At the University of Bath we are committed to integrating sustainability and climate action throughout all aspects of the institution and university life. In the past year, we have continued to make progress and so, in July 2024, we were delighted to celebrate some of the trailblazers of positive change at the annual Climate Action and Sustainability Awards.

Our approach at Bath is all-encompassing: we seek to empower our students and graduates to be pioneers of a sustainable future through education. Our innovative research seeks to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges and is making an impact, and we’re actively making strides in confronting the climate crisis through groundbreaking work across a spectrum of disciplines. Through our local, national, and international partnerships, we aim to play a vital role in paving the way for a brighter future for people and planet. We’re also taking bold action to achieve a net zero carbon footprint by 2040. It is through collective effort that we can make a difference and set ourselves on the path to a sustainable future.

Richard Jackson, Director of Sustainability, said: "At the awards, it was inspiring to hear about all the amazing work from staff and students and to witness the achievements of our community from the past year. I was also delighted to welcome a keynote from graduate Lauren Eatwell, who is making sustainable and industry-leading changes within the maritime sector. This event showcases the proactive efforts of many individuals within their respective areas, highlighting that together, we can make a positive difference. We are dedicated to fostering a community of change makers and look forward to building on our successes in the years to come. Together, we can continue to drive positive change and make a lasting impact on our community and beyond."

Championing climate action and sustainability

We were delighted to welcome keynote speaker, Lauren Eatwell, a Bath graduate and current Head of Engineering at BAR Technologies. Lauren is leading the design of innovative solutions to reduce carbon emissions in the maritime sector and has been recognised in TIME's 100 Most Influential Climate Leaders in Business 2023. It was fantastic to have Lauren return to the University and deliver such an inspiring speech to our motivated community.

It is evident that we are surrounded by change makers, and we take immense pride in acknowledging the exceptional efforts and contributions of the individuals and teams at our University who have shown remarkable dedication to sustainability and climate action. Their perseverance and innovative approaches are making an impact on our campus and beyond.

There are many colleagues and students leading impactful work, and the below shortlist of nominees celebrates just a few of them. Discover the work from our nominees and learn why they have been nominated.

Outstanding commitment to climate action (staff)

  • Emma Cockle and Liz Russell, Campus Services Team
  • Amy Thompson, Institute for Policy Research
  • Peter Gurr and Steve Andrews, Campus Infrastructure Energy Team
  • Lorraine Whitmarsh, Department of Psychology
  • Sandhya Moise, Department of Chemical Engineering

Winner: Sandhya Moise

Student leader for climate action

  • Clem Bricker, PhD student in Mechanical Engineering
  • Adya Hegde, Chemical Engineering student
  • Anushka Gupta, Architecture student
  • Thea Wright, Politics and International Relations student and intern in the Institute for Policy Research
  • Isaac Flower and Nico Ostler Baraona, postgraduate students in Electrical & Electronic Engineering

Winner: Adya Hegde

Innovation In Education

  • Nicki Schantz
  • Melusine Pigeon, Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
  • Rob Grover, Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering
  • Brian Rutter, Department of Mechanic Engineering
  • Peter Harper, Department of Natural Sciences

Winner: Melusine Pigeon

Empowering Changemakers

  • Climate Literacy Team: Emily Richards, Dan Davies, Emma Emanuelsson Patterson, Taghried Abdelmagid, Clemence Bricker, Gratsiela Madzharova, Clare Power and Angelica Reyes Caceres
  • Sandhya Moise, Department of Chemical Engineering
  • Emily Richards, Faculty of Humanities and & Social Sciences
  • Brian Rutter, Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • Stephanie Kamffer, Centre for Learning and & Teaching

Winner: Climate Literacy Team

Research for Bath’s sustainable future

  • Helen Liang, previous PhD student, research visitor and founder of LabCycle
  • Will Hawkins and Andy Shea, Department of Architecture and & Civil Engineering
  • Psychology Team: Lorraine Whitmarsh, Paul Haggar, Kaloyan Mitev, Tara Mcguicken and Freya Rennison
  • Sustainable Food VIP group: Molly O’Grady Mohini Howlader Shimin Wang, Sam Taylor, Bill Chaudry with academic leadership from Lorraine Whitmarsh

Winner: Helen Liang

Supporting our community

  • VTeam’s Eco, Nature, Repair and Clean groups: Anna MacDonald, Janvi Mahtani Balani, Will Lutley, Charlie Wilson, Holly Smith, Robin Chan, Safiyah Ghaffoor, Hitanshi Nirmar Kumar Jain, Akshita Agarwal, Paras Agarwal, Dia Jhaveri, Padmaakshi Kajaria, Jagriti Jalan and Dhruv Mondkar
  • Katrina Kelly, Department of Communications
  • Emily Richards, Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences
  • Cheryl Herbert and Rob Heyes, Campus Services and Student Support teams
  • Climate Champion Team: Aditi Thayyur, Caden Li, Edwina Ma, Ferra Luengvoraphan, Francesca Gillen, Oscar Williams, Vrinda Piyushkumar Raninga

Winner: Emily Richards

Leading climate action in the wider community

  • IAAPS Cohort 5 CDT Team: Ann Song, Arash Pordel, Chloe Cannon, Cosmin Mudure, Eymen Kilic, Faye Sanders, Josh Rogers, Mark Butcher, Matt Hutchins, Miles Rivett, Nina Patel, Oliver Bostock, Ruth Gibson, Taif Aljebory, Yue Wang with senior lecturer Brian Rutter
  • Student Community Partnership Team: Ghika Savva, Kathryn Jones and Joe Dyke
  • Pete Dyson, PhD student in Department of Psychology and Bath’s Bicycle Mayor
  • Carers Centre Decarbonisation VIP group: Reem Ghazali, Faye Sanders, Ekene Okoye, Maksims Parahonko, Freddie Appleton, Taamara Kelappan and Christopher Antony Irudayaraj, Mars Woo, Qiushi Zou, Jennifer Lam, Yutaro Kemmochi, Hridaii Sharma, with academic leadership from Brian Rutter, Steve Cayzer and Fulvio Pinto, and support from Amy Childe, Katie Gilham-Terrell and Stephanie Kamffer

Winner: Student Community Partnership Team

Leader in Lab Sustainability

  • Susanna Martin and Nathan Taylor, Department of Psychology
  • Mark Thomas, Department for Health
  • Chris Carey and Dave Wood, Faculty of Engineering & Design
  • Fabienne Pradaux-Caggiano, Faculty of Science

Winner: Fabienne Pradaux-Caggiano

Learn more about our nominees, winners, and their work throughout the academic year.

Let's continue to build our community

Over the past academic year, our community has showcased the outstanding dedication and innovative contributions of staff and students committed to driving positive change. From empowering change makers to leading climate action in the wider community, the nominees and winners have truly exemplified the spirit of driving positive change for sustainability and climate action. Their remarkable efforts are making an impact to our campus life and are paving the way for a brighter, more sustainable future. As we celebrate their achievements, let their unwavering commitment inspire us all to join together in creating a world where sustainability and climate action are at the forefront of everything we do.