Award categories

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

Research 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 local community of Bath.

Catherine Naughtie

In Catherine’s role as a PhD student, she has taken on an additional project to investigate perceptions and barriers related to uses of single-use plastics in labs. This work has been made possible with grant funding secured from the Royal Society of Chemistry that specifically supports developments around sustainable lab practices. Catherine’s research in this area addresses key barriers to reducing lab waste and will have the potential to inform effective sustainability strategies as a result.

Barbara Kasprzyk-Hordern

Barbara leads ground-breaking research in public health and environmental sustainability and this year launched a new Centre of Excellence in Water-Based Early-Warning Systems for Health Protection, WBE@Bath. Her work focuses on developing an early warning system using urban water profiling to rapidly identify and respond to public health risks in fast-growing urban areas. By integrating engineering and digital technology, she has pioneered real-time diagnostics to strengthen community resilience. Her contributions address global challenges, including climate change and antimicrobial resistance, with potential to make a significant impact on public health strategies. Barbara shows ongoing leadership and innovation coupled with a commitment to deliver transformative environmental solutions.

Ruth Gibson, Ellie Smallwood and Jesse Wise (category winner)

With support from the University’s Engage & Involve grant, Ruth, Ellie, and Jesse embarked on a creative project exploring sustainable travel and transport solutions. Through interactive junk-modelling workshops, they sparked curiosity and conversation among children and young people, inviting them to share their experiences, ideas, and aspirations for the future of travel. This hands-on approach not only encouraged imaginative thinking but also fostered a deeper understanding of how transport can evolve sustainably. By making complex topics accessible and engaging, their work empowered young voices to envision and contribute to a more eco-friendly future of mobility.

Lucia Burtnik

Lucia is a PhD student whose research explores how involving University of Bath staff in deliberative discussions about sustainable transport policy can improve understanding, acceptance, and fairness of initiatives aimed at reducing commuting emissions. By engaging employees in co-creating solutions, the project supports climate goals, enhances policy effectiveness, and fosters a sense of shared responsibility. It identifies local barriers to sustainable travel and transforms policymaking into a collaborative, community-led process. The findings will inform more equitable and impactful transport strategies, while offering a scalable model for inclusive sustainability efforts across the University.

Leader in Lab Sustainability

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

Kostas Kotoulas and Sean Loh

Kostas and Sean worked through the University’s lab sustainability programme, LEAF (Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework) to successfully achieve Silver accreditation for their lab. Kostas and Sean showed leadership in their lab team and were able to achieve the criteria necessary to satisfy both bronze and silver accreditation in one step. The work has been undertaken alongside their postgraduate studies in the Department of Chemical Engineering and required them to focus on a range of actions including documentation, organisation, and sustainable practices in the lab with a focus on embedding new processes to ensure the behaviour continues.

Matt Hutchins and Lydia Hudson

Matt and Lydia work with the Sustainability team as Lab Sustainability Champions, alongside their PhD studies. During the past year, they have:

• advocated for lab sustainability in lab groups and the postgraduate community
• provided day-to-day coordination for the University’s lab sustainability programme, LEAF (Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework)
• researched topics and written content for the new Sustainable Research Hub
• delivered and supported training on lab sustainability
• increased programme visibility through a range of comms, activities and events
• undertaken audits to assess lab sustainability practices

Their knowledge and experience in lab practices and sustainability have allowed them to take a lead role this year in driving forward the University’s agenda and commitment to change related to minimising the environmental impact of research practices.

Martin Levere (category winner)

Martin has taken a leadership role in embedding sustainability in Core Research Facilities (CRF). Before these facilities were formed, Martin worked in MC² (Materials and Chemical Characterisation) and was pivotal in enabling and leading his team to achieve 100% LEAF bronze certification in 2022, the first department to do so at Bath. Following the restructure, Martin is now continuing in his efforts to embed sustainability meaningfully through lab practices and operations in CRF. In addition to the work in his department, Martin is a great advocate for lab sustainability and shares his knowledge and expertise in lab practices to support a wider network of colleagues taking action in this area particularly through partaking in lab sustainability audits internally.

David Phillips

David undertook a four-month project with the Sustainability team in 2024, bringing his expertise as a researcher and technical staff member. He combined his deep knowledge of lab practices and health and safety principles with a strong commitment to delivering sustainable solutions. As part of the project, David engaged with stakeholders to better understand the sustainability challenges faced by Bath’s research community. He conducted lab audits for LEAF lab sustainability certification, developed impactful signage and communication materials to encourage sustainable behaviours, and successfully launched a pilot Sustainable Labs Conference—now set for a second year. Additionally, he co-developed an introductory course on lab sustainability, which has run throughout 2024-25, and laid essential groundwork for the newly launched Sustainable Research Hub, strengthening the institution’s sustainability efforts.

Dave Wood

As a Climate Advocate and Technical Services Manager for the Faculty of Engineering and Design, Dave has been a strong advocate and driving force for embedding sustainability in labs and workshops in the faculty. He has supported colleagues in breaking down barriers that engineering and design colleagues face when it comes to operating sustainably. Dave has developed a tool to help labs assess whether they are suitable for the University’s lab sustainability programme, LEAF, which is traditionally used for wet labs. Without an alternative for workshops in place, Dave has been vital in helping translate and apply relevant actions and advice to ensure it is more widely applicable and accessible. Dave has shown continual enthusiasm and is slowly managing to increase momentum.

Innovation in Education

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

Sophia Hatzisavvidou

As a lecturer in ecological politics, Sophia teaches around topics such as climate justice, just transitions and environmental political theory. In 2024, Sophia enabled a practical learning opportunity for two final years politics students to attend a COP (Conference of the Parties) simulation event organised by the British International Studies Association (BISA). Through this project, Sophia supported the students to develop their negotiation and collaboration skills in the context of proposing policies and interventions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the increment of climate transition finance. Success was shown through the ‘Outstanding Delegation Award’ that the students won.

Ed Feil (category winner)

Ed assessed the carbon footprint of his teaching and identified a significant challenge in an annual field trip to Portugal, a longstanding opportunity for students to study ecology and evolution in a practical setting. While the trip emphasises conservation and sustainability, it requires air travel, generating considerable carbon emissions. To address this, Ed developed an alternative UK-based field trip, giving students the option to participate in a lower-carbon experience. Beyond reducing environmental impact, this new offering enhances accessibility, allowing more students to engage in fieldwork without the need for international travel. It also encourages appreciation of UK nature, fostering a connection to local ecosystems while maintaining the educational integrity of the original trip.

Brian Rutter

Brian is steadfast in his commitment to equip students with applied sustainability education so that they can lead meaningful change now and in their careers. Sustainability is interwoven throughout his teaching, and he provides a number of additional learning opportunities for students, in particular by leading a Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) focusing on supporting a Carers Centre on their carbon reduction journey. Integrated volunteer and credit-bearing students in the VIP project, partnering with the Carers Centre, developed a sustainability action plan. Through this project, Brian has demonstrated leadership in guiding students through teamwork and problem-solving to tackle the real-world sustainability challenges related to decarbonisation.

Rick Lupton

Rick is dedicated to embedding sustainability into teaching, equipping students with essential knowledge and tools to assess environmental impacts. He integrates Material Flow Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment into his curriculum, helping students understand uncertainty and data transparency in sustainability. His interactive approach encourages critical thinking about carbon emissions and material use across industries, including transport and construction. Beyond the classroom, he develops open-source educational resources that make sustainability data accessible. By fostering a practical, systems-thinking mindset, this ensures students can apply sustainability principles to real-world challenges.

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.

Amy Thompson (category winner)

In her role as Head of Policy Programmes and Communications at the Institute for Policy Research (IPR), Amy has strived to equip young people with climate leadership skills while strengthening Bath’s global reputation in climate and sustainability work. In the past year, she has led 11 international youth climate leadership events, engaging hundreds of young people worldwide. She co-directed and delivered the fourth ActNowFilm in 2024 and presented it at six COP29 events in Azerbaijan. She delivered a Decoding UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) Language session at SB60 in Bonn and hosted four UNFCCC Youth4Capacity workshops with Cambridge Zero and University of Bath.

Careers Team, School of Management

Sarah Peel, Caroline Baldwin, Emily Nolan, Sophie Webb and Matt Lewis

This team run the Sustainable Business Challenge (SBC), now in its seventh year, involving students from seven universities. The students who take part are given an opportunity to gain practical and applied learning as they tackle real-world sustainability issues with training and mentorship on the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). At the end of the challenge, they present their solutions to the UN SDG Action Campaign with the winning idea selected as a skills platform for SDG-driven student projects.

Green Week student team

Pushpak Kolhe, Tamara Malazonia, Sanjana Aswani, Aditi Patil, Vinayak Navaneethan and Poonam Gautam Hanwate

This group of students volunteered to work with the Sustainability team as a client in semester one with a task to deliver a week of activities that would aim to engage and mobilise their fellow students on sustainability issues, behaviours and activities. The group rose to the challenge and delivered a range of student-led and peer-to-peer events, such as a Sustainability Quiz, travel-focused events and hosting a stall on parade. They collaborated with departments and teams across the University, as well as societies and sports groups to build inclusivity and accessibility, as well as maximising the influence they could bring. The team worked collaboratively and with focus on their objectives, overcoming setbacks with determination, resulting in a high-quality programme with strong overall engagement.

Richard Mason

In his role as Curriculum and Academic Developer in the Centre for Learning & Teaching (CLT), Richard has provided ongoing support for our academic community with a key focus on embedding sustainability meaningfully in teaching practices. To support this work, Richard has compiled a range of existing and new resources on the CLT resource hub to create a dedicated sustainability section. This includes resources to help educators use interdisciplinary and innovative pedagogies for sustainability and case studies showcasing how sustainability has been integrated into teaching and curriculum development.

Leading Sustainability in the Community

This award recognises an individual or team who has developed or run activities to provide hands-on experiences and develop skills for our varied University community or wider community of Bath.

The Carers Centre VIP Team

Ekene Okoye, Reem Ghazali, Francheska Madriaga, Tanisha D Mello, Taamara Kelappan, Maksims Parahonko, Alex Hart, Bella Lowe, Ollie Howell, Dylan Andrews, Brian Rutter, Katie Gilham-Terrell and Amy Childe

This dedicated team has supported the Carers Centre in Bath in aligning with B&NES Council’s sustainability goals. They assessed the centre’s carbon footprint and, in September 2024, produced a report with clear recommendations, including short-term and long-term roadmaps to 2030 for carbon reduction. The students have since implemented an action plan, helping the centre organise an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) and improve energy use. Comprising current, credit-bearing, volunteer, and past students, the team remains committed to supporting this vital organisation. Carers Centre staff have praised the VIP initiative for its invaluable role in enhancing efficiencies and sustainability efforts.

Campus Services Facilities Team

Sarah Brailey, Paul Harvey, Charis Drain, Cheryl Herbert and Liz Russell

The Campus Services Facilities Team plays a vital role in maintaining the University’s Community Larder, ensuring accessibility for all. This is one key project (of multiple) run by the University to help combat food and household waste, and to support our staff and student community. The Facilities team manage the upkeep of the larder, clearing unsuitable items, and organising donations left by students in June, and carefully storing them for use in the first semester. Last year, they secured alumni funding to purchase staple items, supporting staff and students in need. Their efforts have sparked wider engagement, earning praise from University leadership and encouraging a culture of sharing and waste reduction. The Community Larder continues to be a crucial resource, promoting sustainability and wellbeing within the University community.

Vegetarian Society (category winner)

Pal Kerecsenyi, Hugo Whittome, Penn Mackintosh, Caroline Morton, Elizabeth Rigby, Helen Slater and Olivia Warmington

Each week, VegSoc at the University of Bath serves free, fully vegan meals to around 40 students, championing sustainable eating and community connection. Run entirely by student volunteers, the initiative reduces food waste, promotes plant-based diets, and provides an inclusive space where affordability meets environmental consciousness. Recognised with a 5-star food hygiene rating and the SU’s Best Regular Activity award, VegSoc proves that grassroots action can drive meaningful change. By sharing meals and skills, they empower others to live more sustainably—one Wednesday dinner at a time!

One Young World Organising Committee

Avneet Singh, Eya Labidi, Finlay Bertram, George Knight, Gina Nkwah, Grace Boyce, Hitanshi Nirmal Kumar Jain, Ihab Khan, Kirat Khanna, Olivera Aritonoska, Lisa Saade, Mia D'Lima, Rose Tehrani, Sabina Madden, Sai Keerthana Devalla and Sophie Norman

The One Young World Bath 2025 Forum was a product of months of planning, creativity, and teamwork by a student-led organising committee. Divided into Planning, Relationships, and Marketing teams, the committee worked collaboratively to ensure a shared vision and seamless event execution. With 23 dedicated students, regular meetings maintained momentum and strong communication. Despite challenges, the team demonstrated resilience, overcoming logistical hurdles to deliver an impactful and inclusive forum. This represents and echoes the holistic approach to sustainability undertaken at the University. Rooted in student leadership, collaboration, and empowerment, the event embodied a commitment to meaningful connections and collective purpose, leaving a lasting impression on all involved: 97% said they felt inspired to drive positive change in their career and education after.

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.

Junjie Shen (category winner)

Junjie has driven impactful sustainability initiatives in the Library, creating a Green Libraries action plan and signing up for CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) Green Libraries manifesto. He founded and recruited the Library’s Green Impact team, aiming for a bronze award in just three months. Junjie also developed the University’s first sustainability dashboard (for the Library), tracking energy and water use. His tool has improved resource planning and reduced environmental impact, gaining interest at the 2025 Power Community of Practice Café. This tool is making a real difference: it supports smarter planning during peak student periods, flags unusual spikes in energy or water use, and helps staff take targeted action, such as the Easter switch off, to reduce our environmental impact.

Caroline Chapman

Caroline Chapman, a programme administrator in Psychology originally set up the department’s Green Team in January 2021. She chaired the committee and created it to be inclusive of all job roles, grades and including students too. Under her lead, the department increased its green initiatives, such as:

• introducing self-organised departmental food waste schemes
• creating printer signage to reduce use
• setting up a swap table in the foyer
• establishing green and wellbeing noticeboards in the department
• rewilding the green area outside 10W including using her free time to clear overgrown areas to allow wildflowers to flourish as well as securing funding for tools and a garden bench so everyone can continue enjoying the area

Caroline has been the driving force of the Green Team and her initiatives have had widespread impact, for example Psychology became a pilot scheme for centralised food waste collections. Caroline deserves to be commended for her passion and support of helping Psychology be a sustainable department.

Mike Dalton

Mike has done a lot of work in the SU bar and for the large-scale events he runs to reduce the large amount of single use plastic produced and needing to be disposed of. The Summer Ball has been plastic cup free for a few years now, preventing an estimated 10,000 plastic cups from being used each year, utilising a reusable cup scheme. This has now been extended to the Freshers’ Week activities to save an estimated 20,000 disposable cups from being used each year. This summer there is a new bar by the Lake which is disposable free. Reusable cups and jugs are being used, and this is predicted to save 10,000 disposable cups from being used. The move to reusable cups not only has a positive impact on the environment but it also shows students, staff and visitors how important it is to the Students’ Union to cut back on disposable waste.

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.

Pushpak Kolhe

Throughout the year, Pushpak has demonstrated outstanding leadership in sustainability through both his academic studies and extracurricular efforts. As a key contributor to Green Week – working with the Sustainability team – he helped deliver a series of impactful events, from climate walks and workshops to thought-provoking speaker sessions. Studying Sustainability and Management, he applies his academic knowledge to practical initiatives, showing a deep understanding of environmental challenges and how to engage others in addressing them. His creativity, teamwork, and dedication were vital to the success of Green Week, inspiring students and staff alike to take meaningful action. Always proactive and solutions-focused, he embodies what it means to lead with purpose and passion in the sustainability space. He has also become a Climate Fresk facilitator to support wider awareness and learning around sustainability and climate change.

Xandi Drysdale and Jojo Darling (category winner)

Xandi and Jojo lead the People and Planet SU society with passion and a keen eye for impactful change. Beyond running the society with dedication, they have exceeded their responsibilities, actively shaping the student movement for climate justice. As SUmmit members, they tirelessly lobbied SU leadership, securing a pivotal SU standpoint that commits student leaders to ending the University’s ties with fossil fuel companies. Their Fossil Free Careers campaign has gained momentum across campus. Their continued efforts demonstrate unwavering commitment to addressing this challenging issue, driving meaningful action toward a more sustainable and ethical future.

Amara Gum

Amara has demonstrated exceptional leadership in sustainability working within the School of Management Green Impact team. Through active learning, collaboration, and strategic planning, she has helped embed meaningful change beyond the toolkit. Her contributions to sustainable food research and engagement strengthened the School’s initiatives, while her acceptance into the PRME-led (Principles for Responsible Management Education) LEAP Leadership programme highlights her commitment to values-driven leadership. Amara has fostered open discussions, motivated teams, and embraced personal growth to advocate for sustainability. Her passion, determination, and ability to inspire collective action have provided consistent and ongoing value to the School’s sustainability efforts.

Renee Pak

Renee is an undergraduate student who collaborated with the SU and Sustainability team to design an online sustainability workshop for student leaders in May 2025. The purpose of this pilot project was to raise awareness and increase knowledge about sustainability, and to empower individuals and groups to take action. Renee investigated the barriers to sustainable choices faced by societies and sports teams, which included challenging areas such as frequent kit purchasing or travelling to away games. This allowed Renee to develop a bespoke training session to start thinking and actions that will help address and overcome these challenges.

Charis Drain

Charis worked as an intern last summer for Campus Services and as a Climate Champion from September 2024. Through both of these roles, Charis has demonstrated a clear passion for sustainability and clear enthusiasm and dedication to share this with her peers. She has helped Campus Services with their Leave no Trace end-of-year campaign, sustainability stalls at the start of the year and with cleaning and stocking the Community Larder. She has also provided ideas for how the University can increase reuse of donated items and offered vital student insights to help improve existing campaigns.