Westminster hosts London Student Sustainability Conference 2025

The London Student Sustainability Conference is a student-led event, organised by eleven London-based universities, including the University of Westminster. Held on 26 February at Westminster’s Little Titchfield Street site, attendees had the opportunity to deepen their understanding of key sustainability challenges, explore potential solutions and network with fellow students, academics and professionals from universities across London. Now in its seventh year, the event featured a diverse range of topics, from sustainable design and climate activism to biodiversity conservation and urban sustainability. 

The day started with a welcome address from  Professor Peter Bonfield, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Westminster, who opened the conference alongside Darren de Souza, Senior Policy and Projects Officer at London Higher, and Phoebe Hanson, COP26 and COP27 Youth Delegate and climate advocate.

Throughout the day there were an array of interactive sessions on a variety of environmental issues. Discussions explored ways to connect with nature, engage young people in environmental activism and repurpose waste, as well as address challenges such as biodiversity loss, urban heat islands and environmental justice. For example, first-year Biomedical Science BSc Honours student Haram Ijaz and final-year Biological Sciences BSc Honours students Mehseen Ullah and Aisha Tahliil delivered an oral presentation about the work at the Cavendish Living Lab, a Westminster research project which engages students, colleagues and the wider community to promote sustainability.  

There were also creative demonstrations, a lunchtime poster exhibition and a series of hands-on workshops covering sustainable fashion and tackling air pollution in London. Lou-Ann Quentin, third-year Psychology and Criminology BSc Honours student, Living Lab Innovator at the Cavendish Living Lab and President of the University of Westminster Students' Union’s Fashion Society, designed and delivered a Save Every Scrap workshop. During the session, she guided participants through a step-by-step process on how to repurpose fabric scraps into tote bags using simple sewing techniques. The fabric scraps were sourced from Westminster Fashion Design BA Honours students, reinforcing the idea that waste is never truly waste and that textiles can be reused and upcycled to support a more circular fashion industry. The workshop aimed to inspire creativity and awareness around sustainable fashion, showing participants that upcycling can be both innovative and enjoyable.

About the workshop and her experience at the conference Lou-Ann said: “I’m hoping that everyone who took part discovered that there are innovative and fun ways to make fashion more sustainable such as upcycling. I was inspired by the conference as I was surrounded by many individuals with a shared goal to make the world more sustainable in different ways, whether it was spreading knowledge or taking actions into their own hands. It motivated me to continue working on making fashion more sustainable.” 

Students from Westminster's Cavendish Living Lab

The day concluded with a spoken word performance from Tobias Leung from Queen Mary, University London, and closing remarks from  Professor Dibyesh Anand, Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement and Employability.

Professor Anand led an awards ceremony to celebrate the top three posters from the day. These were given to Odette Dierk from Kingston University for most effective visuals; Jonathon Nobrega from the University of Roehampton for the most original concept; and Maral Erdenejargal from Kings College London for the best overall poster.

Odette Dierk

Attendees then had the opportunity to network with students, industry professionals and sustainability experts at an in-person networking event in Portland Hall. 

About the conference Professor Bonfield said: “The London Student Sustainability Conference hosted at the University of Westminster last month was a huge success. It was a great opportunity for students around London to showcase their work and commitment to sustainability. Our shared dedication to the SDGs highlights the importance of shared collaboration and partnership between universities. We hope our students were able to learn from one another to create a more sustainable future.”

Dularee Goonetilleke, Sustainability Coordinator at the University of Westminster, said: "We were so thrilled to host the London Student Sustainability Conference at Westminster this year. Each year the conference brings together passionate students to share insight into their sustainability-based projects. It was inspiring to see our students presenting their work and forming partnerships with students from other universities. We hope that our students were inspired to drive sustainable change in their ongoing work."

This conference contributed towards the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Goals (SDGs) adopted by the University of Westminster to help make the University a more sustainable, responsible and inclusive place to live, work and study. 

Find out more about the University of Westminster’s commitment to sustainable development.