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UON Sustainability Summit 2025

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Building Sustainable Organisations: Strategies and Partnerships for Enhancing Positive Impact

 

University of Northampton Sustainability Summit logo in text

 

Download the Sustainability Summit 2025 brochure

Join us in 2025

The University of Northampton plays a central role in catalysing partnerships and much needed collaboration between stakeholders in the business community. The University has ample research and consultancy expertise within the area of Sustainability, enabling it to continue supporting organisations to adopt more sustainable practices. The University’s annual Sustainability Summit has played a vital role in this regard.

The first Sustainability Summit was held in May 2023, with over 150 delegates from different businesses, charities, HEIs, and local government authorities in attendance. In line with the Summit theme, participating organisation identified their shared sustainability challenges and agreed a roadmap for action in the form of the Northampton Sustainability Accord. The Accord laid the foundation for the start of the Sustainability Local Innovation Partnership Agenda Hub (SLIPAH). SLIPAH has galvanised the local stakeholder community towards pursuing shared sustainability goals by fostering a collaborative ecosystem that nurtures sustainable innovation and empowers stakeholders. The TANZ West Northants, for example, is a two-year Net Zero project designed to empower local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across West Northants to understand and embrace the concept of “Net Zero.” The TANZ project, funded by UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSP) and commissioned to the University’s Centre for Sustainable Business Practices by the West Northamptonshire Council, leveraged SLIPAH to recruit businesses that participated in the project.

The Sustainability Summit in 2024 provided further opportunity for organisations to do bolster their sustainability journey. Specifically, the Summit sought to further accelerate our collaborative efforts to attain the shared sustainability goals outlined in the Northampton Sustainability Accord. The Summit also provided an opportunity for networking across sectors to continue to build strategic partnerships for further collaborative work in addressing shared sustainability challenges by exploring the benefits of innovation to support local stakeholders to progress towards more sustainable practices.

2025 UON Sustainability Summit Theme

The theme for the 2025 Sustainability Summit is “Building Sustainable Organisations: Strategies and Partnerships for Enhancing Positive Impact” and has the following objectives. This year’s summit will be organised in collaboration with Business Networks within Northamptonshire to enrich the participation and experiences of businesses in attendance.

Summit Objectives
  • Identify and explore innovative sustainability strategies and models that could be employed by small and large businesses to enhance their social, environmental and financial performance.
    Highlight and exhibit the high value of sustainability strategies undertaken by organisations across Northamptonshire
  • Enable sharing of knowledge and best practice between businesses, charities, HEIs, and local government authorities on partnership approaches and tools to address sustainability challenges
  • Introduce the UON Sustainable Innovation Challenge as a distinct partnership strategy and approach aimed at enhancing collaboration between researchers, students, businesses, charities, and local government authorities in Northampton
Dates

Monday 30 June (Day 1) – Tuesday 1 July (Day 2) 2025

Venue

University of Northampton, Waterside Campus, Learning Hub, Ground Floor.

Transport

Because we have limited pay-as-you-go parking available on campus and we want to encourage sustainable travel to the Summit, we have collaborated with Stagecoach to provide free bus travel for our delegates wishing to travel to Campus by train or use our Park and Ride facilities. For details on how to obtain your free delegate bus pass and the timetable for the #18 Stagecoach bus, please contact travelinfo@northampton.ac.uk

Insights and Strategies for Sustainable Growth

Itinerary
  • 9:15-10:00am: Arrival, Registration, and Breakfast
  • 10:00-10:20am: Welcome Address

Speaker: Becky Bradshaw, Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Northampton

 

  • 10:20-10:30am: Opening Remarks – Northamptonshire Lord Lieutenant.

Speaker: James Saunders Watson, Northamptonshire Lord Lieutenant.

 

  • 10:30-11:00am: Keynote 1 – Impact of the Geo-political Landscape, and the State of Sustainable Business Today.

Speaker: Stephane Bazire – Head of Business Sustainability at Silverstone

 

  • 11:00-11:30am: Keynote 2 – Win-Win case for Adopting Sustainability Strategies: “How to Strategise Towards Achieving Sustainability Targets.”

Speaker: Simon Derrick, Sustainable Business Alliance Founder and Head of Sustainability at Blue Skies Limited

 

  • 11:30am-12:00pm: Mini Panel Session – Impact of Two Years of the Sustainability Summit. How are we doing?

The panelists for this session include:

  • Dr Oluwaseyi Omoloso (Chair)
  • Natalie Eichmann – Manager, Gilt Edged
  • Robert Thompson – CEO, See Limited

 

  • 12:00-12:15pm Networking/Coffee Break

 

  • 12:15-12:40pm: Integrating Social Sustainability and Impact into Business Strategy

Speaker: Adrian Pryce, Associate Professor, University of Northampton

 

  • 12:40-1:00pm Presentation: The University of Northampton’s Economic and Social Impact in the Community.

Speaker: Tracey Russell, Lead for Institutional Environmental Sustainability, University of Northampton

 

  • 1-2pm: Networking Lunch

 

  • 2-2:45pm: Panel Session – Businesses driving real change by translating Strategies into Action.

The panelists for this session include:

  • Farrington Oils – Duncan Farrington
  • Blue Skies Limited – Anne Lama
  • South Midlands Growth Hub – Ruth Roan
  • CL Baxter – Ryan Baxter
  • Cranfield Aerospace Solutions – Paul Clarke

 

  • 2:45-3:45pm: Roundtable Sessions: Turning Sustainability Strategies into Actions for Positive Impact.

The participants of this roundtable include:

  • Food/Retail Roundtable- Sustainable Business Alliance Chairing
  • T&L/Recycling/Packaging Roundtable – Sustainable Leather Foundation Chairing
  • Social enterprises/Education/Sustainability solution providers Roundtable – ActNow Consulting  Chairing
  • Products Suppliers and Services Providers Roundtable – Investors in the Environment Chairing

 

  • 3:45-4pm: Short break

 

  • 4-4:15pm: Plenary to Share Roundtable Discussions and Next steps

 

  • 4:15-4:35pm: Keynote 3: Making it Count- Communicating Sustainability to Internal and External Stakeholders.

Speaker: Helen Neal, CEO, HN Communications

 

  • 4:35-4:40pm: Closing Address and Preview for Day 2

Speaker: Dr Chijioke Uba

 

  • 4:45pm: People, Planet, Pint – Vulcan Works

Partnerships and Innovation for a Sustainable Future

Itinerary
  • 9:15-10:00am Arrival of Delegates and Breakfast

 

  • 10-10:05am: Welcome Address

Speaker: Helen Miller, Head of Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise, University of Northampton

 

  • 10:05-10:25am: Keynote 4: The Role of Partnerships and Innovation in Advancing our Sustainability Efforts.

Speaker: Vicki Thomas, Research Consultant, Vicki Thomas Associates.

 

  • 10:25-10:40am: Presentation: Reducing Inequalities in Northamptonshire through an Innovative Voucher Scheme.

Speaker: Prince Caesar – CEO, BAK UP CIC

 

  • 10:50-11:15am: Launch of the University of Northampton Sustainable Innovation Challenge (SIC)

Hosts of this panel include:

  • Dr Katerina Thomas – Senior Lecturer in Business Entrepreneurship, UON
  • Sarah Crooks – Sustainability Coordinator in the Film and TV Industry

Download the Challenge Brief

 

  • 11:15am-12:45pm Students’ Presentation of Solutions to address Sustainable challenge(s)

 

  • 12:45-2pm Networking Launch

 

  • 2-2:45pm Panel Decision and Awards Presentation

Hosted by:

  • Dr Deniz Meric
  • Sarah Crooks
  • Karen Jones (Dean of Faculty of Business and Law)

 

  • 2:45-3:15pm: Looking ahead: thoughts for next summit

Speaker: Dr Chijioke Uba

 

  • 3:15-3:20pm Closing Address

Speaker: Becky Bradshaw, Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Northampton

View photos from the Summit in 2023:

Speaker at the UON Sustainability Summit 2023, standing at the front table looking out towards tables with delegates watching them. There are approximately 6 tables seen full with guests.
Photo from the UON Sustainability Summit 2023 showing a speaker at the breakfast session, standing at the front table looking out towards tables with delegates watching them. There are approximately 6 tables seen full with guests.
View of approximately 30 delegates sitting in rows at the UON Sustainability Summit 2023, they are looking off camera presumably towards a screen and speaker.
Photo from the UON Sustainability Summit 2023, showing approximately 30 delegates sitting in rows at the UON Sustainability Summit 2023, they are looking off camera presumably towards a screen and speaker.
Approximately 40 delegates sitting in rows and booths at the UON Sustainability Summit 2023. They are looking in one direction presumably towards a speaker.
Photo from the UON Sustainability Summit 2023 of approximately 40 delegates sitting in rows and booths, looking in one direction presumably towards a speaker.
3 people at the UON Sustainability Summit 2023 standing in front of a board full of sponsor logos. On the right of the group is Dr Ebenezer Laryea Associate Professor and Chair of the Planning Committee UON Sustainability Summit.
Photo from the UON Sustainability Summit 2023 of three people in front of a board full of sponsor logos. On the right of the group is Dr Ebenezer Laryea Associate Professor and Chair of the Planning Committee UON Sustainability Summit.
6 speakers at the UON Sustainability Summit 2023 at a panel table. The third person from the left is holding a microphone and talking to a crow where the backs of six people can be seen.
Photo from the UON Sustainability Summit 2023 6 panel speakers at the at a long table. The third person from the left is holding a microphone and talking to a crow where the backs of six people can be seen.
10 delegates in the crowd of a panel talk at the UON Sustainability Summit 2023. The person in the middle is holding a microphone, asking a question.
Photo from the UON Sustainability Summit 2023 showing 10 delegates in the crowd of a panel talk, sitting on chairs. The person in the middle is holding a microphone, asking a question.
Group photo of all of the delegates, speakers, visitors, at the UON Sustainability Summit 2023. There are approximately 60 people in total and they are waving both or one hand up in excited motions. On the large screen taking up the entire back wall is the UON Sustainability Summit 2023 logo, along with a list of the sponsors.
Photo from the UON Sustainability Summit 2023 showing a group shot of approximately 60 delegates, with their hands up in excitement. Behind is a large screen with the UON Sustainability Summit 2023 logo, along with a list of the sponsors.
Photo of 6 UON Staff Members standing together, looking at the camera and smiling. They are standing at the UON Sustainability Summit 2023.
Photo from the UON Sustainability Summit 2023 showing 6 UON staff members, smiling at the camera.
Two trays of food cups, one higher than the other. The lower one is the scramble power pot with Eat Curious Scrambled Negg, a vegan product. The sign next to it is from Eat Curious and says there is the Breakfast Wrap made by red onion marmalade, roast mushroom, vegan cheese and hash brown and the description of the Scambled Power Pot. In the background visitors can be seen getting food from other areas.
Photo from the UON Sustainability Summit 2023 of the vegan buffet, showing a Breakfast Wrap and Scambled Power Pot, all which is vegan.
17 delegates at the UON Sustainability Summit 2023 standing in a line, leaning against a balcony at the University of Northampton Waterside campus. The sky is cloudy, but it is bright.
Photo from the UON Sustainability Summit 2023 of 17 delegates at the UON Sustainability Summit 2023 standing in a line, leaning against a balcony at the University of Northampton Waterside campus.
High angle view of approximately 20 delegates in a breakout session, sitting on chairs in a circle.
Photo from the UON Sustainability Summit 2023 of a breakout session discussion, of approximately 20 delegates.
Photo of three delegates getting food from the breakfast table buffet at the UON Sustainability Summit 2023. The guest in the middle is looking at the camera and smiling.
Photo from the UON Sustainability Summit 2023 of delegates getting food from the breakfast buffet.

Sponsorship

We invite external organizations to partner with and support the 2025 UON Sustainability Summit through sponsorship. Our sponsorship packages (Word, 251KB) provide a unique opportunity to enhance your brand presence at one of Northamptonshire’s premier sustainability events. Please contact Dr Seyi Omoloso (seyi.omoloso2@northampton.ac.uk) or Dr Chijioke Uba (Chijioke.uba@northampton.ac.uk) for enquiries.

Get Involved

This summit provides a unique opportunity to network, share best practices, and contribute to shaping the future of sustainability in Northamptonshire. Whether you represent a business, a local authority, or a charitable organisation, your insights and participation are valuable.

For more information, contact the event organisers:

Join us in shaping a sustainable future at the University of Northampton Sustainability Summit 2025!