Environmental Sustainability Conference
Environmental Sustainability Conference 2026
The first-ever Environmental Sustainability Conference took place on 19 May and was a tremendous success, bringing together 120 colleagues from across the Warwick staff community.
The day provided an opportunity to share environmental sustainability practices, celebrate achievements, spark new ideas, and reflect on what it means to be a truly sustainable institution. Through inspiring presentations, engaging discussions, and valuable networking opportunities, attendees explored the role we can all play in creating a more sustainable future at Warwick.
A huge thank you to everyone who attended, contributed, and supported the event. Your enthusiasm, insights, and commitment to sustainability helped make the conference such a success, and we look forward to building on this momentum in the years ahead.
"This conference showed how important it is to work together across different disciplines and communities to make a real difference. By sharing our research and lived experiences, we are better equipped to turn ideas into action.
It was encouraging to see attendees engaging in thoughtful, inclusive discussions, from education for sustainable development to global perspectives on health and justice, that are essential for driving real change."
Conference guided by sustainability principles
This event was planned and delivered with sustainability at its core, in collaboration with Warwick Conferences, and we would like to thank all attendees for supporting these efforts.
Throughout the planning and delivery of the event, we applied our Sustainable Events Guide to minimise environmental impact and demonstrate sustainable event management in practice. Catering focused on plant-based and vegetarian options, providing a lower-carbon menu choice, while attendee lunch selections were collected in advance to help reduce food waste.
The event was designed to be low waste, with printed materials kept to an absolute minimum and only essential items produced in hard copy. Reused name badges were provided to attendees and successfully collected at the end of the day for future events, helping to reduce single-use materials.
We also showcased a carbon calculator during the event, enabling attendees to better understand and reflect on the environmental impact of conferences and events.
Following the day’s sessions, attendees gathered for informal networking and refreshments. The reception featured Warwick Conferences' drinks selection from local suppliers, highlighting sustainable sourcing practices and supporting regional producers.
Through these measures, the event demonstrated that sustainability can be embedded throughout the conference experience, from planning and catering to resource use, procurement and attendee engagement, while still delivering a high-quality and enjoyable event.
"It was inspiring to meet so many people passionate about sustainability and to learn more about the University's commitment to creating positive environmental change."
A breath of fresh air
Following lunch, attendees were invited to join a Biodiversity Walk around campus, offering a chance to experience some of Warwick's biodiversity work first-hand. Participants heard about a range of biodiversity enhancement and monitoring projects taking place across the University, including the highly successful Newt Patrol, which helps migrating newts safely cross campus roads each spring. The walk also showcased habitat creation and management initiatives, biodiversity monitoring activities, and the University's regular community litter picks, highlighting the collective efforts helping to protect and enhance nature on campus.
Key highlights
- The University launched its new Environmental Sustainability Strategy, reaffirming its commitment to embedding sustainability across decision-making, research, education, engagement and operations
- The launch of a new Sustainability Awards scheme for the 2026/27 academic year was announced, recognising projects and colleagues who go above and beyond to advance sustainability at Warwick
- The breakout sessions offered updates on key areas of sustainability activity across campus, showcasing progress, achievements and future priorities:
- Sustainable Research: Speakers highlighted the University's commitment to embedding environmental sustainability within research through the Concordat for Environmental Sustainability in Research and Innovation Practice. The session showcased progress in reducing the environmental impact of laboratories through initiatives such as LEAF Accreditation and explored a research project that placed sustainability at the heart of its design and delivery.
- Sustainable Campus Operations: Attendees learned how a whole-systems approach is helping to drive sustainability across campus operations. The session highlighted recent energy and carbon reduction projects, the growing use of circular economy principles in procurement and reuse, and the success of initiatives such as the campus-wide Donation Drive in reducing waste while creating social value.
- Education for Sustainable Development: Speakers showcased how sustainability is being embedded across teaching, learning and student development at Warwick. Highlights included progress from the ESD Action Group, curriculum mapping activities, the sustainability induction module, the Sustainability Matters Now podcast, the Warwick Living Lab, and work to integrate sustainability as a Core Skill within the Warwick Award.
- Regional Engagement: Panellists explored how the University is working with local authorities, businesses, residents and community organisations across the West Midlands to advance environmental sustainability. The discussion highlighted a range of engagement approaches and partnerships, sharing practical insights into collaborative action and the opportunities and challenges of delivering long-term regional impact.
