Sustainability Conference Programme

Two pioneering higher education projects showcase sustainable design and heritage sensitivity. The University of Plymouth’s Babbage Building retrofit demonstrates deep carbon reduction and adaptable learning spaces, while Oxford’s Castle Bailey Quad achieves Passivhaus efficiency within a historic context.

Climate resilience is not simply about withstanding physical stressors but also ensuring that the building supports human health and wellbeing. This session will explore how prioritising indoor environmental quality, such as maintaining proper air quality and comfortable thermal, lighting and acoustics conditions is critical in school buildings for the cognitive and physical health of occupants.

In this session, James Browning shares how legacy data from the Pathfinder project is being transformed into operational and sustainability outcomes, showing how digital tools create smarter, more impactful learning environments for children.

This panel discussion will examine strategies for creating resilience across existing estates, with the aim of enabling continued operation, despite climate events.

The session will include case studies from various client groups and how they are responding to the need for resilient estates.

Decarbonising the UK’s education estate is vital, but progress is held back by funding gaps, investment risk, and balance sheet constraints. In this essential 2026 update, Roli Martin, Managing Director of Global City Futures, presents the latest funding models and financial mechanisms enabling net zero delivery across the sector.

This session will feature speakers sharing learning and key themes from the development of a medium term estate strategy at a multi-sited mixed- aged campus in the centre of Birmingham.

Details to follow

Interactive and topical Debate exploring important issues facing sector, such as funding, resources, skills and governance