Our Sustainability team

The Head of Sustainability is the professional services lead for Sustainability, whose remit is the development and successful implementation of the sustainability strategy.

A passionate advocate for progressive environmental and social change, Zoe brings experience from a variety of sectors, including as Head of Sustainability at HM Courts & Tribunals Service. She also has full Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) membership, the gold standard for environment and sustainability professionals.

As part of the Senior Education Team, Julia coordinates and promotes the central place of subject-specific and interdisciplinary education in sustainability and climate awareness across the University’s teaching and learning strategy. Julia is also part of the Birmingham Institute for Sustainability and Climate Action. A key part of Julia’s role is to develop Birmingham’s portfolio of activities, to enable students, staff and external stakeholders to develop the skills necessary to tackle the complex global challenges we face today. 

Cai is a Sustainability and Environmental Officer within Estates. He is undertaking a degree-level apprenticeship and has a lead role in the reporting of building data into a range of carbon and water reduction activities and reviewing the environmental impact of proposed developments. They also have a lead role in the development of behavioural change programs to promote environmental responsibility within the university, including Green Impact. 

Edward is responsible for enabling and encouraging our staff and students to make sustainable travel choices for their daily commutes and university trips. The bread and butter of the commuting work is surveying our community and delivering the tailored sustainable travel plan, with diverse measures in the field of facilities, staff benefits, communications and engagement, advice and guidance, learning and long-term partnerships. Analysis of booking behaviours lies at the heart of showing how operational leaders can make carbon reductions.

Jim supports the drive towards decarbonisation by taking a lead role in carbon and water reduction activities. This includes identifying cost-saving opportunities and ensuring a robust approach is taken to sustainability and the carbon footprint of projects. He has 15+ years of experience carrying out a range of energy management and sustainability-based roles, and is a fellow of the Energy Managers Association with qualifications in BREEAM and ESOS assessment.

Ian is the Sustainability Lead for the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, coordinating activities relating to sustainability in the college.

Ian also has a research interest in sustainability, including projects looking at sustainability in urban developments and, in particular, its impact on geotechnical engineering and the geotechnical process.

Ali is Sustainability Lead for the College of Life and Environmental Sciences, where he is also Head of the School of Psychology. He convenes the sustainability leads for each of the College's four schools.

Ali has a keen interest in sustainability and sustainable working practices and as College lead, is working to foster a culture of sustainability across all academic and operational activities.

Professor Chris McCabe has been the Director of Sustainability for the College of Medical and Dental Sciences (MDS) since 2010. During this time, the MDS Sustainability Committee has pioneered numerous initiatives, including laboratory plasticware recycling, re-wilding and tree planting, as well as targeting reductions in energy consumption related to ultra-low temperature freezers and cell culture hoods.

Laura leads the university's sustainability agenda in the College of Social Sciences and chairs the College's Sustainability Committee. She is passionate about understanding how we can apply the concepts of social learning to the development of regenerative education, which she describes as “coming together within and across our institutions and communities to develop the capabilities to learn to make differences that will enable us all - people and planet - to flourish”. 

Aleksandra is the College of Arts and Law Sustainability Lead. In that capacity, she coordinates activities related to sustainability in the College of Arts and Law and chairs the CAL Sustainability Group. Aleksandra works on several research projects, including PrecisionTox (research on improving chemical safety assessment), PARC (uptake of Next-Generation Risk Assessment) and Met4Tech (creating a circular economy for technology metals).

Charlie is responsible for driving reductions in our Scope 3 supply chain emissions arising from the purchase of goods and services, leading internal engagement to embed sustainable behaviour change within procurement processes across our operations, education and research.

Charlie sits on the University's Sustainability Steering Group as an early-career Representative.

Sophie is studying the level 4 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability apprenticeship, looking at the duties businesses have to enable social and environmental change. Her role involves supporting the Sustainable Travel Officer by assisting with the delivery of the travel survey and travel plan, engaging with staff and students at key points in the year, and helping to facilitate the ongoing sustainable travel schemes.