Digital Sustainability Conference 2024: Green, greener, greenest – or green at all?

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Booking Closed

Primary Sponsor

Date

5 June 2024

Book Before

28 May 2024

Venue

University of Nottingham, Jubilee Conference Centre

About the Event

Net Zero service, fully recyclable product, made with 100% green energy – how many times have you come across these predicates, or claims, from your suppliers and business partners in recent times?

Green credentials are powerful today and we, as organisational consumers, are frequently swayed by them. It is easy to believe these statements especially as it’s often difficult, perhaps even impossible, to find the truth behind them. Examining what we do to be more digitally sustainable is becoming increasingly important, for our planet and the people inhabiting it, to ensure we make the right decisions. We want to question some of the green assumptions being made and bring them into focus, alongside more mainstream digital sustainability topics, at the 2nd UCISA Sustainability Conference 2024.

Highlight of topics SUG24 will explore:

  • Should you care about where in the world your Data Centre is located?
  • How do you measure Data Centre sustainability?
  • Will the use of AI make us more sustainable?
  • How long should a device be used? Is 5 years a norm?

You will hear from inspirational speakers in the sector as well as knowledgeable experts from the industry as they explore digital sustainable topics pertinent to us. You will be joined by colleagues from across the sector with an equal passion for making the world a greener place. The conference aims to motivate and embolden your sustainable journey. The topics will challenge you and may raise further questions, but the intention is to inspire and enlighten you to tackle these challenges with confidence.

Have a green story to share about your data centre? Perhaps an inspiring sustainability tale about the use of automation? How are you measuring your sustainable goals and meeting them? Share your story with colleagues by presenting (15-20 mins) at the conference – complete the short speaker proposal form.

Join us on World Environment Day – Wednesday 5th of June – at the University of Nottingham for the UCISA Sustainability Conference 2024!

 

 

Speakers

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Professor Begum Tokay

Professor of Chemical Engineering

University of Nottingham

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Dr. Emma Barnes

Head of Research and Faculty IT

University of York

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Claire Davies

Sustainable Procurement Manager

Nottingham Trent University

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Richard Fuller

Assistant Director of IT Services (Technology and Cyber)

University of York

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Kirri Watson

Head of Adult Education, UK/I

Google

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With a background in adult education, Kirri is passionate about harnessing technology to improve student outcomes, inclusivity, and the overall learning experience. This passion has translated into her work supporting nationwide deployments of Google Workspace for Education and Chromebooks across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Over the past 6 years, Kirri has collaborated with numerous UK universities and colleges, empowering them to realise their vision for a digital future and unlock the transformative potential of technology.

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Charlotte Wood

Sustainability Manager

Nottingham Trent University

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Charlotte has over 15 years experience working in sustainability with roles in energy, climate change, sustainability management and climate resilience across the public sector. She currently oversees the programme management of activity to meet Nottingham Trent University’s ambitious 2040 Net Zero Carbon target across all 3 scopes of emissions. Charlotte’s specialities include carbon footprinting, climate change risk assessments and scope 3 supply chain emissions.

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John Vass-De-Zomba

IT Environmental Sustainability Manager

University of Manchester

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John has worked in IT for nearly 30 years and has a life-long love for the environment. He’s applying his broad experience from the public and private sectors to HE, achieving material improvements to his University's sustainability whilst taking colleagues along the path to whole-scale adoption of environmental sustainability principles.

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Sean Green

Director of Digital and Change

University of East Anglia

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Sean in an experienced Digital, Data and Technology Director having worked in Financial Services, the NHS, Housing, Police, Local Government and now Higher Education. Leading large teams and significant digital transformations.

In his current role he leads the Digital and Data Technology Services for the University of East Anglia where he has worked for almost 18 months.

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John Ireland

Director of Customer Service

University of Oxford

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John is the Director of Customer Services for central IT at the University of Oxford. He has been involved in IT sustainability initiatives in various roles, initially focussed on reducing in-use energy consumption but more recently encompassing supply chain and full lifecycle impact. Projects have included a University-wide PC energy monitoring and reporting service, driving end-user device purchasing strategy towards low-carbon solutions, measurement and modelling of emissions associated with EUC and GPU-intensive systems, and initial development of a carbon footprint calculator for IT services and projects.

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Henrik Brogger

Director of Digital Operations and Service Delivery

University of Reading

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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!

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Paul Rock

IT Architect

Cardiff University

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Paul has spent over 30 years as a university IT professional unintentionally generating carbon emissions from a variety of technologies and currently works as a Technical Architect at Cardiff University. He is interested in all areas of environmental sustainability both within Higher Education and in everyday life.

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Clare Casey

Head of Environmental Sustainability

Jisc

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Clare joined Jisc as Head of Environmental Sustainability in Summer 2022 with over fifteen years’ experience of working in HE and public sector. At Jisc, Clare has been leading on the development of the sustainability strategy and programme. which looks to embed sustainability into the core of Jisc’s strategic aims, as well as the products and services that it provides to the FHE and skills sector. Working closely with colleagues, and partnering with institutions, she is keen to look at how Jisc can support delivery of net zero through its products and services and the use technology to effectively monitor, manage and report on key information and data points.

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Nick Skelton

Independent IT Consultant

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Nick developed his digital HE career at the University of Bristol, where his roles included head of IT infrastructure. He is now an independent consultant, working with universities on initiatives from data centres to digital learning.

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Dr Marcia Smith

Senior Research Associate, School of Computing and Communications

Lancaster University

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Dr Marcia Tavares Smith is a Senior Research Associate in the School of Computing and Communications at Lancaster University, working on the EPSRC-funded PARIS-DE project. She is co-designing a framework with other researchers and industry to explore and tackle the environmental impacts of digital technologies.

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Scott Stonham

Founder

Digital Carbon Online

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Over the last 25 years, Scott has helped bring to life innovations we take for granted today. He is an innovator, advisor, speaker, author of the Exploring Digital Carbon Footprints report, prior NED for the Association of Colleges, contributor to the Open University and founder of Digital Carbon Online.

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Catherine Munn

User Experience Research Specialist

University of Edinburgh

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Catherine is a User Experience Research Specialist at the University of Edinburgh, where she helps colleagues across the University understand the users of their websites and digital services. She is currently investigating the relationship between web design practices and carbon emissions, and how this applies to the University’s web estate.

Event Schedule

Night Prior

19:00

Drinks Reception

in Spokes Restaurant (for those who have booked to attend dinner)
19:30

Call to Dinner

19:40

Dinner with presentation

in Spokes Restaurant (for those who have booked to attend dinner)
19:40

Extending the Life of Technology through the Circular Economy and innovative Urban Mining

Matt Franklin, Chief Sales Officer, Roc Technologies and Andy Gomarsall, Chairman of N2S and former England Rugby Union player.

Wednesday

09:00

Registration opens

09:40

Pre-conference session: Scope 1, 2 & 3 Emissions Refresher

Paul Rock, Technical Architect, Cardiff University

(in Raleigh 1)

10:00

Welcome and introduction

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

All Fact No Fiction: All About Sustainability

Begum Tokay, Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of Nottingham
11:10

Refreshments

11:40

Breakout session: Designing an innovative cross-sector tool to measure and reduce supply chain emissions and meet net zero ambitions

Charlotte Wood, Sustainability Manager, and Claire Davies, Sustainable Procurement Manager, Nottingham Trent University in Raleigh 1
11:40

Breakout session: Managing data storage to reduce environmental impact

Clare Casey, Head of Environmental Sustainability, Jisc in Triumph 1
12:00

Travel time

12:05

Breakout session: Device lifecycle, culture and sustainability

John Ireland, Director of Customer Services , IT Services, University of Oxford in Raleigh 1
12:05

Breakout session: Sustainable Behaviours

Sean Green, Director of Digital, University of East Anglia in Triumph 1
12:25

Travel time

12:30

Greenwashing or a genuine difference?

Nick Skelton, Independent IT Consultant
12:50

Lunch

13:50

Breakout session: Sustainability and AI

Dr Marcia Smith, Senior Research Associate, Lancaster University in Raleigh 1
13:50

Breakout session: Greener screens: Launching our Green Digital Design internship

Catherine Munn, User Experience Research Specialist, University of Edinburgh In Triumph 1
14:10

Travel Time

14:55

Refreshments

15:25

Breakout session: Everything Everywhere All at Once

John Vass-de-Zomba, IT Environmental Sustainability Manager, University of Manchester in Raleigh 1
15:25

Breakout session: Do website carbon footprints matter?

Scott Stonham, Founder, Digital Carbon Online in Triumph 1
15:45

Travel Time

15:50

Facilitated discussions

  • End User Computing
    (in Raleigh 1)

    facilitated by Paul Rock, Technical Architect, Cardiff University
  • On-Premise Infrastructure
    (in Triumph 1)

    facilitated by Trevor Baxter, Director of IT Innovation, King's College London
16:20

Travel Time

16:25

Closing remarks

Henrik Brogger, Director of Digital Operations and Service Delivery, University of Reading
16:40

Close of the Conference