Sustainable Schools

Anna Turns is a journalist specialising in sustainability with 20 years’ experience working in the media and an Oxford University degree in biology. She writes regularly for publications such as Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Evening Standard, Positive News, Resurgence and Coast. Anna’s work falls into the realms of constructive journalism – she focuses on progress, innovation and solutions, often highlighting untold stories about changemakers from around the world in the features she writes for the press. Anna is currently writing a book about the toxic chemicals in our homes and joining the dots between how they impact us and the health of the planet. Alongside her young daughter, she co-founded Plastic Clever Salcombe, part of the national, child-led Kids Against Plastic initiative and saw first-hand the importance of excellent environmental education from an early age. 

 Talk focused on:

• The power of integration – why we need to see the bigger picture and join the dots because everything is connected.
• The importance of foresight – we need to plan ahead, educate and retrain in readiness for a greener, more circular economy.
• There is so much possibility for positive change and effective action if we get our house in order now!

Anna Turns is a journalist specialising in sustainability with 20 years’ experience working in the media and an Oxford University degree in biology. She writes regularly for publications such as Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Evening Standard, Positive News, Resurgence and Coast. Anna’s work falls into the realms of constructive journalism – she focuses on progress, innovation and solutions, often highlighting untold stories about changemakers from around the world in the features she writes for the press. Anna is currently writing a book about the toxic chemicals in our homes and joining the dots between how they impact us and the health of the planet. Alongside her young daughter, she co-founded Plastic Clever Salcombe, part of the national, child-led Kids Against Plastic initiative and saw first-hand the importance of excellent environmental education from an early age. 

 Talk focused on:

• The power of integration – why we need to see the bigger picture and join the dots because everything is connected.
• The importance of foresight – we need to plan ahead, educate and retrain in readiness for a greener, more circular economy.
• There is so much possibility for positive change and effective action if we get our house in order now!

Robin Happel is originally from east Tennessee, near the center of coal country. She has worked with the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy, the Bronx Zoo, the UN Environment Programme, and other NGOs devoted to sustainable development. She has also represented the UN Association at the 2020 High-Level Political Forum, the UN Youth Climate Summit, the Global Climate Action Summit, and currently as a Global Goals Ambassador for Climate Action.

As an environmental law student, Robin is deeply passionate about environmental and climate justice, and helping to ensure a just transition for coal country and other frontline communities around the world. During law school, she has collaborated with Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change on emerging climate litigation pathways, and has also worked on climate risk and indigenous rights.

Speaks About

•  Puzzled by the Paris Agreement? Learn more about climate law in this friendly, entry-level explainer video that's geared towards students, not just barristers and attorneys 
• Climate law is an emerging area of litigation around the world. In this video, learn how climate law intersects with securities law, international human rights law, and other UN frameworks

Robin Happel is originally from east Tennessee, near the center of coal country. She has worked with the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy, the Bronx Zoo, the UN Environment Programme, and other NGOs devoted to sustainable development. She has also represented the UN Association at the 2020 High-Level Political Forum, the UN Youth Climate Summit, the Global Climate Action Summit, and currently as a Global Goals Ambassador for Climate Action.

As an environmental law student, Robin is deeply passionate about environmental and climate justice, and helping to ensure a just transition for coal country and other frontline communities around the world. During law school, she has collaborated with Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change on emerging climate litigation pathways, and has also worked on climate risk and indigenous rights.

Speaks About

•  Puzzled by the Paris Agreement? Learn more about climate law in this friendly, entry-level explainer video that's geared towards students, not just barristers and attorneys 
• Climate law is an emerging area of litigation around the world. In this video, learn how climate law intersects with securities law, international human rights law, and other UN frameworks

 I believe we can rise, phoenix-like, from today's burning global challenges. All of us, and our children, can thrive in the coming decades, because we can build a regenerative global economy, an ecosystem of regenerative businesses.
 Today I apply the expertise gathered across three careers (particle physicist, manager with Procter and Gamble, serial startup founder) to bring that vision to reality. I incubate regenerative startups; am starting a seed stage investment fund for ecosystems of regenerative startups; consult to multi-nationals and start-ups on harnessing conflict to drive their own regeneration; and I have just published "Rebuild: the Economy, Leadership, and You, a toolkit for builders of a better world."

Speaks About

• The practical actions we can take to grow ourselves bigger than our challenges, build profitable impact businesses, and a regenerative circular global economy to rise to the challenges of the Climate Emergency, the 17 UN SDG, etc ​

Energy Transition Engineering: I am very interested in the new methodologies and tools needed to change existing systems to rapidly shift away from fossil fuels. I have carried out research on every type of renewable and alternative energy technology, and sustainable energy systems. I have developed the Interdisciplinary Transition Management Engineering (InTIME) Methodology and lead an international group in the emerging field. Like Safety Engineering, Transition Engineering actions social responsibility and sound science to deliver change projects that down-shift the exposure to fossil fuel supply and climate change risks. I am interested in research in energy transition of buildings, cities, transportation and freight. I have also worked with rural and remote communities on sustainable development.

Speaks About

• Her research interests are in energy systems - in particular the large scale changes to existing complex energy systems required to meet the requirements for mitigation of global warming.
• She has proposed a new specialization in engineering called "Transition Engineering" which works in this space: projects to adapt and change existing systems in the forward operating environment.

Energy Transition Engineering: I am very interested in the new methodologies and tools needed to change existing systems to rapidly shift away from fossil fuels. I have carried out research on every type of renewable and alternative energy technology, and sustainable energy systems. I have developed the Interdisciplinary Transition Management Engineering (InTIME) Methodology and lead an international group in the emerging field. Like Safety Engineering, Transition Engineering actions social responsibility and sound science to deliver change projects that down-shift the exposure to fossil fuel supply and climate change risks. I am interested in research in energy transition of buildings, cities, transportation and freight. I have also worked with rural and remote communities on sustainable development.

Speaks About

• Her research interests are in energy systems - in particular the large scale changes to existing complex energy systems required to meet the requirements for mitigation of global warming.
• She has proposed a new specialization in engineering called "Transition Engineering" which works in this space: projects to adapt and change existing systems in the forward operating environment.

 I believe we can rise, phoenix-like, from today's burning global challenges. All of us, and our children, can thrive in the coming decades, because we can build a regenerative global economy, an ecosystem of regenerative businesses.
 Today I apply the expertise gathered across three careers (particle physicist, manager with Procter and Gamble, serial startup founder) to bring that vision to reality. I incubate regenerative startups; am starting a seed stage investment fund for ecosystems of regenerative startups; consult to multi-nationals and start-ups on harnessing conflict to drive their own regeneration; and I have just published "Rebuild: the Economy, Leadership, and You, a toolkit for builders of a better world."

Speaks About

• The practical actions we can take to grow ourselves bigger than our challenges, build profitable impact businesses, and a regenerative circular global economy to rise to the challenges of the Climate Emergency, the 17 UN SDG, etc ​