Yorkshire Sustainability week 2023
The Yorkshire Sustainability Conference (YSW 23) was an exceptional two-day event that brought together a diverse range of like-minded individuals committed to sustainability. With nationally recognised speakers and industry trailblazers, attendees immersed themselves in discussions covering various facets of sustainable living.
Day one of the conference centered around the theme of living sustainably, addressing topics such as nature, food, fashion, technology, healthcare, and going green. Throughout the day, participants engaged in keynote sessions, panels dedicated to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and focused talks from industry leaders. The exhibition hall provided an opportunity for networking and connecting with sustainability professionals across sectors.
Highlights from day one included keynote speeches by Areeba Hamid from Greenpeace and Clover Hogan from Force of Nature, discussing the journey from protest to progress. Panels explored the future of retail, sustainable building practices for healthcare, and the burgeoning Greentech scene in Yorkshire.
Day two shifted focus to the themes of future cities, delving into transportation, construction, energy, water, waste management, economy, and manufacturing. Keynote speakers Dr. Wayne Visser and John Elkington discussed the shift from sustainability to regeneration, while panels examined topics such as waste management, energy transition, and the role of green economy in reshaping our economic landscape.
Throughout the event, attendees had the opportunity to engage with experts in various fields, including sustainable food practices, biodiversity conservation, and the development of circular economies. Keynote speeches from industry leaders like Mike Berners-Lee and Roger Wright provided valuable insights into waste management and the urgency of climate action.
Panels on skills development for a green economy, sustainable supply chains in manufacturing, and innovations in water sector showcased the diverse efforts towards achieving sustainability goals. The conference concluded with discussions on smarter, better, and greener approaches to sustainability, emphasising the importance of inclusive solutions and equitable access to resources.
YSW 23 served as a platform for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and collective action towards building a more sustainable future. Whether seasoned experts or newcomers to the field, attendees left inspired and equipped with new ideas to drive positive change in their respective industries and communities.
2023 Headline Speakers
Anita Frost
Founder, Green Bean Studios
Anna Ashford
Head of Alt Legal
Areeba Hamid
Co-Executive Director, Greenpeace UK
Carly Jane Perry
Managing Director, Spring Innovation
Chris Kelly
Associate Director, Estates Compliance & Risk, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Clover Hogan
Executive Director & Founder, Force of Nature
Dr Alan James
Partner, Expert Alliance
Jo Fairley
Serial Entrepreneur & Co-Founder, Green & Black's
John Elkington
Founder & Chief Pollinator, Volans Ventures
Jordan Brompton
Co-Founder & CMO, myenergi
Mike Berners-Lee
Professor, Lancaster University's Environment Centre
Mike Quate
Director and Co-founder of business consultancy – byDiffusion, and founding member of One for The City
Pam Warhurst
Incredible Edible CIC
Roger Wright
Waste Strategy & Packaging Manager, Biffa
Sat Mann
Director and Co-founder of business consultancy – byDiffusion, and founding member of One for The City,
Sri Hollema
Founder and Managing Director, Mat Zero
Vee Mapunde
Programme Director, NIHR Surgical MedTech Co-operative,
Wayne Visser
Director, Kaleidoscope Futures Lab. Ltd
Yetunde Abdul
Head of Climate Action, UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)
Speakers
Abigail Marshall Katung
Councillor, Leeds City Council
Adam Cockburn
Head of Architecture Practice, Axiologik Ltd
Ali Morpeth
Healthy & Sustainable Diets @WWF
Andy Needham
Owner & Managing Director, Surplus Group
Andy Ostcliffe
Head of Ecommerce and Retail Innovation, Oxfam
Angela Barnicle
Chief Officer Asset Management & Regeneration, Leeds City Council
Angela Channer
Principal Software Craftsperson, Codurance
Antonio Tombanane
Founder, The Edge Hub
Ben Tolhurst
Director, Business Declares
Bill Colquhoun
Founder, World Sustainability Collective
Bo Carter
Sustainable Fashion Designer, Bo Carter
Caroline Wherritt
Founder and CEO Re:work
Clive Spooner
Global Training Manager, Vernacare
Craige Richardson
Director of Estates and Facilities ,Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Curtis Yip
Student, Regional Youth Climate Assembly
Danielle Heward
Founder, Optimo
David Aspin
Owner, Munroe K
David Loseby
Professor, Leeds University Business School
David Owumi
Founder/CEO, Qinq
Dev Sharma
Youth MP & Food Activist, UK Youth Parliament
Dhruv Dev
LBSU President, Leeds Beckett Student Union
Dr Colm Bowe
Nature North Development Manager, Nature North
Dr. Esther Pugh
Senior Lecturer, Leeds Business School, Leeds Beckett University
Edie Lewis
RYCA
Ella Shuttleworth
Sustainability Assistant, Morgan Sindall Construction
Eve Roodhouse
Chief Officer, Culture and Economy at Leeds City Council
Faye Coleman
GM4Women Co-Lead, World Economic Forum & OYW Global Ambassador, World Economic Forum and UN Women
Frank Swinton
Climate Change Lead, West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership
Gemma Dyson
Proposals Manager, Vital Energi
Georgia Halston
Group CEO, Halston Group
Georgina Knockton
People Change and Transformation Director, EY
Greg Marsden
Professor of Transport Governance
Hannah Cox
Director, betternotstop / better business network
Hannah Keighley
Civil & Structural Engineer CEng MICE MIStructE
Helen Neave
Director, Make it Wild
Holly Hansen-Maughan
Sector Manager for Retrofit, Construction & Future Workforce, Supply Chain Sustainability School
Indranil Ghosh
Impact Investor
James Murray MP
Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Jane Barrett
Founder, The Career Farm Ltd
Jeff Davitt
Chair, Yorkshire Rewilding Network
Jonathan Straight
Purposeful entrepreneur and food waste campaigner
Jonathan Wilson
Managing Director, CITU
Jonny Sylvester
Senior Project Manager, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Jordan Appleson
Founder & Chief Executive Officer at Hark - Energy and Industrial IoT technology for Buildings, Factories, FM and OEMs
Josh Dunn
Director - Sustainable Places, EY
Josie Warden
Regenerative Design Lead, Volans
Jude Daniel Smith
Youth Activist , Regional Youth Climate Assembly
Jyoti Mishra
Circular Economy & Sustainability enthusiast; Deputy Director of AIMTech Research Centre & Associate Professor in Information Management
Kate Smith
Leadership Consultant, Kate Smith Consulting
Kelly Weston
COO, The Data City
Lella Violet Halloum
Digital Changemaker, IBM
Matt Greenhill
Senior Sustainability Consultant at WRM & Sustainability Manager at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Mayor Tracy Brabin
Mayor of West Yorkshire
Melanie Corcoran
Director Transport Policy and Delivery
Michaela Lindridge
Head of ESG, Severfield.
Mike Dugher
Area Director - Yorkshire at the Environment Agency.
Natasha Babar-Evans
Chief Executive Officer, Better Connect Limited
Neil Dewis
Director, water, Yorkshire Water
Nicci Russell
MD, Waterwise
Nick Brelsford
Head of Partnerships, England North, Sustrans
Niki Roach
Honorary Vice President, CIWEM
Paul Chatterton
Professor of Urban Futures, University of Leeds
Pete Waddingham
National NetZero Lead for The AHSN Network
Phoebe L. Hanson
Coordinator, Mock COP
Professor Stephen J. Russell
Professor of Textile Materials & Technology, University of Leeds
Rev N Murugesan
Founder/CEO, ANTONYM
Rich Kenny
Managing Director, Interact
Rob Doepel
UK&I Managing Partner for Sustainability, EY
Rosa Foster
Co-Director, Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission
Simon Collingwood
Director of External Affairs and Communications, Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC)
Sonya Bachra-Byrne
co-founder of AVIE and a consultant
Steve Bennett
Founder, Business of Science
Steve Carver
Director, Wildland Research Institute
Stuart Clarke MBE
Founder of Leeds Digital Festival
Susanna Jackson
Sustainability Consultant, Beyondly
Tess Kelly
Head of External Engagement, Quorn Foods
Tharina Conradie
Senior Consultant, Ener-Vate
Thomas Hudson
Graduate Trainee - Project Management, Schneider Electric
Tim Frenneaux
Radical, Tim Frenneaux & Co
Vera Trappmann
Professor of Comparative Employment Relations and Director of Sustainability, Leeds University Business School
Vincent Hodder
CEO, Leeds Bradford Airport
Will Smith
Co-founder, Tred
Will Solomon
RYCA Member, Regional Youth Climate Assembly
Zaqiya Cajee
Founder & CEO, SwopItUp
2023 Headline Sponsors and Partners
2023 Sponsors and Partners
