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Sustainability & Climate Action Events Series 2020-21

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LSBU’s Sustainability & Climate Action Events Series 2020-21

During 2020 and 2021, LSBU hosted a series of events on Sustainability and Climate Action. This series offered a unique platform to allow LSBU and our partners to showcase and celebrate key sustainability projects being delivering in these increasingly challenging times. We heard from over 100 speakers, from external keynote speakers to our internal experts.

Through three themed events we aimed to showcase where LSBU was having real world impact through sustainability and climate action initiatives. The series of events engaged a number of stakeholders from local to national government, non-government organisations (NGOs) and pressure groups, from large corporations to small businesses, present and future project partners, our staff members, current students and alumni.

About this event series

Part One: Climate, Carbon, Energy and Resources

The first event in the series focused on the issues of climate, carbon, energy and resources. The energy we consume creates carbon emissions that damage the planet through global warming. The Australian fires and Indonesian floods in 2020 were the consequence of 250 years of industry using toxic energy sources. With the UK committed to be carbon neutral by 2050, and all nations aiming to reduce greenhouse gases by 40% by 2030, LSBU set out to understand how society could go green more quickly and what will that mean for architects, engineers and the built environment.

Our prominent guest speakers included:

  • The Cabinet Office on organising COP 26
  • The Environment Agency
  • Extinction Rebellion
  • Greengage
  • Sweco UK
  • Buro Happold.

In the lead-up to the event, we interviewed some of our key speakers, asking them about their current roles, what they were doing individually to tackle issues around sustainability and climate change, and their thoughts on the future.

Read the Part One session speaker interviews here.

Part Two: Consumption, Economics, Education and Wellbeing

Consumption, Economics, Education and Wellbeing

Part Two: Consumption, Economics, Education and Wellbeing

Part Two of the event series focused on the themes of consumption, economics, education and wellbeing. The consumer market is changing rapidly. There has been a rise of veganism, entire nations are boycotting single use plastic and we are seeing the emergence of the application of circularity in design and production from large corporations and new start-ups alike. The consumer action is fuelled by a rise in eco-anxiety and with businesses response to the scientific data with creative solutions.

Rethinking the structure of the economy to stop environmental damage will be better for the mental-health and wellbeing of all of us and interventions and tools for improving and maintaining these conditions are a key factor in sustainability. Education for sustainable development is at the heart of societal transformation, encouraging individuals, organisations and communities in adopting more sustainable and climate conscious behaviours.

LSBU set out to explore how we could rethink our economy and our consumption patterns to stop environmental damage and to improve the mental-health and wellbeing for all of society. This included an exploration of the impact of the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic.

Our prominent guest speakers included:

  • Dillie Keane
  • IKEAProfessor Jill Atkins
  • Times Higher Education
  • Mental Health Charity Mind
  • Royal Parks
  • Bankside Open Spaces Trust
  • Aja Barber
  • Studio XAG
  • The Sustainable Angle
  • Consumption
  • Economics & Education
  • Wellbeing.

In the lead-up to the event, we interviewed some of our key speakers asking them about their current role, what they were doing as individuals to tackle issues around sustainability and climate change and their thoughts on the future.

Read the Part Two session speaker interviews here.

Part Three: Equality: Food, Water and Politics

Equality: Food, Water and Politics

With an increase in floods and droughts and our changing weather systems, threats to global food and water security are increasing. Policies and laws have the power to address the global challenges we currently face on equal access to food and water worldwide but true equality also requires a huge amount of work to deal with the humanitarian issues then facing the world, particularly in light of the Black Lives Matter movement and the refugee crisis. Part Three of the event series considered what creative solutions can drive fairer access to food and how can climate change and globalisation impact our psychological behaviour towards food, diets and our physical health? What more needs to be done to move towards a greener and fairer world for everyone?

Prominent guest speakers included:

  • Mercato Metropolitano
  • The London Food Strategy
  • Veganuary
  • Gauthier Soho
  • Sistah Space
  • RESTLESS Development
  • Grace Hull, Sustainability and Social Justice Educator
  • COP26 Universities Network

In the lead-up to the event, we interviewed some of our key speakers asking them about their current role, what they are doing individually to tackle issues around sustainability and climate change and their thoughts on the future.

Read the Part Three session speaker interviews here.

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