Award categories

This year's award categories represent our diverse community of changemakers at Bath and the positive impact that is happening across campus and beyond.

Leading Sustainability in the Community

This award recognises an individual or team who is leading change for our University community or wider community of Bath. This could be through running activities to provide hands-on experiences, helping develop skills in our community or implementing programmes to enable community action.

Led by Susanna Terruso, Pip Bartram, Liz Russell and Emma Cockle

Three Green Impact teams in Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Campus Services worked collaboratively to set up a University-wide food bank collection for Genesis Trust. Collection points were coordinated across key campus buildings, with donation crates delivered and posters displayed to maximise visibility and participation. The team engaged teams across the university, encouraging local champions to extend the campaign’s reach. Promotion through posters, digital screens and targeted emails enabled strong staff and student involvement. The initiative generated a significant volume (139.5kg) of essential food and household items, strengthened cross-campus collaboration, and demonstrated how coordinated action can deliver meaningful, impact for the local community.

People and Planet Society

Sarah Hafner, Olivia Warmington, Charly White, Fletcher Whiting and Maisie Hughes

People and Planet Society advocates for positive change for sustainability within the University, campaigning for policies that put people and the planet before profit. This year, members put a motion to SUmmit that was successfully passed, which now strengthens the clarity and implementation of Regulation 18 on freedom of speech. They also continue to campaign for the Careers Service to end recruitment pipelines into mining, fossil fuel, and weapons companies. The group provides a supportive community for students responding to the climate crisis through weekly sustainability-focused meetings centred on collective action and resilience. Their work includes collaboration on university divestment campaigns and action-based initiatives such as community tree‑planting.

Sam Ellis Hunt (category winner)

As Activities Officer, Sam has been a driving force for sustainability within the Students’ Union, embedding long‑term change that will benefit students, future officers and the SU. This year, he led the creation of a new three‑year SU Sustainability Plan, providing a clear framework to establish, strengthen and embed sustainable practice across all SU activity. He launched the SUstainability Forum, giving students an accessible and influential platform to shape the SU and University’s sustainability agenda. Sam also revitalised the SU’s sustainability webpages, making it easier for students to engage with and act on sustainability at Bath.

AAPS CDT researchers

 Anna Tassie, Jesse Wise, Matt Hutchins, Nina Patel and Ruth Gibson

This group of PhD researchers supported the BANES School Climate Conference by delivering hands‑on sustainability engagement for secondary school pupils across the region. They led interactive activities on sustainable transport and low‑emission mobility, translating cutting‑edge research into accessible, real‑world examples. The team encouraged pupils to reflect on everyday travel choices and their links to climate action, inspiring curiosity, critical thinking and discussion around practical solutions to reduce transport emissions. By acting as visible role models for sustainable innovation and showcasing pathways into engineering and climate research, they helped make the conference impactful, advancing climate education, outreach and behaviour change.

Solutions for Bath's Sustainable Future

This award recognises excellence for any individual, group or team conducting research that will help pave the way for sustainability within our University or local community of Bath.

Lucia Catalina Burtnik

Following the publication of the University’s updated Travel Plan in September 2025, Lucia played a pivotal role in ensuring it was shaped by robust, meaningful evidence. She worked closely with the Sustainability team to design and analyse a complex University‑wide survey and independently delivered six workshops engaging 152 staff and student stakeholders. Lucia’s commitment to high‑quality engagement ensured the data collected was not just included, but central to decision‑making and the development of the Travel Plan implementation measures. Her expertise, positivity and diligence resulted in exceptionally thorough analysis and tangible outcomes, directly informing which actions would most effectively meet Travel Plan targets while reflecting real user needs and experiences.

Zina Abdulla, Lydia Hudson and Mina Egbhall (category winner)

Zina, Lydia and Mina ran a research workshop from which they identified a critical inequality in access to urban green space: ethnic minority communities in Bristol are around 40% less likely to visit local parks despite often living closer to them. The findings shift sustainability beyond environmental provision towards social equity and inclusion, highlighting barriers such as safety concerns, poor maintenance, fear of harassment and lack of culturally inclusive spaces. By showing that perceived accessibility, not proximity, drives engagement, the researchers have been able to reframe how cities must plan and manage green infrastructure. They offer practical, scalable solutions—including improved safety, maintenance and inclusive design—to ensure green spaces support wellbeing, climate resilience and community cohesion for all.

Lucy Martin

Lucy has demonstrated exceptional sustainability leadership through her direction of the Brunel Centre and its landmark Strategic Economic Audit of the West of England. Her work provides the region with its clearest evidence base yet for delivering inclusive, resilient and sustainable economic growth. By highlighting critical challenges—from transport emissions and housing pressures to ecological decline—and calling for coordinated regional action, Lucy is shaping policy conversations that directly support the transition to net zero. Through launching the Centre’s open access Data Hub and championing evidence‑driven decision‑making, she is empowering businesses, policymakers and communities to build a more sustainable future.

VIP: Carbon Reduction Journey

Katie Parker, Edward Owen, Lucy Danson-Whittaker, Dominique Rodgers, Alex Holman, Aoife Carey, Libby Keel, Chloe Robertson, Mathilde Catsamba, Maria Popov, Katie Lovelady and Brian Rutter

Students in this Vertically Integrated Project group have taken on a significant real-world sustainability challenge this year, working with St Stephen’s Church in Lansdown. They are tasked with identifying ways to cut carbon emissions and explore a renewed role for the building within the local community. The project addresses challenges shared by many historic buildings and churches in Bath, including rising energy costs, poor insulation and underused spaces. The student team aims to produce a blueprint that can be used by other churches and community spaces facing similar challenges. It’s a great example of how research and teaching can come together to deliver meaningful, practical impact for sustainability within our local community.

Leader in Lab Sustainability

This award recognises an individual or team who has pioneered for lab sustainability within the University.

Silvia Martinez Micol

Silvia has made an outstanding contribution to improving the sustainability of Core Research Facilities laboratories, particularly the Imaging Facility. She coordinated the safe disposal of all chemical waste from 3 West, including decades of legacy materials from over 50 years of electron microscopy activity. Silvia independently reorganised and standardised waste streams across nine laboratories in five buildings, covering sharps, general, chemical and specialist waste, creating a clear, consistent and sustainable system for all users. She also installed clear signage on chemical disposal processes and energy‑saving reminders on lights, PCs and monitors.

Marjorie Gibbon

Marjorie has worked tirelessly to build meaningful engagement around laboratory sustainability across the Centre for Evolution and Life Sciences. She consistently demonstrates leadership, enthusiasm and commitment, actively encouraging others to adopt more sustainable practices. Marjorie is always seeking new opportunities to improve sustainability, not only within laboratories but across entire buildings, taking a holistic and proactive approach. She has gone above and beyond by engaging directly with initiatives such as LabCycle, quickly developing expertise and contributing practical solutions. Through her energy, initiative and collaborative approach, Marjorie has become a highly valued leader in sustainability and a strong advocate for positive, lasting environmental change.

Sara Crew

Sara has been a leading advocate for sustainable laboratory practices this year, demonstrating exceptional commitment and leadership. She has proactively championed sustainability within her own lab group, driving engagement with the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) programme and embedding improved environmental practices into everyday lab activity. Sara’s enthusiasm and determination have had a wider impact, inspiring two additional lab groups within her department to follow her example and engage with LEAF. Her efforts have helped build momentum for cultural change, encouraging collaboration and shared responsibility for sustainability. Sara’s hard work, persistence and positive influence have not gone unnoticed by the LEAF team or her wider department, and her contribution has made a meaningful and lasting impact.

Edmund Dadge (category winner)

Edmund has shown exceptional leadership in advancing lab sustainability across the University. He led his research group to achieve both Bronze and Silver LEAF certification from scratch—an unprecedented accomplishment in his department—and actively encourages and supports other labs in pursuing LEAF, including by taking part in videos and sharing written guidance. His influence extends beyond his own workspace: as an engaged Institute of Sustainability and Climate Change (ISCC) student representative, he consistently leads organisation and volunteering, including contributing to the Festival of Nature to engage the public on water‑related challenges such as microplastics. Edmund demonstrates that rigorous PhD research can fully align with ambitious, practical sustainability action.

Innovation in Education

This award celebrates individuals who are innovating for sustainability through their teaching, demonstrating sustainable approaches to pedagogy, or providing students with opportunities to gain real-world experience of tackling sustainability challenges.

Taghried Abdelmagid (category winner)

As academic lead of the Play Your Way to Net Positive Buildings Vertically Integrated Project (VIP), Taghried has demonstrated how agency in sustainable construction can be shared through creative education, including board game design. She has encouraged student autonomy in learning and shared valuable contacts to support the development of a game aimed at educating children about sustainability. Taghried continues to champion creative approaches to communicating sustainability, supporting the project’s setup, continuity, and growth. She actively shares her passion with new students, ensuring strong engagement and continuity.

One VIP participant shared, “I feel grateful to have Taghried as a supervisor and believe that her contributions towards sustainability are a strong demonstration of taking action through education.”

Diletta Acuti and Tamsin McLaren

Recognising that marketing education can play a constructive role in advancing social sustainability, Diletta and Tamsin developed a new unit that moves beyond traditional, profit-focused case studies. They designed an authentic, client-based project in which students work directly with a non-profit organisation to address real challenges such as attracting donations, volunteers, and community engagement. Through this approach, students gain hands-on experience in audience research, stakeholder engagement, and values-led communication. While developing a strong sense of responsibility for influencing behaviour change and creating positive social impact through their future careers.

Kostas Iatridis, Gabi Quintiere, MSc Careers Service

The Company Consultancy Project, delivered by Kostas Iatridis and Gabi Quintiere, was developed in response to the growing need for well-rounded sustainability professionals who can combine theory with practical, analytical, and interpersonal skills. Supported by the School of Management MSc Careers Service, which brokers partnerships with external organisations, the unit pairs students with real organisations on live consultancy projects. This approach moves beyond traditional classroom learning and prepares students for the complex, interconnected nature of real-world sustainability challenges, while consistently delivering value for both students and partner organisations.

Peter Manning

This year, Peter secured a Global Challenges Teaching Award enabling him to partner with Elon University in North Carolina. Through the project, he is pioneering a virtual exchange to empower students to confront global issues of peace and justice. His work creates transformative, cross‑cultural learning experiences that deepen understanding of conflict, humanitarian challenges, and community resilience. By integrating international collaboration, pedagogical innovation, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Peter is expanding opportunities for students and staff while forging a significant new institutional partnership. His leadership is shaping globally minded graduates equipped to address the world’s most urgent challenges.

Fionna Uppilirajan

As part of a Centre of Excellence in Engineering and Design Education (CEEDE) summer internship, Mechanical Engineering undergraduate Fionna developed The Climate Quest. This is a new interactive workshop designed to embed climate systems awareness across engineering education. Supervised by Dr Sandhya Moise and Dr Melusine Pigeon, this workshop was created in response to the need for stronger interdisciplinary thinking, systems awareness, and lifecycle understanding in engineering. The workshop introduces students to the complexity and relevance of climate change early in their studies and has already been trialled with over 800 first-year students across Engineering. Its wider rollout is now being considered, potentially extending its impact beyond the Faculty.

Empowering Changemakers

This award recognises any person or team who has excelled in their work to empower others with sustainability skills, knowledge and experience. This could include work that focuses on co-curriculum learning opportunities and support for students, or it may focus more on staff members.

Green Week Committee

Sophie Allison, Edie Nelson, Sachio Nishiyama, Beth Rose Sladen and Isabella Rees

This volunteer student committee partnered with the Sustainability Team to design and deliver a dynamic week of activities that inspired students across Bath to engage with sustainability. The interdisciplinary MSc group took full ownership of the project, leading a programme of student‑run events including a quiz, careers panel, and vintage clothes tour. Working collaboratively with societies such as the Women’s Rugby Club and Café Culture Society, they made sustainability accessible and inclusive. They also partnered with departments across the University and led communications on Sustainable Bath social media, building momentum, strengthening engagement, and helping embed sustainability into everyday campus life.

Sarah Peel

Sarah has spearheaded sustainability engagement in the School of Management with the Sustainable Business Challenge, leading its growth and welcoming two new global institutions last year. She has strengthened project management and deepened industry involvement through an enhanced mentor programme. Known for building long‑lasting relationships, Sarah stays connected with many students well beyond graduation. Her strong sustainability‑related professional network benefits the University, as she generously shares contacts and supports a wide range of initiatives that enrich student experience and employability, and elevate Bath’s reputation. Her leadership, commitment, and impact make her a deserving candidate for this award.

Yixian Sun (category winner)

Yixian demonstrates ongoing and outstanding commitment to nurturing inclusive, global sustainability leadership. By establishing a dedicated fund from the Institute of Sustainability and Climate Change (ISCC) to support Global South researchers, particularly early career scholars, to attend the 2026 Bath Conference on Earth System Governance, Yixian is removing barriers to participation in the world’s leading sustainability governance forum. This initiative will empower recipients to present their work, gain vital skills and experience, and engage in a meaningful academic dialogue with Global North scholars that will benefit all participants. Yixian’s vision and leadership is strengthening global collaboration and shaping a more equitable future for sustainability research.

Sanchia Jones

Sanchia is a catalyst for empowering students to become confident, responsible changemakers through sustainability‑focused learning and leadership. Her work on the Be Ambitious Challenge exemplifies innovative co-curricular sustainability education, placing the UN Sustainable Development Goals at the centre of a live consultancy experience that helps students connect academic learning with professional practice and their responsibilities as future leaders. Beyond the curriculum, her hands‑on support for One Young World Bath has opened accessible pathways for students to engage in global sustainability dialogue. As co-chair of PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education), she champions ethical, inclusive management education, inspiring students and colleagues to drive positive change.

Library Spark team

Sarah Ormes, Hilary Cooksley, David Stacey, Sophie Sweeney, Clare Bannister and Brooklyn Halladay

The Library’s Green Spark team has created a supportive, challenge-based competition that provides students with an opportunity to apply their sustainability passion and knowledge to a real-world challenge at the University of Bath. Through the competition, students build practical skills, confidence, and ownership while developing a solution of their choice to tackle any Library sustainability issue or area for innovation. A Dragon’s Den‑style final added a professional, high‑stakes element, pushing students to pitch, defend, and refine their ideas. With 36 strong entries, judges praised the “creativity, thoughtfulness, and boldness” of the proposals.

Sustainable Student Group of the Year

This is a new award introduced this year to celebrate the inspiring hard work of our student groups who are making waves for sustainability across the University campus and within our wider community.

Bath Crochet Society

Anna Lewis, Asina Sethi, Melissa Fillet, Jace Puskas, Amy Gibbs and Parm Evansa

To mark Earth Day, the Crochet Society used their creativity to highlight the hidden impacts of coral bleaching on our oceans. Over 10 makers collaborated on a crocheted coral reef installation made entirely from second-hand and recycled yarn, fabric, cardboard, and plarn, demonstrating a strong commitment to responsible consumption. Displayed in the Library, the installation demonstrated the stark transition from vibrant, biodiverse reefs to bleached skeletons. Taking over 40 hours to create, the project was supported by an informative social media post that raised awareness and encouraged action to reduce our impact on oceans.

Women's Rugby Club (category winner)

Nell Powell

As part of their charity month supporting women and girls, Nell Powell from the Women’s Rugby Club organised a Wear It Forward clothes sale at the University. The team recognised the problem of overconsumption and cost in sportswear and focused their efforts on pre-loved clothes and sports kit. They collaborated with the Sustainable Fashion Society and worked with the Sustainability team to amplify their sustainability message. All sales went to their chosen charities: Maddy’s Mark, Women in Sport, and CoppaFeel. The stand was strengthened by sustainability messaging on social media, and any clothes not sold were donated to the British Heart Foundation.

Backstage Society

Backstage has demonstrated a strong and practical commitment to sustainability through initiatives embedded across their events and operations. They prioritise energy-efficient LED lighting, promote sustainable behaviours by only serving vegetarian and vegan catering, and actively encourage car sharing among members and attendees. These actions help to minimise environmental impact while embedding sustainability into the group’s culture. Backstage also shows strong awareness of the need for responsible practice within the live events industry, ensuring members gain hands-on experience of sustainable approaches that can be carried forward into future creative and professional settings.

Bath University Green Party (BUGP)

Since reaffiliating in February 2026, BUGP has shown impressive growth and impact, placing climate justice, ethical investment, and sustainable policy engagement at the heart of its activity. They collaborate with other student groups and lead informed discussions on issues including low carbon transport and the University’s climate responsibilities. In a short time, BUGP has become a welcoming and active space for students interested in environmental politics and activism. By empowering members to learn, debate, and take part in local sustainability initiatives, they are bringing greater visibility to sustainability on campus.

V-Repair

Running three Repair Cafés this year in partnership with Bath’s Share and Repair, the group repaired over 60 items for students and staff. By supporting people to fix broken belongings rather than discard them, they actively reduced waste and promoted a culture of reuse on campus. The Repair Cafés also raise awareness of the environmental impacts of throwaway culture while building practical skills and confidence among our community. Through these welcoming, hands-on events, they demonstrated how small, community-based actions can make a meaningful contribution to sustainability and responsible consumption.

Sustainable Fashion Society

This year, the Sustainable Fashion Society have been promoting low-waste, creative alternatives to fast fashion through hands-on upcycling and reuse focused events, including tote bag painting, keychain making, and Sip-N-Paint sessions. Their popular workshops, often delivered in collaboration with other student groups, make sustainable fashion fun, accessible, and social while reaching a wide audience. By encouraging students to repurpose materials and create rather than buy new, the Society actively reduces waste and raises awareness of sustainable consumption.

Outstanding Commitment to Sustainability (Staff)

This award recognises a member of staff or staff team who have taken significant action or made great progress towards sustainability on our University campus.

Claire Tanner (category winner)

Claire is a passionate and inspiring advocate for sustainability within Life Sciences. As a lecturer on the Conservation and Global Change unit, she brings clarity and enthusiasm to teaching, helping students understand climate action and their role in driving positive change. Beyond teaching, Claire actively contributes to the Life Sciences Education and Teaching Committee and the Faculty Science Community of Practice Education (SCOPE), influencing sustainable teaching practices and supporting the department’s sustainability handbook. As part of the Green Impact team, she leads creative initiatives, and this summer will host a BioBlitz to assess campus biodiversity and engage our community in nature. Her positivity, energy and supportive approach consistently motivate others to engage with sustainability.

Susanna Terruso

Susanna is an exceptionally determined champion for sustainability, whose commitment goes far beyond formal requirements. As co-lead of the HSS Faculty Green Impact team, she is motivated not by points but by a genuine belief in the cause. Even during a demanding year that included changing professional roles, Susanna consistently put herself forward for every sustainability opportunity to learn, upskill and contribute. She organises activities such as toy swaps, clothes swaps and litter picks, helping to engage a broad range of people but also taking action independently if needed. Her resilience, openness and passion have inspired colleagues to reflect on their own behaviours and integrate sustainability into everyday life.

Carly Symons and Raff Stone

Carly and Raff have helped advance sustainability in the Sports Training Village (STV) through their proactive redesign of the lost‑property system. Recognising inefficiencies, they created a streamlined process that improves logging, storage and tracking, reducing unnecessary disposal and extending the life of items. Their commitment goes far beyond their roles: they regularly volunteer additional time to ensure unclaimed belongings are donated or upcycled, preventing waste and maximising social and environmental benefit. By embedding reuse and responsible resource management into everyday operations, Carly and Raff have made sustainability a practical, visible and impactful part of the STV’s culture.

Matt Durant

Matt is a committed and inspiring sustainability champion for his team. He brings energy, curiosity and genuine enthusiasm that helps colleagues understand why sustainability matters and how they can actively contribute. A strong example of his impact is his work with MSc Decarbonisation students, collaborating with academic colleagues to design and deliver engaging sessions that connect students with real sustainability challenges in the Library. These sessions generated thoughtful discussion and innovative ideas. Matt is highly supportive of student research, this year proactively helping to gather and share data for a net zero retrofit project. He consistently goes above and beyond to enable collaboration and inspire meaningful action.

Ben Jones

Ben has been an energetic and consistent champion for sustainability within Campus Services, particularly in his role within the ResLife Operations team. Working directly with students living in University accommodation, Ben’s passion and enthusiasm make a real difference, helping to actively engage students in recycling, energy saving and everyday sustainable behaviours. His positive approach also inspires colleagues, encouraging wider participation in sustainability initiatives such as the Leave No Trace campaigns. Ben’s influence extends to senior leadership: he has confidently presented sustainability ideas, including Digital Declutter Days, to senior managers in Campus Services. Ben’s drive, optimism and commitment continue to build momentum for sustainability across teams at every level.

Marketing and Digital teams

Sophie Oldacres, Sarah McFarlane, Nathalie Synnott, Caroline Thomas, Rhian Griggs, John Fox, Faith Toynbee, Paul Fitzpatrick, Matthew Alexander, Sam Street, Rebecca Stewart, Daniel Matongo, Farooq Ahmad

These teams are nominated for their collaborative efforts in transforming our student recruitment materials. By shifting from traditional printed prospectuses to a digital‑first model, supported by lightweight flyers, the team has eliminated the need to print 44,000 prospectuses this year alone. This bold change significantly reduces paper use, carbon emissions, and mailing waste while aligning with prospective students’ expectations for visible, authentic environmental action. Their leadership demonstrates how creative digital strategy can drive meaningful sustainability impact, modernise engagement, and set a new standard for responsible communications across the institution.

Student Leader for Sustainability

This award recognises a student or student group that has gone above and beyond to take action for sustainability, perhaps through raising awareness or developing innovative solutions.

Aditi Thayyur and Ferra Luengvoraphan (category winner)

As Climate Champions, Aditi and Ferra have spent three years engaging students with sustainability through accessible, creative, action-focused initiatives. They identified an opportunity and created the Sustainable Bath walking tour, introducing new students to Bath’s sustainable shops and cafés while sparking conversations about responsible consumption and community, and helping enable peer-to-peer support. They also produce engaging, high-quality social media content that communicates sustainability in a relatable way and encourages positive behaviour change. Beyond their role, both champion sustainability across campus: Ferra as former Treasurer of the Sustainable Fashion Society, and Aditi as a Wellbeing Ambassador, extending their inclusive, visual approach to new student communities.

Aleeyah Humayun

This year, Aleeyah undertook work experience at The Care Forum where she demonstrated a strong ability to bring value to an organisation through sustainability action. She conducted an environmental audit of their Bristol office and developed clear, practical sustainability recommendations. These included proposed actions across energy, waste, water, and travel, such as LED lighting, regulated technology shutoffs, and thermal blinds, all proportionate to the organisation. Aleeyah strengthened her proposals by aligning them with national and international climate policy and evidence based behavioural research. She translated findings into accessible ideas, including draft office infographics, a proposed Eco Employee of the Month scheme, a Green Week, and a monthly green impact newsletter template, empowering staff to embed sustainability into everyday practice.

Sophie Williams

Since joining the University in September, Sophie has been a trailblazer for sustainability. Their passion extends beyond her MSc Sustainability and Management course and academic representative role, contributing to positive change across campus. She has strengthened her skillset through participating in the Re:Imagine Sustainability hackathon, SU Student Sustainability Forum, training to be a Green Impact Auditor, and becoming an SU student sustainability trainer. Sophie also leads the V-Wildlife project, where they are working towards Hedgehog Friendly Campus certification, ensuring impact continues beyond their studies and leaves a lasting sustainability legacy at the University.

Malcolm Marega

Malcolm, a PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education) Committee Member at the University of Bath, has made an outstanding contribution through his leadership, advocacy, and commitment to sustainability. As a representative of School of Management students, he brings a strong and thoughtful student voice to committee discussions, ensuring student perspectives meaningfully shape decisions and priorities. Malcolm presented sustainability interventions at the PRME UK & Ireland 2026 Conference and plays a key role in cross-institutional collaboration across the University. His passion, creativity, and energy span multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly quality education, poverty reduction, and equality. He consistently advocates for his peers and ensures their voices are heard in impactful ways.