Sustainable Earth 2018: 28 and 29 June
The Sustainable Earth Institute's annual conference connecting research with action
Researchers, businesses and community groups join together to make positive changes for the future of our planet
The global challenges posed by climate change, natural disasters and human impacts on the environment were among the key topics discussed at Sustainable Earth 2018 on 28 and 29 June.
Attendees at our annual conference heard from five keynote speakers on international topics such as disaster relief, satellite applications, climate change, biodiversity and communication, as well as world-leading researchers from the University on topics including plastic pollution, coastal change, soil erosion and human displacement.
The two-day conference also held a series of workshops, poster sessions and photographic exhibitions about research and initiatives ranging from changing the laws on ivory to manufactured soil, pulmonary rehabilitation in Kyrgyzstan to geothermal projects in Cornwall.
Thursday evening saw the launch of Professor Iain Stewart’s UNESCO Chair in Geoscience and Society at our inaugural Sterling Lecture.
A huge thank you to everyone who made Sustainable Earth 2018 possible
Without our attendees, keynote speakers, University presenters, workshop facilitators and poster displays, we would not have had the content for a truly interesting event.
Without our University events team, catering staff, technical support, photographer and film crew the event would not have been so greatly organised.
View tweets from the day
Check out the tweets from the conference on the hashtag
If you missed any of the event, or want to re-watch the presentations, all the videos will be available as soon as possible.
Sustainable Earth 2018 - in pictures
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Baroness Bryony Worthington, Executive Director for the Environmental Defence Fund Europe, giving the opening keynote speech for Sustainable Earth 2018
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Dr Beth Taylor, Chair of the UK National Commission for UNESCO, congratulating Professor Iain Stewart from the Â鶹´«Ã½, on his UNESCO chair of Geoscience and Society.
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Dr Beth Taylor, Chair of the UK National Commission for UNESCO, with Professor Iain Stewart. Iain has recently been awarded an UNESCO Chair in Geoscience and Society and presented this inaugural talk at The Sterling Lecture 2018.
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Dr Vanessa Lawrence CB (a senior advisor to governments) , Professor Iain Stewart (Â鶹´«Ã½), Professor Virginia Murray (Public Health England) and Dr Chris Shaw (Climate Outreach) at Sustainable Earth 2018.
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Dr Vanessa Lawrence CB, a geographer working internationally as a senior advisor to governments, with Professor Iain Stewart.
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Professor Iain Stewart at the Sustainable Earth Institute's 2018 Sterling Lecture, giving his inaugural lecture as UNESCO chair of Geoscience and Society.
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Professor Richard Thompson (Â鶹´«Ã½), Baroness Bryony Worthington (Environmental Defence Fund Europe) and Iain Stewart (Â鶹´«Ã½) at Sustainable Earth 2018.
Keynote: Dr Vanessa Lawrence CB
Dr Vanessa Lawrence CB is a geographer working internationally as a senior advisor to governments, inter-governmental organisations including the World Bank and large private sector organisations.
In addition, Vanessa has other roles including as a NED of the Satellite Applications Catapult, on the Advisory Board of Seraphim Space venture capital fund, a Trustee of the Royal Geographical Society, the Honorary Colonel of 135 Geographic Squadron Royal Engineers, Honorary Vice-President of the Geographical Association, a Patron of MapAction and she holds visiting professor positions at two UK Universities.
From 2000-2014, she was the Director General and CEO Ordnance Survey and from 2011-2015, she was the founding co-chair of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM).
Keynote: Professor Virginia Murray
Professor Virginia Murray is the Public Health Consultant in Global Disaster Risk Reduction for Public Health England. Virginia qualified in medicine and has had a series of national and international roles as Head of Centre for Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards, London for the Health Protection Agency, as Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection and internationally including as a member and then as the vice-chair of the 2009-2017. She is a visiting/honorary professor at several universities including University College London (2013 onwards), MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College and King’s College, London (2004 onwards) and at the (2017 onwards) and has published widely.
Keynote: Dr Chris Shaw
Chris has 15 years' experience in researching climate policy and climate communications. Prior to joining Climate Outreach as a Senior Researcher, Chris was a Research Fellow at the University of Sussex and the University of Oxford.
Since joining Climate Outreach, Chris has developed climate change communication programmes and tools for national governments, scientific bodies (including the IPCC), NGOs, development banks and faith organisations.
Chris also works with universities and research institutions from across the globe on multi-partner academic projects. Chris is an Associate of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and a member of the faculty at the School of Business, Management and Economics at the University of Sussex. His book The Two Degrees Dangerous Limit for Climate Change: Public Understanding and Decision Making (Routledge) was shortlisted for the 2016 Philip Abrams Memorial Prize.
Keynote: Dr Mike Maunder
Mike is a Board Director of Eden Project Ltd and Eden Project International Ltd. Mike has responsibility for Eden’s horticulture, science and professional training. This role includes responsibility for Eden’s dynamic horticultural exhibits and collaborations with universities and other research institutions.
Mike trained in horticulture at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and studied plant systematics at the University of Reading with a PhD in conservation genetics. Mike has spent his career to date working in botanic gardens, museums and universities with a particular interest in species and habitat conservation. Mike has worked with the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, the National Tropical Botanical Garden, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and Florida International University, with extensive field work and consulting experience in the Caribbean, Sub Saharan Africa and the Middle East.
Keynote: Baroness Bryony Worthington
Bryony is Executive Director for the Environmental Defence Fund Europe where she is responsible for its management and development.
She plays a critical role in the execution of the work programme, which is currently focused on oceans, climate and energy. Baroness Worthington is an architect of the UK's Climate Change Act, and wrote the first report in the UK calling for the introduction of 'carbon budgets'.
She was the brains behind the Friends of the Earth 'Big Ask' campaign and helped the UK government launch its first public awareness campaign. Since 2015 Baroness Worthington has been a Trustee at UNICEF.
