Birkbeck Climate Festival: Utilities, Innovation, and Beyond - Decarbonizing for a Sustainable Future
When:
—
Venue:
Birkbeck Clore Management Centre
Agenda:
• 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM | Registration & Drinks Reception
• 6:30 PM – 6:40 PM | Welcome & Opening Remarks
o Sally Wheeler, Vice-Chancellor, Birkbeck, University of London
o Greg Jackson, CEO, Octopus Energy
• 6:40 PM – 7:10 PM | Panel Discussion
o Greg Jackson, CEO, Octopus Energy
o Holly Jones, Sustainability and Energy Manager, Birkbeck Estates
o Kostan Banos, Senior Consultant for Net Zero, LCMB
o Academic experts from Birkbeck, offering insights into the intersection of utility management, community resilience, and climate justice.
• 7:10 PM – 7:25 PM | Audience Q&A
• 7:25 PM – 7:30 PM | Closing Remarks
The session will conclude promptly at 7:30 PM.
Event Overview:
As the urgency of climate action intensifies, this event explores how utilities, datadriven innovation, and systemic thinking can drive meaningful decarbonization. The panel brings together industry leaders, sustainability experts, and academic voices to discuss practical energy management strategies—such as data-led utilities, efficiency measures, and renewable integration—that can serve as catalysts for broader transformation.
Key Themes:
Utilities as a Lever for Change – Exploring how managing energy, water, and waste can drive systemic transformation.
Data and Decision-Making – The role of digital innovation in empoweringsustainable choices.
Beyond Incrementalism – Strategies for institutions to pursue bold, structural shifts in the energy landscape.
Equity and Justice – Ensuring that decarbonization strategies are inclusive and benefit all communities.
The session will conclude with an interactive Q&A, encouraging attendees to connect everyday sustainability actions with the larger forces shaping our climate future.
Speakers:
• Sally Wheeler, Vice-Chancellor, Birkbeck, University of London
o Professor Wheeler joined Birkbeck as Vice-Chancellor on 1 January 2024. She is responsible for Birkbeck’s overall leadership and is the university’s chief academic and administrative officer.
• Greg Jackson, CEO, Octopus Energy
o Greg Jackson is the founder and CEO of Octopus Energy, a company known for its data-driven approach to sustainability and its role in transforming the energy sector.
• Holly Jones, Sustainability and Energy Manager, Birkbeck Estates
o Holly Jones leads the development of Birkbeck’s Carbon Management Plan, focusing on utilities like energy efficiency, waste reduction, and
renewable energy integration.
• Kostan Banos, Senior Consultant for Net Zero, LCMB
o Kostan Banos provides external perspectives on how institutions like Birkbeck can align local utility strategies with national and global
decarbonization goals.
• Academic experts from Birkbeck
o Offering insights into the intersection of utility management, community resilience, and climate justice.
This session will provide valuable insights into the future of sustainable utilities, offering a unique opportunity to engage with thought leaders and contribute to meaningful discussions on decarbonization and equity in the energy transition.
Contact name:
Stephen Willey