University’s Climate and Social Action series to focus on ‘nature and hope’
Posted on: 17 September, 2026
This October, the University of the Built Environment is hosting another exciting and engaging week of Climate and Social Action (CASA) activities.
CASA is taking place from Monday 19 to Friday 23 October 2026, and will explore the theme of ‘nature and hope’.
Organiser Jessica Gordon-Calvert said: “Given the particularly flammable and dry summer we’ve had, it felt imperative to bring nature to the forefront of this forthcoming CASA. Without a functioning and thriving environment, we cannot hope to have a functioning and thriving society or economy.”
The series will be welcoming internal and external speakers to discuss topics including green infrastructure and flood resilience.
The webinars are open to everyone – also beyond our University community – and aim to show how built environment professionals can play a meaningful role in shaping a more sustainable and equitable future.
| When | What | Details | Registration link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 19 October, 11am–11.45am | Nature for buildings | Join Jordan Turner (Senior Lecturer) and Jake Wright (Student Officer for Sustainability) as they consider how we can use nature to our advantage in the built environment. | Register here |
| Monday 19 October, 2pm–3pm | From panic to purpose: Staying engaged in the planetary crisis | As awareness of the planetary crisis grows, so too do the questions it raises about our relationship with the natural world, our responsibilities to current and future generations, and what it means to live well in an age of environmental uncertainty. Join Professor Nick Mount, Professor Graeme Larsen and Dr Phil Coker for a thought-provoking discussion on sustaining action in the face of the planetary crisis. | Register here |
| Tuesday 20 October, 10am–11am | ESG in a world of AI | AI continues to be an important topic across the built environment and higher education, particularly in relation to sustainability. Join Associate Professor Claire Hookham and Kim Li as they explore the ESG implications of AI and what responsible AI use looks like in practice. | Register here |
| Tuesday 20 October, 12pm–1pm | Planning with Green Infrastructure – novel ways to address climate challenges in urban areas | As cities become denser they become hotter, less interactive, and in many cases have more limited green and blue spaces. Green Infrastructure is one mechanism used by planners to help address the problems of biodiversity loss, surface water flooding, urban overheating, and decreased liveability. | Register here |
| Tuesday 20 October, 1pm–2pm | Litter pick at Reading Office (staff only) | Get involved in a litter pick at Horizons with your Staff Sustainability Champion, Angelina Gualtieri-Reed. An opportunity to make a tangible difference to our local area while connecting with colleagues. | No registration required – meet at Horizons reception. |
| Wednesday 21 October, 12pm–1pm | Sustainability Communities of Practice (staff only) | ||
| Thursday 22 October, 11am–1pm | Eco skills workshop (staff only) | Join your Staff Sustainability Champions for an Eco Skills Workshop. Delivered by the Eco Skills Learning Centre you’ll be learning about the Repair Café, the Eco Skills Learning Centre and work with colleagues to build your own bird boxes. Spaces are limited – please email sustainability@ube.ac.uk to book your place. | |
| Thursday 22 October, 4pm–4.30pm | Design Think Tank: Nature Positive Design | Join our LSA students – Amelia Heath, Stela Pletenac, Rammeja Anantharajah and Mohammed Yar – as they share their learnings and experiences from their Nature Positive Design Think Tank. Read the Nature Positive Design Think Tank report. | Register here |
| Friday 23 October, 10am–10.45am | Building with nature | This session will look at the natural materials that can be utilised when building. Whilst we often look for modern, innovative techniques and new technology, is there an argument to simply use what nature already provides for us? | Register here |
| Friday 23 October, 12pm-1pm | Flood Ready London | Join Charlotte Morphet (Senior Lecturer) as she welcomes Dr Elizabeth Rapoport (Founding Director of Polygon Strategy) to talk about Flood Ready London, an integrative and collaborative approach helping to address the systemic and interconnected nature of flood risk. | Register here |
If anyone has any questions, they can email sustainability@ube.ac.uk.
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