Agenda

The Power of Story: Reconnecting meaning, emotion and climate action 

Practical tools for accidental and emerging leaders to influence, secure backing, and sustain momentum without burnout

Join us for a feel‑good beach clean walk to start the conference on a positive note. Connect with fellow attendees, give back and enjoy the views!

A chance for first-time attendees to be paired with experienced conference-goers. 

How sustainability professionals can apply the Act to shape decisions, partnerships and long term impact across post-16 education

Plenary session: Facing reality and challenging our assumptions: where we must think and act differently.

Hear from: 

• Glasgow School of Art

• Centre for Alternative Technologies (CAT)

• University of Bath

• Wellbeing Economy

• Fircroft College

• Teach the Future

Meet other delegates and browse the exhibition space.

Plenary session: In conversation with Bevis Watts, former Chief Executive of Triodos Bank and previously Avon Wildlife Trust.

This session will explore credibility, risk and change, with Bevis drawing on reflections from finance, academia and conservation.

About Bevis 

Bevis has spent his whole career working in sustainability in public, private and voluntary sectors. Having spent the early part of his career in the recycling industry he was CEO of Triodos Bank UK and previously CEO of Avon Wildlife Trust.

He has held numerous Directorships and Trusteeships including several Bristol and South West voluntary organisations as well as national advisory roles in banking and impact investing. He led Triodos Bank UK for nearly ten years, with the bank recognised as the UK’s most sustainable banking provider by several consumer watchdogs and rankings.

The company received The King’s Award for Sustainable Development 2025, which recognises commercially successful products, services and management that benefit the environment, society and the economy.

Bevis has also been a leading challenger in efforts to change the banking system and direct money as a powerful force for good, and collaborated and appeared in, the Netflix film ‘Our Planet Too Big To Fail’ as well as the Save Our Wild Isles films on banking and our food system. He had a regular column in the Metro newspaper for four years on how to green your money and authored media opinion pieces.

He has been an active conservation volunteer throughout his adult life and in 2021 made nationally significant discoveries of beavers living and breeding on the river Avon, subsequently publishing a book - ‘River Journey - searching for wild beavers and finding freedom’ with the author proceeds donated to conservation charities.

He has a first-class business degree, a PhD in Management Science, is a Chartered Environmentalist was recently awarded an honorary doctorate from UWE for his leadership in sustainability.

Choose from:

• Turning climate knowledge into action

• Sustaining the past, adapting for the future

• Re: Action Health

• Green supply chains

• Putting a price on carbon

• From vision to impact: A Green Gown institution in practice

• Learning for living and work - reloved

• Community rail partnership

• Our Nature, your Future

Plenary session: From evidence to action, aligning research, teaching and operations for system level sustainability impact

Hear from: 

• UKRI - Sparkhub

• UKRI - Environmental Sustainability Concordat 

• South Devon College

• Exeter University

More details coming soon.

A plenary session exploring practical choices for ethical, inclusive and low-carbon AI in post-16 education, featuring speakers from: 

• Loughborough University

• Jisc, National Centre for AI (tertiary education)

• University of Bristol

• Heart of Worcestershire College (HOW)

• EAUC

Choose from: 

• Nature friendly campuses in practice

• The LSSC and SSRC models

• Responsible AI in practice: Assessing and reducing the impacts of Isambard AI

• Attracting and supporting the future workforce

• Diet, disinformation and trust, leading sustainable change without polarisation

• Building educator confidence in sustainability

Connect with other delegates and browse the exhibition space. 

Meet other delegates and browse the exhibition space. 

Plenary session: more information coming soon

A follow-on from the morning session on day 1, the second part of this reflective plenary will pick up on the themes of challenging assumptions, and thinking and acting differently.

A round up and reflection of the event, plus prize giving from the conference game.