition Project - a complex programme, involving the management of a coalition of retailers, logistics companies and equipment manufacturers to design and launch brand new reuse and refill solutions. Megan is now the Solutions Lead, managing the pooling of the reusable packaging assets around the supply chain for the online solution, and with a focus on rolling out reuse and refill solutions more widely. |
Alice Chave
| Co-founder, Incador | Alice is one of the founders of Incador, a fine jewellery brand built on responsible sourcing, with a strong focus on recycled gold. Specifically, Incador works with specialised recovery partners to extract gold from electronics, which is then refined to 18 carat and used in their organic fine jewellery designs. Alongside this, they are launching their Tech for Treasure campaign, beginning with a pilot in collaboration with UCL to make electronic recycling more accessible and to educate students on its wider applications. Alice and her sister, both engineers by training and alumni of UCL, co-founded Incador after years of sharing a passion for fashion, a journey they formally began last year. |
Cicely Abdy Collins
| Sustainability Manager, CH&Co | Cicely Abdy Collins is the Sustainability Manager for Food at UCL and is a total foodie having worked as a chef for almost 10 years. In 2020 Cicely stepped away from the stoves and undertook a MSc in Food Systems and Sustainability, and now finds herself bringing UCL’s holistic sustainable food strategy to life across their portfolio of 6 restaurants, 2 halls of residences and 13 cafes. Her favourite meal is spaghetti with garlic & mussels, delicious & highly sustainable, mussels improve water quality through mitigating eutrophication and use carbon in the water to build their shells acting as carbon sinks. |
Ami McCarthy
| Head of Politics, Greenpeace | Ami McCarthy is the Head of Politics at Greenpeace UK. In this position they provide political leadership for Greenpeace’s UK campaigns, building on the organisation’s unique ability to balance both ‘inside track’ and ‘outsider’ tactics and perspectives to achieve change. They have provided political leadership for the rollout of Greenpeace’s ‘big organising’ strategy, encouraging engagement with the political system at a grassroots level. Ami has a background in activism and organising, and previously worked in housing rights. |
Natalie Klepáčová
| Programme Communications Coordinator, Cool Earth | Natalie's work involves communicating the climate crisis, especially its impacts on Indigenous and local communities in the global south. She has a background in Biological Sciences including conservation and science communitictions, and has completed a Masters exploring how the climate crisis impacts our natural world. She is currently working at Cool Earth, an international climate NGO that focuses on protecting rainforests by working alongside the local and Indigenous communities that call it home. |
Andrew Scott
| Lecturer in Public Policy, UCL | Andrew Scott teaches public policy at the UCL Department of Political Science. He is interested in understanding the processes of policy change, with a particular emphasis on the ways in which it is influenced by factors such as lobbying, the media , public opinion and bureaucracy. This interest lies primarily in western democracies and international organisations and often with a focus on energy and environmental policy. Before coming to UCL in 2020, Andrew worked in policy and research roles at the UK Civil Service, Edinburgh Law School and the Law Society of Scotland. He obtained his doctorate, on the influence of public opinion and lobbying on the outcomes of drilling applications for shale gas and oil, from the University of Edinburgh. This was preceded by an LLB in Scots Law and an MSc in International Relations, both from the University of Glasgow. |
Elena Falco
| Module Design Lead, UCL Grand Challenges | Dr Elena Falco is working with UCL Grand Challenges to develop a new, flagship module for UCL, empowering students to tackle complex societal challenges. Elena has a PhD in Science and Technology Studies from UCL. She has lectured and conducted research on responsible innovation, design, online culture and AI at UCL, King’s College, Cambridge University, and the University of Brighton. She started her career in education within the Italian anti-mafia movement, designing and delivering citizenship education workshops. Her main interests are innovation and design for social change, the ethics of AI, and critical pedagogies. |
Lucy Pegg
| Senior Political Adviser, Green Alliance | Lucy joined Green Alliance in May 2023 as a political adviser, and became senior political adviser in July 2024. She works across Green Alliance’s projects, with a particular focus on land use and nature, as well as supporting the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Environment. Previously she was a public affairs officer at The Wildlife Trusts, working with national and local government to reverse the decline in nature. Before this, Lucy worked on press and public affairs at the National Housing Federation and as a trade journalist. |
Issey Gladston
| Climate Communications Consultant | Issey Gladston is a climate journalist and communications strategist dedicated to engaging new audiences with the climate crisis. She is the founder of Sexy Climate Change, a podcast and online platform that explores the intersections of climate and culture, spotlighting individuals tackling the crisis through creative and unconventional means. Issey writes a monthly column for BRICKS Magazine on the cultural dimensions of the climate emergency and co-founded Hothouse Bookclub, a space for collective reading and reflection on climate justice. Named one of the Evening Standard’s Under-30 Eco Activists on a Mission to Save London, she holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Governance from the University of Oxford. |
Hugh Montgomery
| Chair of Intensive Care Medicine (Honorary Consultant), UCL | Hugh obtained a 1st class BSc (Cardiorespiratory Physiology/Neuropharmacology) in 1984, his Medical Degree in 1987, & MDRes in 1997. He works as a consultant Intensivist in London & is Professor of Intensive Care Medicine at UCL where he also directs the Centre for Human Health & Performance. He’s published >800 scientific research articles & has won >8 (inter)national awards. He chaired the two Lancet Commissions on Human Health & Climate Change, & now co-chairs the 47-country Lancet Countdown on Health & Climate Change. He’s written & lectured extensively on the subject; has briefed policymakers (inter)nationally; & co-leads the UCL MSc module on climate & health. He was appointed London Leader by Greater London Authority’s Sustainable Development Commission; has attended many of the international ‘COP’ negotiations; leads the children’s climate education ‘Project Genie’; & co-led the ITV documentary on Floods and Climate Change (2020). He was awarded the OBE in 2022 in part for his work on climate change and health. In 2023, he founded non-profit Real Zero to leverage the global health economy as a tool to decarbonize society more generally. |
Gary Lye
| Professor of Biochemical Engineering, UCL | Gary Lye is Professor of Biochemical Engineering at University College London (UCL), Director of the UCL East Manufacturing Futures Lab and Director of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Bioprocess Engineering Leadership. He is Co-Director of the EPSRC Cellular Agriculture Manufacturing Research Hub (CARMA) and of the InnovateUK Medicines Manufacturing Skills Centre of Excellence (RESILIENCE). He was a founding member, and previous Head, of the UCL Department of Biochemical Engineering. He has broad research interests related to the application of automation, single-use and engineering biology technologies to the rapid design, optimisation and scale-up of bio-based manufacturing routes. |
Liam Saddington
| Teaching Associate in Human Geography, University of Cambridge | Dr Liam Saddington is a Teaching Associate in Human Geography at the University of Cambridge. He is an environmental and political geography whose work focuses on climate change, environmental governance and small island developing states (SIDS). He has undertaken fieldwork in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Liam is interested in the intersection of geopolitics and climate-ocean governance and has published work on Seychelles’ approach to the Blue Economy. More recently, his research has focused on the role of SIDS in international ocean governance undertaking fieldwork at spaces of environmental diplomacy such as the UN SIDS Conference in Antigua in 2024. |
Lucy Tammam
| Couturier and Creative Director, Atelier TAMMAM | Pioneering sustainable couture label TAMMAM is based in London's Bloomsbury. Creating exquisite handmade womenswear and unique accessories, merging fair-trade artisan craftsmanship and contemporary design with modern ecological materials and ideas. An innovator of Slow Fashion offering classic silhouettes with sometimes subtle, sometimes not, activist messaging, TAMMAM is an anti-fashion label at the vanguard of developing new concepts that turn fashion into emotion, over wasteful product. Experimenting with the art of couture, and eschewing commercial gain for both ecological and creative principals TAMMAM has stood the test of time to become London's most sought after cult couturier. |
Sarah Mackintosh
| Director, Cleantech for UK | Sarah is the Director leading the Cleantech for UK initiative, building a coalition of cleantech and policy leaders to scale up sustainable innovation in the UK. Before joining Cleantech Group, Sarah spent 11 years working in the UK civil service, primarily on energy and innovation policy and legislation. She began her career as a research associate working on carbon capture and storage. Sarah holds a degree in Environmental Science, a PhD in Isotope Geochemistry and a Master’s in Public Policy. |
Olivia Sweeney
| Senior Specialist, Clean Air Fund | Olivia Sweeney is Chemical Engineer by education and has worked extensively within a wide range of roles within the environmental sector. Having previously held roles within sustainable supply chain development, as well as waste and resource management she now works as a Senior Specialist for Clean Air Fund. Within this role, she supports and develops grants focussed on ensuring air quality data is globally ubiquitous, citizens understand the quality of the air that they breathe, and every policymaker has good enough data on which they make informed decisions. Her portfolio of grants focusses on the innovative and effective use of wearable sensors as both a data collection and engagement tool.She was named one of the Top 100 most Influential Women in Engineering by FT in 2019 and one of Rife Magazine’s 30 under 30 in 2022 and one of the University of Edinburgh's Climate 75 as well as Black Cultural Archives 40 X 40 Future Leaders. An advocate for equity and justice in all forms, her free time is spent doing community work in Bristol (United Kingdom) exploring the intersection of climate and racial justice. |
Alice Ritchie
| Head of Healthy & Sustainable Diets, Tesco | As Head of Healthy & Sustainable Diets at Tesco, I lead our work to make the food we sell more nutritious, sustainable, and inspiring for our customers. I’m passionate about the role of the food system, and Tesco as the UK’s largest retailer, in addressing two of the biggest challenges we face: human health and the health of our planet. My path into sustainability began working on climate change legislation in New Zealand, followed by an MSc in Global Food Security from the University of Edinburgh while working as the Climate Change Lead for a UK-based land management organisation. In my nearly four years at Tesco, I’ve worked across various teams in sustainability, including agriculture, nature, and diets, shaping a firm belief in the need for an integrated, farm-to-fork approach to transforming the food system. |
Kathryn Pharr
| Founder, Community of Women in Water | Having worked over a decade on science and water policy, Kathryn Pharr has expertise in water challenges relating to climate change, gender, transboundary, urban resilience, IWRM, governance, finance, and WASH. Six years ago, she founded and continues to lead the Community of Women in Water (CWiW) to connect women working on water challenges and expand their networks and knowledge. Additionally, she consults on water challenges such as gender and intersectionality and linking WASH with food security and nature-based solutions. She has a Masters in Chemistry and is a Project Management Professional (PMP). Kathryn has worked with the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA), Arup, the Global Water Forum, the U.S. Department of State, USAID, the University of Oxford, and WaterAid. |
Cathy Yitong Li
| Senior Climate & Energy Policy Manager, BirdLife International | Cathy Yitong Li has been focusing on international climate and environmental policy, multistakeholder collaboration and civil society advocacy since she was a teenager, serving advisory and governance roles across 8 UN bodies and various international coalitions, besides advising governments and business executives. By profession, Cathy leads global climate & energy policy and advocacy at BirdLife International -- the world's largest nature partnership, besides serving as IUCN Climate Crisis Commission Deputy Chair. Previously, Cathy worked at the UN Climate Change High Level Champions team, Deloitte, and JPMorgan. |
Hoa Doan
| Head of Sustainability, Notpla | Hoa is a climate policy expert with experience in consulting, public sectors, and entrepreneurship. She served as a Net Zero policy advisor in the UK Prime Minister’s Office, where she oversaw the delivery of decarbonisation programs. Currently, she holds the position of Head of Impact and Sustainability at Notpla, a UK-based startup that recently won The Earthshot Prize for its plastic-free consumer packaging products made from seaweed and plants. |
Jan Rosenow
| Director, European Programmes | Dr Jan Rosenow is the Leader of the Energy Programme at the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford and Jackson Senior Research Fellow at Oriel College, Oxford. He is also a Senior Associate at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership at the University of Cambridge and a Senior Advisor at the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP), where he provides strategic guidance on energy policy and regulation. A leading expert in energy policy, efficiency, and electrification, he advises governments and organisations, including the World Economic Forum, the United Nations and the International Energy Agency. His work has shaped key energy and climate policies and featured in The New York Times, Forbes, and the BBC. In recognition of his work he was named the most-read thought leader on the energy transition in 2024. |
Ben Ryder
| Research Manager – Climate Impacts & Adaptation, Wellcome Trust | Ben Ryder is a Research Manager for Climate Impacts & Adaptation in the Climate & Health team at the Wellcome Trust. In this role he works to develop and manage a portfolio of research and policy initiatives aimed at building the evidence base on the impacts of climate change on health to underpin effective climate mitigation and adaptation actions. Prior to joining Wellcome, Ben worked in the Climate Services and Capacity Building Unit at the UN Environment Programme, strengthening country capacities for the collection, management, and use of climate and environmental data, information, and knowledge for climate services, early warning systems, and evidence-based climate action. Before this, Ben worked in a variety of consulting roles in climate change and sustainable development for clients such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UK Department for International Development, and European Investment Bank. |
Christina Xiao
| Modelling and Evaluation Manager, C40 Cities | Dr. Christina Xiao, PhD, MPH, is an epidemiologist who has worked on issues at the intersection of health, environment, and climate change by assessing policies that promote human health and environmental sustainability. As C40 Cities' Modelling and Evaluation Manager, she is responsible for assessing and reporting the impact of cities’ climate actions, including their wider economic, social, and health benefits. In addition, she has worked as a consultant for local government and non-profit organizations, such as Sustrans and Impact for Urban Health to evaluate the impact of their sustainable and healthy transport interventions. She also has experience as a health policy consultant within the Health Division of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. |
Daisy Harvey
| Founder of Loom Fashion | Daisy is the founder of Loom, an upcycling app that connects you with 100+ designers to redesign your clothes. Daisy is a second time founder in the sustainable fashion space, and has worked in the industry for 15 years. Before launching Loom, Daisy led the global merchandising outlet team at Burberry. |
George Carew Jones
| Research Associate in Sustainable Investment at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment (SSEE) | George Carew-Jones is a Research Associate in Sustainable Investment at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment (SSEE), working specifically on the FCDO-funded Climate Compatible Growth Programme. His research focusses on the pipeline of climate-focussed investment in developing economies and involves close partnerships with stakeholder institutions in the UK and Zambia. Alongside this role, George is also the Operations Lead at Watermarq, a water security startup based in Oxford. Before this, George was a Senior Consultant at Element Energy, a low-carbon energy consultancy, working on green hydrogen. He holds an MSc in Nature, Society and Environmental Governance (NSEG) and a BA in Geography, both from the University of Oxford. Outside of work, George is a Director of the UK Youth Climate Coalition. |
Illana Adamson
| CEO, Be Better Sustainability & Be Better Education |
Kate Greer
| Senior Research Fellow, UCL Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education | Dr Kate Greer is an environmental education specialist whose career has spanned roles in government, non-government, and education settings. Her research investigates questions of policy and policy influence at local, national, and intergovernmental levels, and it explores how meaningful educational responses to the socio-ecological crisis can be brought into practice. As Senior Research Fellow in the UCL Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education, Kate undertakes a range of research and impact activities that aim to support teachers to effectively incorporate climate change and sustainability into their teaching practice. |
Leo Rayman
| CEO EdenLab | Leo is the CEO and founder of EdenLab. EdenLab is a global sustainability innovation consultancy. EdenLab helps make big companies more sustainable and sustainable companies bigger. Leo believes that we must work with and through companies to accelerate the transition to a post-carbon world. EdenLab works on commercialising sustainability for clients like Unilever, TUI, Danone, giffgaff, The Football Association and EDF Ventures as well as a number of promising ClimateTech firms working in carbon capture, biodiversity monitoring and waste upcycling. Previously he was CEO of Grey Consulting a management consultancy within WPP And previously CEO and Chief Strategy Officer of world famous ad agency Grey London. Leo gained a distinction in Business Sustainability Management from the Cambridge Institute of Sustainabiltiy Leadership has an MA from Oxford. He’s a domain expert adviser to Carbon13 the Cambridge-based venture builder for the climate emergency. Leo has recently lectured at The Saïd Business School, the London School of Economics, Oxford University and The Marketing Society. |
Puninda Thind
| Finance Nature Lead, Climate Champions Team | Puninda Thind is Finance Nature Lead with the UN Climate Champions Team focused on catalyzing and mobilizing finance sector action to address biodiversity loss and nature-related risks and opportunities. Puninda is deeply committed to building a sustainable, prosperous, equitable future. She has previously worked at the intersection of sustainable investing and climate resilience for 10+ years. She holds a Bachelors of Environment and Business (Honours) from the University of Waterloo and a MSc Sustainability, Enterprise, and Environment from the University of Oxford. She is also a member of the Global Shapers Community, an initiative of the World Economic Forum. Puninda has been recognized as one of Canada’s top 30 under 30 sustainability leaders, one of Canada’s top 25 under 25 environmentalists, and as a Clean50 honouree for her contribution to the advancement of climate action. |
Robbie Macpherson
| Senior Political Adviser and Climate APPG Lead, Uplift | Robbie has been working to support political leadership on climate, energy and environmental issues for over five years. He has successfully campaigned for change at a local, national and international level. Robbie is a Senior Political Adviser at Uplift where he leads the Secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Climate Change supporting cross-party MPs and Peers in advancing a just transition away from oil and gas production, including working with parliamentarians to oppose new oil and gas developments. Before this he worked as a Political Adviser at leading environmental think-tank Green Alliance. There he supported the organisations political advocacy and led the Environment APPG’s secretariat – where he helped grow the group to become the largest caucus of cross-party MPs and Peers working to promote environmental ambition within the UK Parliament. Previously Robbie led Schools and Youth Outreach at Hope for the Future supporting young people and teachers in encouraging their MPs to take greater action on climate and nature. He subsequently served as a Trustee on Hope for the Future’s Board for two years. Robbie has also worked at UK:100 supporting local government delivering their climate goals and advised the Teach the Future campaign in gaining political support support for their Climate Education Bill which is now Labour Party policy. Robbie holds a BA in Politics and Sociology with Employment Experience from the University of Sheffield. His dissertation ‘Understanding the Covid-climate nexus from the perspective of UK MPs’ included interviews with 13 Conservative and Labour MPs. |
Sara Mahdi
| Science Communicator, Conservationist, Political ecology researcher, currently at Research & Degrowth International and Autonomous University of Barcelona | Sara is a multidisciplinary researcher and political ecologist with a focus climate communication. In her work she mixes natural and social sciences, getting audiences to join the dots between climate change, race, inequality, and social justice. Sara has co-produced programmes at the Natural History Museum, debated economic growth at Channel 4, bridged the gap between urban researchers and policymakers at LSE Cities. Prior to finishing her MSc at UCL, Sara spent a decade as a conservationist in India, using communications to protect endangered species, help draft policy, fundraise, lead campaigns for tigers, engage with the public and policymakers, among much more. Sara is currently researching inequality x climate crises x justice at Research & Degrowth International and Autonomous University of Barcelona. |
Sebastian Dunnett
| Senior Programme Officer, Nature Economy, UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre | Nature scientist at UNEP-WCMC, a global centre of excellence on biodiversity, working at the interface of science, policy and practice to help tackle the global nature crisis. PhD in renewable energy and biodiversity and over ten years of experience in environmental research, policy, and advocacy. |
Siobhan Bailey Turner
| Celebrity Relations Lead, WWF-UK | Siobhan is an experienced celebrity and influencer manager in the entertainment industry, with more than a decade of experience working with top names in film, TV, and music as well as prestigious brands including The British Fashion Council, Kenzo, Roger Vivier, Represent, Mulberry, Selfridges, Swarovski, Armani Beauty, The V&A, & more. She joined WWF-UK in 2021 to lead the Celebrity Relations team, delivering celebrity and influencer strategies that align with WWF's goals throughout the year to create real-world impact. Siobhan plays a key role in developing campaigns and connecting celebrities and influencers that raise awareness on the triple challenge our world currently faces; meeting the world's food needs, tackling the climate crisis, and reversing the loss of nature. She’s spearheaded the award-winning WWF podcast Call of the Wild, featuring famous faces and environmental experts including Ellie Goulding, Kedar Williams-Stirling, Fearne Cotton, Kevin McCloud, Jayda G, Andy Cato, Poppy Okotcha, Richard Curtis, Txai Surui, Deborah Meaden, Maisie Williams & more who discuss lifestyle choices and encourage urgent action on climate change. Siobhan worked on the launch of Wild Isles, a BBC natural history series co-produced by WWF & RSPB and narrated by Sir David Attenborough, and the campaign running alongside ‘Save Our Wild Isles’. Siobhan's passion and network have made her a leader in a specialised field, dedicated to creating a world where people and nature can thrive. |
Victoria Burns
| Movement Coordinator, Culture Declares Climate and Ecological Emergency and Climate Museum UK | I am a researcher, trainer, and creative producer working at the intersections of culture, social justice, and the climate and ecological emergency. |
Flora Blathwayt
| Founder, Washed Up Cards | Inspired by the 'plastic treasures' from her lockdown River Thames litter picks, Flora launched Washed Up Cards, decorating greeting cards with beach plastic to spread awareness about plastic pollution. Fast forward to today Washed Up Cards is now a social enterprise where Flora runs beach cleans and creative workshops to help people connect with nature, improve mental wellbeing all while tackling the plastic crisis with hope. Backed by 7 years in sustainability at Rubies in the Rubble (condiments from surplus fruit and veg) and Notpla (packaging made from seaweed). Flora is looking forward to sharing her journey and connecting with everyone at the UCL Sustainability Leadership Conference 2025. |
Shana Gallagher
| Net Zero Engagement Manager, BSI | Shana Gallagher is Net Zero Engagement Manager for BSI, the British Standards Institution, which is the UK’s National Standards Body and UK member to ISO, the International Organizations for Standards. Shana advises corporations on how to utilize standards in the development of more credible and comprehensive net zero strategies. Prior to joining BSI, Shana served as Platform Manager for Climate VC, a climate tech venture capital firm, and worked in US politics for almost a decade. She holds a Masters in Finance, Climate Change and Management from Imperial College Business School. |
Josephine Ewoma
| Researcher, Post Growth Institute | Josephine is a researcher, workshop facilitator and writer with a MSc from the University of Oxford in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management and a BSc in Marine Biology. Josephine's work explores in the intersections of environmental and social justice, marine conservation, degrowth and post-growth futures and understanding how to effectively communicate and engage communities with climate and biodiversity advocacy |
Anna Krajinska
| Director, T&E | Anna Krajinska is the Director of T&E UK, Europe’s leading NGO for clean transport and energy. In this role, she leads the UK office’s work to decarbonise the road, aviation, and shipping sectors. Anna is an expert in UK and EU policy, having previously led T&E’s EU advocacy on a range of road transport files. Prior to joining T&E, she worked as an engineer at Ford. |
Julian Sanchez
| National Cycle Lead, The Active Wellbeing Society | Julian is highly committed to active travel and its contribution to creating sustainable and equitable urban environments. With over 20 years of experience in Transport Planning and Policy, he currently divides his time between Essex County Council where he delivers Active Travel planning and infrastructure projects such as Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans LCWIPs); and The Active Wellbeing Society where he is the National Cycle Lead and advocates for Free Bikes Schemes in deprived areas, including Big Birmingham Bikes and Essex Pedal Power. Julian also helps to facilitate the LGA and Sport England Place-Based Leadership Programmes. Through his roles, he advocates for active travel’s potential to enhance the public’s health, improve access to local amenities, and reduce reliance on motor vehicles. Julian is currently undertaking the Global Leadership in Transport short course series at the Transport Studies Unit at the University of Oxford as he is a strong believer in lifelong learning, continuous improvement and discovery. Julian is also currently collaborating with Imperial College on a paper which demonstrates the health benefits of cycling in deprived areas. |
Stuti Rawat
| Lecturer in Governance, Business and Sustainability, UCL | Stuti Rawat is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) of Governance, Business and Sustainability at the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources. Stuti is an interdisciplinary researcher with training in economics and public policy. Her work focuses on sustainability and governance, particularly in the water, climate change, and food sectors, using quantitative and mixed-methods. At UCL she is a member of the Behavioural Environmental Economics Team (BEET) and teaches on the MSc Business and Sustainability programme. She has previously taught at the University of Delhi, the National University of Singapore, and The Education University of Hong Kong. Beyond academia, Stuti has worked with regional secretariats, international organisations, and research centres, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN); the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL); the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD); and the World Bank. |
Colin Brown
| Founder and MD, Sustainability Connects | Founder + MD, Sustainability Connects. Co-Chair, Scottish Forum for Natural Capital With 30+ years’ experience working within ESG, sustainability, social value, built environment and natural capital, Colin has vast knowledge, understanding and performance at an executive and director level, developing sustainability and ESG strategies, programmes, initiatives, research, and thought leadership. Colin is Founder and MD of Sustainability Connects, a Global Sustainability Consultancy, Global Hub Network and Social Enterprise as well as holding several other positions including Co-Chair of the Scottish Forum on Natural Capital; Special Advisor to a London based Social Enterprise focussed on Sustainability Upskilling; as well as being a NED to a New York based Climate Tech organisation; and as visiting lecturer to a number of academic institutions, including Edinburgh, Sheffield and Napier Universities. Colin has worked for and with a wide range of corporations, organisations, associations and governments. This includes some of the UK’s top Environmental Consultancies; FTSE 25 organisations; McLaren Racing; FIFA; Royal Bank of Scotland; United Nations Global Compact; the UK steel sector; UK energy sector; UK finance sector; and UK, Scottish, and South Korean Governments. |
Niamh McBride
| Local Authority and Environmental Partnerships Manager, Material Focus | Niamh McBride is the Local Authority and Environmental Partnerships Manager at Material Focus, the not-for-profit leading the UK wide Recycle Your Electricals behaviour change campaign, making it easier for people to fix, donate, and recycle their old electricals. |
Maimoni Ubrei-Joe
| Founding member & Director of Climate and Energy Justice | Maimoni Mariere Ubrei-Joe is a dedicated climate justice advocate whose work cuts across Nigeria and the African region. He currently serves as the Director of Campaigns and Administration at the Community Development Advocacy Foundation (CODAF) and is a founding member of the Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN), where he leads the climate and energy justice campaigns. |
Harry Hazeldean
| Research Analyst, Ellen Macarthur Foundation | Harry is a Research Analyst at the Ellen Macarthur Foundation’s Plastics Initiative, where he works to accelerate the transition to a circular economy for plastics through voluntary commitments and cross-sector collaboration. He supports the Global Commitment - the world’s largest voluntary initiative on plastics - by generating data-driven insights and research to catalyse business action on plastic pollution. Before joining the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, he founded a micro-scale, circular economy-driven mushroom farm and fungal lab. Later pursuing an MSc in Food Security and Biodiversity at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, deepening his expertise in sustainable systems thinking and ecological resilience. |
Fiona Jeffery OBE
| Founder and Chairman, Just a Drop | Born in Scotland and a graduate of Edinburgh University, Fiona Jeffery has had a long and accomplished career working in the travel industry, responsible for World Travel Market (WTM) from 1986-2013 both as Managing Director and ultimately as Chairman. She created and launched a responsible tourism drive across the industry globally, World Responsible Tourism Day in association with the UNWTO, which is now the largest responsible tourism gathering across the world. And launched the very first Ministerial Summit bringing the public and private sectors together to debate, discuss and shape the industry. In 1998, as part of her sustainability drive, Fiona also founded and is Chair of the international water development charity Just a Drop, bringing sustainable safe water, sanitation and hygiene education to communities across Asia, Africa and Latin America, transforming lives. The organization supports 12 out of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals and to date has worked in 32 countries and changed the lives of over 1.7 million people. Fiona, as a member of the UNWTO World Committee for Tourism Ethics successfully got agreement at the UN General Assembly to convert the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics into a legally binding Convention. A former Chair of WTTC’s Tourism for Tomorrow Programme and Chair of Africa Travel & Tourism Association she also sits on the Advisory Board for School of Hospitality and Tourism at Surrey University and is a Senior Partner for Finn Partners Global Sustainable Tourism PR Practice and Global Travel Recovery Network. She has lead the ITT Sustainability Committee for the last 18 months. In 2012, Fiona was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty the Queen for services to travel and tourism, and in 2013 received the TTG Contribution to Industry Award and the World Tourism Award for her philanthropic vision in creating Just a Drop. She was recognized in the Directory of Social Change Influencer Awards in 2015 and was inducted into the Global Travel and Hospitality Industry Hall of Fame in 2020. She has recently been awarded a Bronze Medal for Individual Leader of the Year from the Global Good Awards and Just a Drop was awarded the Pioneers Award from the Scientific Exploration Society, both in 2023. |
Sasha St John
| Project Manager, UCL | Sasha St John is a Project Manager at UCL, integrating sustainability and social impact into the university’s strategic partnerships. Sasha collaborates with local authorities and corporate partners to drive place-based impact, and leads the department’s Green Impact Programme (SOS-UK), mentoring a team of postgraduate sustainability ambassadors. With a background in the NHS as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner and certified Outdoor Leader (TTF UK), Sasha champions equitable access to nature, highlighting the lasting mental health benefits of community-led climate initiatives and nature-based connection. Sasha is also a Citizen Scientist with Surrey Wildlife Trust and the Royal Parks, an Activist with Surfers Against Sewage, a Tree Planter with the Kent High Weald Partnership, and Consultant for Force of Nature, supporting youth-led climate action and education. Above all, Sasha is a passionate birdwatcher, gardener, and mushroom enthusiast, and (one of many) dedicated caretakers of the Earth |
Leonie Taylor
| Senior Researcher, The Young Foundation | Leonie is a Senior Researcher who joined The Young Foundation in 2023, with a drive to amplify community-driven evidence as the foundation for social change. In her role, Leonie supports communities, organisations and policymakers to achieve this in their journey to low-carbon living as part of the just transition team. Before joining The Young Foundation, Leonie led programmes in Sierra Leone and Greece, working in partnership with communities whose experiences are often less heard, to understand the challenges they face and the solutions they would like to see. With a keen interest in creative and participatory methods in co-creation, Leonie leads a range of mixed-methods projects across the areas of housing, the built environment and social infrastructures. In her role, Leonie also supports the University Policy Engagement Network (UPEN) and the Joined-Up Sustainability Transformation (JUST) Centre. |
Francesca Favia
| Research & Academia Consultant, European Commission | Francesca Favia is a sustainability and environmental strategist with over 15 years of experience leading innovation across diverse sectors, including renewable energy, fashion, food systems, and urban development. She specialises in climate policy, the circular economy, and EU-funded research projects, with a strong focus on environmental justice and systemic transformation. Francesca’s expertise lies in bridging high-level strategy with practical implementation, helping organisations integrate climate goals, ESG priorities, and resilience frameworks. Her work advances sustainable development by driving measurable impact and fostering collaboration between public and private sectors, ensuring alignment with evolving global sustainability and climate resilience standards. |
Anoushka Jain
| Student, UCL and UKYCC Member | Anoushka’s climate activism began with her work with local women’s charities in New Delhi to campaign for a more just and equitable fashion industry, addressing its disproportionate impact on the Global South by collaborating with local communities and governments. Her focus on circular fashion led to her receiving the Coach Foundation Scholarship, which supports her work on building a circular fashion economy. Anoushka is also in the COP Working Group of the UK Youth Climate Coalition (UKYCC), where she works on-ground on youth engagement at both local and international climate negotiations, including representing young people at COP29. At UCL, she leads a Changemakers X Grand Challenges climate education project, where she works across eight departments across the university to create climate education resources that are both innovative and actionable for students and communities. |
Lewis Jamieson
| CEO, Music Declares Emergency | Lewis has worked in the music industry his entire adult life, taking roles in A & R, Artist management, PR, and marketing in a career spanning three decades. In 2019, Lewis was one of the founders of Music Declares Emergency alongside other leading industry professionals and recording artists. Music Declares Emergency has grown into a key voice for climate awareness and action within the music industry with their NO MUSIC ON A DEAD PLANET campaign reaching half a billion music fans worldwide through collaborations with global superstars and grassroots artists, partnerships with leading festivals and contributions to industry initiatives including The Music Climate Pact. As CEO, Lewis is responsible for the overall direction of the UK charity and coordination with the fifteen international groups across the globe. |
Stirling Spowers
| Co-Founder & Regenerative Systems Explorer | Stirling is a serial social innovator exploring how business and technology might catalyse regenerative futures. Whilst at University, he co-founded two organisations. The first, a circular fungi-based food-tech start-up, was nominated for the Earthshot Award. The second has morphed into The Regenescape – a youth-led organisation building capacity in the next generation to ensure technology becomes a force of regeneration, not extraction. Alongside these ventures, Stirling has spent three years as a ‘Regenerative Systems Explorer’ at Volans, a boutique advisory firm at the bleeding edge of systems-change. |
Nnenna Belia Onwuka
| Feminist Climate Advocate | Nnenna is passionate about the human impact of climate change and advancing feminist solutions. Her work lies at the intersection of human rights, gender equality, and climate justice, with a particular focus on climate education and the meaningful engagement of marginalised communities. She has advocated for girls’ education and feminist climate justice through roles at the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative and the Women’s Environmental Network and has researched the human rights implications of deforestation at Global Canopy. She holds an MSc in Human Rights, where her research focused on protecting Women Environmental and Human Rights Defenders through a decolonial feminist lens - an approach that continues to shape and guide all her work. |
Kristian Noll
| Chair of the UN Earth Programme's Faith for Earth Youth Council | Kristian Noll is the Partnerships and Impact Coordinator at the LSE Religion and Global Society Unit, where he leads climate-focused knowledge exchange initiatives, working with diplomats, policymakers, and advocates. He is also Chair of the UNEP Faith for Earth Youth Council, spearheading global initiatives that integrate faith and environmental sustainability, and Co-Convenor of the Youth Forum for Faith and Ecology, a network of UK-based youth engaged in faith-based climate advocacy. Previously, he interned with MP Barry Gardiner, in the UK House of Commons and worked as an International Parliamentary Fellow with the Deutscher Bundestag. Kristian holds an MSc in Environmental Policy and Regulation from LSE and contributes regularly to public discourse through op-eds and podcasts. |
Poli Pencheva
| Architect and Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation and Circular Economy Fellow, UCL | Poli has had a diverse career, with over 12 years of experience in the UK construction industry, during which she led the design and delivery of large regeneration projects in London. Her expertise is in data-driven design, sustainable design, policy and procurement practices. She has worked with both public and private sector organisations to develop and deliver on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) company and project strategies. In 2023, Poli stepped away from her senior management role in the private sector, to join UCL. She now leads the Net Zero What Works agenda which aims to boost interdisciplinary collaboration and coordination in addressing complex systems challenges. She is also part of the Plastic Waste Innovation Hub working at the intersection between climate change and circular economy. |
Amy Whight
| Trustee, The Dixon Foundation | Amy Whight is a climate finance and sustainability strategist with 10 years of experience driving equitable climate solutions internationally within business and philanthropic organisations. Most recently, she served as the Head of Impact & Advocacy at Oxygen House Group to integrate environmental and social impact into business operations, establishing carbon accounting practices, Net Zero and Enhanced Biodiversity pathways, and B Corp certification. Amy is a Trustee at The Dixon Foundation where she designed and now supports the implementation of a £1m+ environmental funding portfolio, with a focus on the circular economy and regenerative food systems. Her approach is grounded in the belief that bold, collaborative finance can help unlock a just climate future. She holds BA in Spanish and Geography from Lancaster University, and an MA in International Studies and Diplomacy with Arabic from SOAS. |
Etienne Stott MBE
| London 2012 gold medalist, campaigner and activist | Etienne Stott MBE, gold medalist from the London 2012 Olympics will share some perspectives from his journey towards Olympic success, through to harnessing the power of his sporting platform as a campaigner and activist. Tenacity, focus and resilience are vital in these times of environmental crisis and the mindset and values of sport can offer perspectives on how to address these challenges and communicate in a simple, human way. |
Em Fenton
| Senior Director - Climate Diplomacy, Opportunity Green | Em (they/them) is the Senior Director – Climate Diplomacy at Opportunity Green, an environmental NGO that brings together legal, policy and analytical tools to tackle some of climate change’s more intractable challenges. As Senior Director for the Climate Diplomacy team they support Climate Vulnerable Countries to push for ambition in multilateral negotiations. Prior to joining Opportunity Green they led the Scottish Government’s International Climate Policy Team to oversee Scotland’s £36m Climate Justice Fund and deliver international advocacy on climate justice, especially action to address climate-induced loss and damage. |
Abdi Suleiman
| Political Affairs Manager, Friends of the Earth |
Alina Congreve
| Lecturer, UCL |
Anna Cox
| Operations and Marketing Coordinator, KLH Sustainability |
Beatrice Anomah
| Inclusion and Climate Justice Project Manager, SOS-UK |
Chris Desai
| Global Director of UOCEAN 2050 & Founder of Vayyu and The Vayyu Foundation |
Claire Brady
| Global Sustainability Manager, Savills |
Claire Poole
| CEO, Sport Positive |
Emma River-Roberts
| Founder & Co-Director, Working Class Climate Alliance |
Fiona Macklin
| Senior Adviser - Groundswell, Global Optimism |
Freddie Daley
| Freddie Daley, Centre for Global Political Economy |
George Leigh
| Senior Adviser, London Climate Resilience Review, Environment Agency |
Georgia Cavanagh
| Climate Action Training and Communications Manager, BSI |
Harland Evans
| CEO and Founder, Nature Based |
Hugo Engel
| Consultant, Bramble Intelligence |
Ine Steenmans
| Associate Professor in Futures, Analysis and Policy, UCL |
Isabelle Parker
| Human Rights and Social Sustainability, Unilever |
Isobel McPartlin
| Net Zero & Energy Transition Analyst, Verdantix |
James Medaway
| Senior Director, Economics, Opportunity Green |
Jasmine Isa Qureshi
| Ecologist and writer |
Jasmine Isa Qureshi
| Ecologist and writer |
Jasmine Mir
| Climate, Nature and Plastics, Unilever |
Jasper Tahany
| Co-Founder, The Regenescape |
John Willshire
| Founder, Smithery and Associate Lecturer, Design Futures, Royal College of Arts |
Kalpana Arias
| Founder and Director, Nowadays |
Kate Jones
| Chair of Ecology and Biodiversity, UCL |
Lucy Tammam
| Couturier and Creative Director, TAMMAM |
Maeve Campbell
| Journalist |
Mark Maslin
| Professor of Earth Systems Science, UCL |
Michael Gaydamak
| Student, UCL |
Mingye Li
| Student, Shanghai Jiao Tong University China - UK Low Carbon College |
Nameerah Hameed
| Member, Board of Directors, Climate Action Network International |
Nasreen Majid
| Lecturer in Education, UCL |
Nigel Doar
| Head of Science and Research, Wildlife Trusts |
Nina Wallace
| Senior Consultant, Bioregional |
Nina Hundt
| Co-Founder, ReNature |
Nina Hundt
| Co-Founder, ReNature |
Rhythima Shinde
| Senior Sustainability Advisor. KLH Sustinability |
Roy Kareem
| Future Generations Lead, Centre for Sustainable Energy |
Shuyao Zhuang
| Shanghai Jiao Tong University China-UK Low Carbon College |
Sidhant Minocha
| UCL Student |
Siobhann Mansel-Pleydell
| Campaign Director, Oxfordshire Liveable Streets |
Sunita Ramani
| Campaign Manager, Foodrise |
Suzi Zumpe
| Creative Director, ENO Breathe |
Tom Ash
| Senior Policy Officer, Wildlife and Countryside Link |
Tom Bellamy
| Biodiversity Manager, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park |
Venkatesh Nevase
| Graduate Sustainability Advisor, KLH Sustainability |
Yash Rane
| Investment Professional, Fortescue |
Elliot Arthur-Worsop
| Founder, Football for Future |
Alan Salazar
| Sustainability Officer, Students' Union UCL |
Vivina Vincent
| Carbon Neutral Programme Manager, Croydon Council |
Joss Carr
| Junior Naturalist, Biological Recording Company |
Joss Carr
| Junior Naturalist, Biological Recording Company |
Maisie Kemp
| Changemaking Programmes Associate, Subak |
Kaela Katz
| Founder and Director, FibreLab |
Luiza Campos
| Professor of Environmental Engineering, UCL |
Chris Moss
| Senior Consultant, Greengage Environmental Ltd |
Yaroslav Melekh
| Research Fellow in Economics of Energy Innovation and Systems Transition, UCL |
Stephen Harwood
| Lecturer in the Centre for Systems Engineering, UCL |
Briony Campbell
| Artist |
Rojas Alexei
| Professional Footballer, Arsenal |
Pete Dawe
| Head of Climate Change, Greater London Authority |
Lola Fayokun
| Co-Founder, Breath |
Enna Uwaifo
| Intersectional environmentalist, formerly Julie's Bicycle |