Past event: COP27 on Campus
November 2022
During the two weeks of COP27 in Sharm El-Sheik, where leaders from across the globe once again gather to debate action to mitigate and adapt to the climate emergency, Brunel hosted its own series of events based around the themes of the COP27 Presidency Agenda.
The schedule of activities was designed by students and staff associated with the BASc Global Challenges programmes, and in conjunction with the Students Union.
As well as lively discussion on a range of topics, 2022’s programme included practical activities taking place around campus.
| Wednesday 9 November 2022 at 2pm |
Finance |
An open discussion of the effect of the energy crisis on carbon reduction, with Dr Sven Fischer and Dr Gareth Dale. |
| Thursday 10 November 2022 at 5pm |
Youth and Future Generations |
Join our poetry night on the theme of Youth and Future Generations |
| Monday 14 November 2022 at 1pm |
Water |
A talk on chalk streams and the Hillingdon aquifer with Sarah Green of the Hillingdon Green Party |
| Tuesday 15 November 2022 at 1pm |
ACE and Civil Society |
Join Dr Grant Peterson and Dr Mary Richards in discussion of art, activism and action for climate empowerment (ACE) |
| Wednesday 16 November 2022 at 1.15pm |
Biodiversity |
Take part in our miniBioBlitz, exploring biodiversity on campus |
| Thursday 17 November 2022 at 3pm |
Solutions |
Take part in our up-cycling workshop, to reuse and remake |
Past event: COP26 on Campus
November 2021
World leaders assembled for the UN Climate Change Conference UK 2021 (COP26) in Glasgow, 31 October to 12 November 2021. The aim of the conference was to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Decisions made at this conference had implications for us all.
Global Challenges students and staff from the BASc Global Challenges programmes as well as academics from across the university, Brunel staff and local community members, came together in lively discussion at COP26 on Campus. There were daily discussions prompted by podcast recordings made with Brunel staff, Global Challenges students and Steve Parker from Uxbridge FM.
This took place from 3 to 11 November 2021 from 13:00–14:00 pm in Room 011 of the Heinz Wolff Building.
The series was an open platform for discussion on campus – in person – to examine, explore and debate potential ways forward in relation to strategies to reduce greenhouse gases and create more environmentally sustainable ways of living.
We (roughly) followed the COP26 Presidency Programme with the following themes each day:
| Wednesday 3 November 2021 |
Finance |
Public and private finance for adaptation and mitigation |
| Thursday 4 November 2021 |
Energy (podcast with Dr Salman Masoudi Soltani, Mike Gorbounov, Ben Petrovic) |
Transition to clean energy |
| Friday 5 November 2021 |
Youth and Public Engagement (podcast with Dr Gareth Dale) |
Voices of youth, and communication and education with the public |
| Monday 8 November 2021 |
Nature (podcast with Dr Trevor Hoey) |
Importance of nature, sustainable land use and global action for clean recovery |
| Monday 8 November 2021 |
Adaptation, Loss and Damage |
Practical solutions to adapt and address CC impacts |
| Tuesday 9 November 2021 |
Gender (podcast with Dr Sara de Benedictus) |
Gender equality and participation of women and girls |
| Wednesday 10 November 2021 |
Transport (podcast with Dr Xinjan Wang) |
Zero-emission transport |
| Thursday 11 November 2021 |
Cities, Regions & Built Environment (podcast with Dr Harjit Singh, Dr Anurag Pramanik, Dr Anshul Paneri) |
Action where we live and then to a national level |
Past event: Brunel Climate Change Symposium
Wednesday 20 October 2021
A symposium showcasing Brunel University London's critical research tackling climate change challenges.
As world leaders prepared for the forthcoming UN Climate Change Conference UK 2021 (COP26) to urgently tackle the complex issues facing the planet due to increasing climate change and global challenges, Brunel University London presented a variety of lively and brief online presentations showcasing some of the solution-led, world-class research being undertaken across the University dealing with the Biosphere, Societies, and Economies.
Programme
Session 1, 10am BST; Chair: Professor Geoff Rodgers, Vice Provost (Research)
Energy Security and Sustainability: What are the Risks?
Dr Colin Axon, Senior Lecturer – Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Is the service industry really low-carbon?
Dr Simon Roberts, Honorary Professor in Mechanical Engineering
Food, Plastic and Climate: How they interplay?
Dr Manoj Dora, Reader – Operations Management
Session 2, 11am BST; Chair: Professor Trevor Hoey, Vice Provost (International & Academic Partnership)
Compound Hydrological Risk Analysis under Climate Change
Dr Yurui Fan, Lecturer in Flood and Coastal Engineering
Valorisation of UK Biomass Combustion Residue in Post-combustion Carbon Capture
Dr Salman Masoudi, Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering
Population Impacts of Climate Change
Dr Ariana Zeka, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Sciences
Is the impact of climate change on agriculture increasing human exposure to harmful chemicals?
Dr Sibylle Ermler, Research Fellow – Environmental Sciences
Session 3, 12pm BST; Chair: Professor Justin Fisher, Director of Policy Unit and Professor of Political Sciences
Economic Growth and Degrowth: Logics, Ideologies, Dilemmas
Dr Gareth Dale, Senior Lecturer in Political Economy
Domestic Cooking Fuels in India's Industrial Coal Belt
Dr Devanshi Chanchani, Research Fellow – Global Challenges
Resilience Assessment of Transport Infrastructure Exposed to Climatic Hazards
Dr Sotirios Argyroudis, Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Infrastructure Engineering
Sustainable materials for Engineering applications
Christina Webb, Doctoral Researcher, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Session 4, 1pm BST; Chair: Professor Geoff Rodgers, Vice Provost (Research)
Risk, Inequality and Knowledge Exchange: Bridging the Climate Chasm
Dr Shona Koren Paterson, Research Fellow – Global Challenges
Approaches to iItegrate sustainability in food systems
Dr Ximena Schmidt, Research Fellow – Global Challenges
Decarbonation of Food Manufacturing Sector
Dr Valentina Stojceska, Reader in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Future and urban weather files for building energy performance modelling
Professor Maria Kolokotroni, Associate Dean for Engineering & Design
Session 5, 2pm BST; Chair: Professor Trevor Hoey, Vice Provost (International & Academic Partnership)
Demonstration of African Indigenous Knowledge Digital Platform for Promoting Sustainable and Resilient Food System
Dr Steven Sam, Research Fellow II- Global Challenges
Integrated assessment of cross-sectoral interactions and potential synergies and trade-offs: Implications for sustainability
Dr Abiy Kebede, Lecturer in Flood and Coastal Engineering
Navigating the complex dynamics of virtual, 'reciprocal', and sustainable knowledge exchange: community, students, researchers.
Dr Mary Richards, Reader/Programme Director BASc Global Challenges