Dear friends and supporters,
Last weekend (13-14 May 2017) we got one step closer to our vision of a carbon neutral university.
You ask how?
We organised a workshop we called ‘Changing Systems: Not just Lightbulbs’
and invited sustainability professionals and visionaries from universities to learn together how to make changes – System Changes.
What can be effective in building pathways to zero carbon in a university or college? How can we engage people, sustain the momentum, produce results? We focussed our conversations onto “What Works”, and we will produce a guide covering what emerged. Our expert speakers provided stories of what, in their experience, really does work.
Last weekend (13-14 May 2017) we got one step closer to our vision of a carbon neutral university.
You ask how?
We organised a workshop we called ‘Changing Systems: Not just Lightbulbs’
and invited sustainability professionals and visionaries from universities to learn together how to make changes – System Changes.
What can be effective in building pathways to zero carbon in a university or college? How can we engage people, sustain the momentum, produce results? We focussed our conversations onto “What Works”, and we will produce a guide covering what emerged. Our expert speakers provided stories of what, in their experience, really does work.
Who came together and how did the magic happen?
We invited people who have already set off on zero carbon journeys and asked them to tell us their stories of change.
And they came.
Our main speakers
We invited people who have already set off on zero carbon journeys and asked them to tell us their stories of change.
And they came.
Our main speakers
| Paul Allen, the project coordinator for the Centre for Alternative Technology’s Zero Carbon Britain (ZCB), presented recent findings and striking examples which show us how a zero carbon Britain is possible – with existing technologies – by 2030. |  |
 | The findings of ZCB’s latest research, “Making it Happen”, were introduced by lead author and sustainability professional Lisa Hopkinson. Lisa talked us through ways barriers to zero carbon can be overcome – including in the fields of psychology, communications, economics, politics and governance. |
| David Somervell, previously sustainability adviser for the University of Edinburgh talked us through their ‘Zero by 2040’ vision. For us Sheffielders, this is fascinating - a fellow Russell Group university with an ambitious goal and a detailed strategy to realise it. |  |
 | Finally, our CNU event lead and MSc student at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Adam Howard, presented ‘Theory U’. This model proposes that certain key stages underlie effective change initiatives. Complex systems, it urges, require us to listen first – and then to “lead from the emerging future”. |
Great stories from course participants and great atmosphere over the weekend
Besides our four main speakers, we had an excellent team of workshop participants from all over the country - SOAS University of London, the University of Warwick, Sheffield Hallam University and even international attendees from as far as Australia. Several of them gave short TED-style talks on their own projects and experiences, bringing an additional depth of experience to the table.
Besides our four main speakers, we had an excellent team of workshop participants from all over the country - SOAS University of London, the University of Warwick, Sheffield Hallam University and even international attendees from as far as Australia. Several of them gave short TED-style talks on their own projects and experiences, bringing an additional depth of experience to the table.
The whole concept of the workshop was based on group work to identify what actually works – enabled through experienced facilitation by professional facilitator and CNU member Nick Nuttgens.
As a network, we aimed to increase human interaction and enable sustainable collaborations for the future. Participants came together for an evening meal provided by the Real Junk Food Project team. RJF catered for us over the whole weekend, keeping our food footprint low and our bellies happy. A bit of warmth and many smiles are just as important as facts and we had a good mix of both…
What to expect next…
After a lively weekend we have loads of new ideas, motivation, and notes from our sessions, which we are going to pull together over the coming weeks.
We will make all resources available in the near future and we have also set ourselves a goal - to create a guide to ‘What Works’ that can help universities and other similar organisations in building zero carbon pathways.
Our aims:
This whole event, and what we are now building from it, is the work of volunteers. (No-one has been paid a penny, apart from expenses.) We are enjoying ourselves as a team! Please get in touch if you want to help make it happen.
Thank you.
Your CNU event coordinators
Adam Howard, Stephen Folkes, Dan Olner, Aaron Thierry
After a lively weekend we have loads of new ideas, motivation, and notes from our sessions, which we are going to pull together over the coming weeks.
We will make all resources available in the near future and we have also set ourselves a goal - to create a guide to ‘What Works’ that can help universities and other similar organisations in building zero carbon pathways.
Our aims:
- Short interview videos with our main speakers online;
- Full length lectures and summary blog posts online;
- The initial draft guide to ‘What Works’ will be opened up for review by participants. The goal is to publish by the end of June.
This whole event, and what we are now building from it, is the work of volunteers. (No-one has been paid a penny, apart from expenses.) We are enjoying ourselves as a team! Please get in touch if you want to help make it happen.
Thank you.
Your CNU event coordinators
Adam Howard, Stephen Folkes, Dan Olner, Aaron Thierry
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