Sustainability Conference 2023

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Booking Open

Date

15 June 2023

Book Before

2 June 2023

Reading

Park House, Whiteknights Campus, University of Reading

About the Event

Sustainability Conference 2023: Digitally sustainable – Data, devices, and durable solutions for our planet

Have you wondered how green your digital solutions are? Considered how friendly your data storage is to the environment? Been questioned how reusable, upgradeable, and recyclable your laptops are?

We will bring these themes, and more, into focus at the inaugural Sustainability Group Conference 2023, the first UCISA conference to bring sustainability in our digital workplace onto the centre stage. With growing global concern for our environment, from ever increasing pollution of our surroundings, loss of biodiversity and greenhouse gas emissions heating up our planet, we know action is needed. Technology can be part of the solution, but we also need to recognise it as part of the problem with E-waste being the fastest growing waste problem in the world.

In this conference we will explore:

  • Strategies for sustainable data storage
  • Carbon accounting for procurement
  • Managing your devices in a greener way
  • Sustainable learnings from the pandemic

You will hear from inspirational speakers who are passionate about making the technology solutions we help create, support, change and enhance, better for our physical environment and our societies whilst, of course, ensuring whatever we do stack up financially. The conference aims to inspire you with great stories, thought provoking facts and useful tips, helping you to make sustainability a core theme for all the services you provide for your organisation.

Have a good tale to tell about your now greener data centre? A great description of your more environmentally friendly device management? How you are procuring services from suppliers with sustainable credentials? Share your story with colleagues at the conference by presenting (15-20 mins) or by being part of a panel, contact us at events@ucisa.ac.uk.

Join us for a UCISA first – The Sustainability conference in June 2023!

Joining us for the night before? Plan on staying over the night after? Don't miss Gaia, Luke Gerram's world famous Earth artwork!

Created from NASA imagery, this iconic installation will be available to visit for £2 in Reading Town Hall as part of the Reading Climate Festival 2023.

Speakers

headshot of Professor Richard Allan

Professor Richard Allan

Professor of Climate Science

University of Reading

headshot of Lydia Painter

Lydia Painter

UX Designer

Jisc

Lise Foster

Lise Foster

Director Technology

University of the Arts London

person smiling at the camera

Paul Rock

IT Architect

Cardiff University

person smiling at the camera

Andrew Meikle

Head of Corporate Information Systems

Lancaster University

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Henrik Brogger

Director of Digital Operations and Service Delivery

University of Reading

More Info

Henrik has gathered his experience of leading people through change and digital technologies from many sectors including Publishing, Tour Operating, Housing and, lately, Higher Education. Having worked in a variety of leadership roles encompassing operational management and strategic delivery, he is an experienced communicator at many levels. Henrik has spent the last decade in two leading universities creating successful Service Delivery and Operations departments with a focus on strategic goals and business outcomes, underlined by a culture of empowerment and achievement. He is the vice-chair of the UCISA Sustainability Group, member of the UCISA Support Services Group, an eager contributor to UCISA projects, and enjoys voluntary work, latest for tuition charity The Access Project. Continuous learning is a core principle to Henrik, he completed a Master’s degree with distinction in Management not long ago, and he perpetually embraces opportunities to learn through a variety of platforms. He is a keen architecture buff (having recently built a house to his own design) and loves a good cup of tea!

head shot of Trevor Baxter

Trevor Baxter

Director of IT Innovation

King's College London

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James Smith

CIO

Birkbeck, University of London

More Info

James Smith is Chief Information Officer at Birkbeck, University of London, where he is responsible for the delivery of Library and IT services that are relied upon by Birkbeck’s staff, students, and commercial customers. The services provided support student engagement with the life-changing educational opportunities that are central to the institution’s mission, internationally recognised research, and the administration of the enterprise. Prior to his current role, James has worked on corporate system implementation projects (on both the customer and supplier side), small and large scale institutional change projects, process discovery and improvement. James has been a UCISA trustee since 2021 and is chair of UCISA-CISG.

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Polly Mackenzie

Chief Social Purpose Officer

University of the Arts London

More Info

Polly took up post in July 2022, having previously served as Chief Executive of Demos, the UK’s leading cross-party think tank, which brings citizen voice and lived experience into public policy discussions. Previous civil society roles include founding CEO of the Money & Mental Health Policy Institute and establishing the operations of the Women’s Equality Party. From 2010-2015 she was Director of Policy to the Deputy Prime Minister, based in 10 Downing Street and the Cabinet Office, having worked as a policy advisor to the Liberal Democrats since 2004.

Polly’s recent publications include The Gravitational State, The Humble Policy Maker, Living in the Exponential Age, and The Social State: From Transactional to Relational Public Services. She is a member of the Social Value Taskforce, a trustee at Shift Foundation, and a non-executive director of Registry Trust, a not-for-profit provider of credit data.

Event Schedule

Thursday

09:30

Registration Opens

10:00

Welcome by Conference Chair

Henrik Brogger, Conference Chair and Director of Digital Operations and Service Delivery, University of Reading
10:10

The Physical Science Basis for Climate Change: Causes and Consequences

Professor Richard Allan, Professor of Climate Science, University of Reading
10:40

Scope 3 emissions – what do they mean for IT?

Paul Rock, IT Architect, Cardiff University
11:00

Refreshments

12:20

Lunch

13:20

Green IT: The transition to a more sustainable and responsible model

13:40

University of Reading - Student Sustainability Award Showcase

14:20

Refreshments

14:50

Achieving a Circular Approach to IT Procurement

15:20

Going Beyond Hardware: Sustainable Product Design

Lydia Painter, UX Designer, Jisc
16:00

Closing Remarks

Henrik Brogger, Conference Chair and Director of Digital Operations and Service Delivery, University of Reading
16:15

Conference Close