Event typeClimate change

Staff and students are welcome to join the final of the 2021 St Andrews Prize for the Environment, where Snowchange Cooperative, Cities Without Hunger Brazil, or Planet Indonesia will be announced as the winner of this prestigious US$100,000 prize.

Based in the Arctic, Brazil and Indonesia, these projects are tackling issues of critical environmental and social importance, including food security, biodiversity loss, conservation, and access to healthcare. Learn more about the finalists.

During the event we will also hear from 2020 winner Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, of Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH). Dr Kalema-Zikusoka will discuss how the Prize is enabling CTPH to extend their ‘One Health’ conservation model, which has almost doubled the number of mountain gorillas in Uganda, to the Eastern lowland gorillas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Whose voices are missing from museums? Which stories are not told? Which uncomfortable histories remain hidden? And how can museums move forward? From empire and colonialism to climate, identity and more, Critical Conversations bring together voices from a variety of perspectives to consider the critical issues. You will also have the opportunity to submit your thoughts and questions for the panel’s consideration.
Today’s panel will discuss green washing; the ways that some companies attempt to appear more environmentally friendly than they really are.

Dive In! explores the wonders of the ocean, the challenges it faces, and the actions that you can take to help save it.

Join Transition St Andrews and Student Environment Officer Léa Weimann for a celebration of all things environmental at the St Andrews Botanic Garden ahead of the COP 26 conference in Glasgow.

The main event will be a Message Tree in the heart of the Garden, with postcards to write on – every postcard that is hung on the tree will be sent to the Prime Minister by Wendy Chamberlain MP, giving people an opportunity to say what’s important to Fife and reinforce to politicians how important these conferences are in making change happen locally.

The day will also showcase Fife-based organisations taking action to improve sustainability, including pioneering work to conserve Fife’s threatened habitats, litter and recycling, volunteering, faith-based organisations, and peatland action.

Entry to the Garden will be free all day, with a range of activities taking place, including tours of the Garden and poetry performances.

Visitors will be able to:

• Participate in a bike-powered juice off with Transition St Andrews
• Press apples with the Men’s Shed (please bring your own carton to fill with apple juice)
• Listen to poetry readings by former Student Environment Officer and “passionate environmentalist” Léa Weimann
• Go on a tour of the Garden with the Director, Harry Watkins, to learn about what St Andrews Botanic Garden is doing to combat climate change
• Enjoy locally made speciality food and drinks.

Join colleagues for a night of comedy with an academic twist by some of the funniest clever people around for a live audience in studio and virtual MS Teams Live Public Engagement.

For one night only, the Centre for Energy Ethics has teamed up with the Bright Club to turn academics into stand-up comedians and bring to you the latest energy research undertaken at the Centre for Energy Ethics. Most of the performers spend their days in labs, libraries and offices, and have never done stand-up before. But they have all had their comedy skills honed by professionals.

Suitable for ages 18+.

As we prepare for the UN United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, the University of St Andrews’ Centre for Energy Ethics & Model United Nations Society invite all Postgraduate Taught (Masters) students at the University of St Andrews to participate in a:

MOCK COP
the event will take place on Friday 22 Oct 10 am — 4 pm

Our Mock COP will use the Model UN format to re-create COP26 negotiations and provide a unique insight into the ways in which the UN Conferences of Parties (COPs) work.

Each participant will join a group representing one of the key parties at COP to debate and negotiate critical resolutions related to energy and climate change.

There are few better ways of understanding international affairs and global politics than putting yourself ‘in the shoes of world leaders’ — and few (if any) issues more critical than those of climate change.

The event will offer a great opportunity to all participants to hone and develop their debating, teamwork, negotiation and public speaking skills; and meet other Masters students from across the University. Those familiar with the Model UN format will vouch that it will also be a very interesting, at times hilarious, always informative and often surprising day — in all the best possible ways.
All participants will receive appropriate training, and the session will be facilitated by Model UN experts.

The event is open to Masters students from all schools and departments at the University of St Andrews, and free. We anticipate that the event will be held in person, in the prestigious Parliament Hall (pending health and safety regulations).

To take part in the event, please e-mail Dr Emilka Skrzypek with an expression of interest by Monday, 4th October. E-mail address: ees7@st-andrews.ac.uk

Energy demand is growing, while urgent calls to reduce and mitigate the environmental impact of carbon emissions are intensifying. Transitioning our societies to low-carbon economies seems both inevitable and essential to planetary survival. In the lead-up to COP26, the Centre for Energy Ethics is hosting a virtual conference to reflect carefully and critically on envisioned energy transitions and what they might entail. Bringing together researchers across the arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, we ask: what visions of society and planetary futures are being put forth by ‘energy transitions’ around the world? What will their implications be? And how will they be realised?

Next Generation St Andrews is a series of Environmental Discussions between students and professionals and researchers in the environmental sector in the run-up to COP26. The speaker series has a fantastic line-up of internationally-renown researchers, ranging from all areas of interest.

Our line-up:
– October 25th 6-7 pm: Baroness Brown of Cambridge, Julia King (Climate Adaption and Mitigation)
– October 26th 6-7 pm: Caroline Hickman (Eco-Anxiety)
– October 27th 6-7 pm: Physicist Amory Lovins (Disruptive Technologies)
– October 28th 6-7 pm: Professor Alan Dangour (Global Health & the Environment)
– October 30th 6-7 pm: Claudia S. de Windt (Climate Law & Policy)
– October 31st 6-7 pm: Professor Prakash Kashwan (Climate Justice)

The Eco-anxiety Cafés are designed to be a thinking and feeling space where you can freely talk about your worries about climate change. Students, staff and community members are all welcome. Please complete this form if you would like to attend since we have limited capacity, and head to our Facebook event for more information.

In this panel, three indigenous Amerindian women – Glicéria Tupinambř, Francineia Fontes Baniwa and Olinda Silvano Shipibo-Konibo, who are leaders, activists, artists and much else – will reply to questions and debate issues related to COP 26.

They have pre-recorded their talks which are available to listen to online. Please listen to them before the event, during which they will participate directly from Brazil and Peru (translation provided).

Part of a series of online seminars organised by CAS (Centre for Amerindian, Latin American and Caribbean Studies) the event has been made possible through the support of the Department of Social Anthropology and the University’s Impact Fund for the ‘Amplifying Amerindian Voices’ Project, written by Professorial Fellow Cecilia McCallum and Professor Mark Harris.

It has also benefitted from the voluntary work of Latin American anthropologists Luisa Elvira Belaúnde in Peru and Ulla Macedo in Brazil, along with other volunteers. The event will be held jointly with the RAI (Royal Anthropological Institute), as a plenary session of their Anthropology and Conservation Conference.

Have you heard about the University of St Andrews’ ambitious goal to be net zero by 2035? Join us to discover how we plan to achieve this essential objective and find out more about the emerging technologies that will get us there.

The first hour will take a deep dive into St Andrews’ net zero plans and the challenges of decarbonising large, complex organisations. The second hour builds on this theme with a panel of experts discussing the future of energy management, energy security and the technologies that will play a part in Scotland’s decarbonisation agenda.

Hosted by Ian Hill, Strategic Lead for Innovation at Eden Campus, our expert speakers will include:

* Catherine Stihler OBE, CEO of Creative Commons and Senior Lay Member of the St Andrews University Court
* Derek Watson, Quaestor & Factor, University of St Andrews
* Professor John Irvine, Chair of the Hydrogen Accelerator and Professor of Chemistry at the University of St Andrews
* Dr Mette High, Director of the Centre for Energy Ethics, University of St Andrews
* James Yu MBE, Future Networks Manager at Scottish Power Energy Networks
* Nigel Holmes, CEO at Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association

Do you want to work in an environmental or sustainability-related field after you graduate? Come along to our COP26 careers discussion and meet some St Andrews’ alumni who have done just that! Find out more about how they approached their careers and discover what it takes to work for a better future.

Our speakers:

Keynote speaker & Moderator: Sofie Bøgger Jensen
Sofie is a current student at the University and a student representative on the ESB.

Hanna Plant-
Hanna is from Edinburgh and plays an active role in driving the circular economy in Scotland as a Senior Consultant for waste and resources consultancy Resource Futures. She graduated from the University of St Andrews with an MA Honours in Sustainable Development and has over 10 years of experience in behaviour change and sustainability projects. Hanna was previously Waste Team Manager at Scotland’s largest environmental charity, Changeworks. She has also trained and supported hundreds of sustainability graduates to develop ‘the skills of a change agent’ during her time as Education Projects Manager with Change Agents UK. She was recognised in the late Sustainable Development Commission’s Young Scottish Greens list for her community mobilisation for social justice and sustainability campaigns during her time at St Andrews and was a founding member of Scotland’s 2050 Climate Group.

Sam Bruce-
Sam Bruce is Co-founder and Director of Much Better Adventures, an adventure company focused on reducing carbon emissions, benefiting local communities and backing important conservation work. Sam graduated from the University of St Andrews in 2010 with a BSc. in Sustainable Development and Management and co-produced the documentary: Adventures not Dams, a documentary film and campaign to save the last wild river in Europe.

Lea Weimann-
Léa Weimann is a passionate eco-activist who has organised environmental campaigns in South Africa, Germany, and the UK. She runs her own blog and podcast “Eco-Activist Journeys”. Léa co-organised and led four global climate marches in St Andrews, was the Students’ Association Environment Officer 2020-21 and Advisor to the Environmental Sustainability Board. Léa graduated from the University of St Andrews in International Relations and Sustainable Development in June 2021 and received the Principal’s Medal for her community service, climate activism, and academic achievements. She has published a non-for-profit poetry book called DEAR EARTH. Currently, she is studying for an LLM in Global Environment and Climate Change Law at the University of Edinburgh.

Come along and find out what creatures live in the rockpools nearby! And find out about how climate change has and does effect their environment from a ranger.

Hands-on activity for families, recommended age of 5+.

All materials will be provided, please wear appropiate footwear and clothing. Children must have adult supervision present at all times whilst taking part.

The rockpool guddle will take place by West Sands beach, St Andrews. Meet at St Andrews Aquarium, a 5 minute walk from the Wardlaw Museum.

Booking is required. Book via Art Ticket at the link below.

Anne Guzzo’s one-hour chamber opera is presented by a group of American singers and Scottish musicians, including Music Centre Associate Teachers, to mark the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, COP26.

The ghost of the Rocky Mountain locust compels a scientist to figure out how a creature that once numbered in the trillions survives only in stories.

Distanced and non-distanced seating will be available. If you would like to sit in a distanced seat for this event, please email byreboxoffice@st-andrews.ac.uk to let us know.

Free admission.

In a world where reducing GHG emissions is at the top of corporate and governmental policy agendas, accounting for GHG is essential.

At the next Energy Café, we will be joined by Dr Matthew Brander, Senior Lecturer of Carbon Accounting at the University of Edinburgh, for his reflections on the evolution of GHG accounting, its opportunities and its weaknesses.

Dr Brander has worked on GHG accounting and climate change policy appraisal, in both consultancy and academia, since 2006. The Café will be guest hosted by Dr Shona Russell, Senior Lecturer and Co-director of the Centre for Social and Environmental Accounting Research at the University of St Andrews, and is sponsored by the Energy & Climate Finance Network.

We hope you will join us.

N.B. This event will be recorded for public distribution.

Join St Andrews Marine Society in welcoming the fantastic Esther and Fanny of Scottish Environment LINK to St Andrews to talk about the Scottish Oceans Recovery Plan to Save Scottish Seas and COP26.

The talk will start just after 6pm and we will hold a Q&A and discussion afterwards.

The event is free, but tickets should be booked via Eventbrite as numbers are limited in the venue.

If you have any questions or discussion points please email them ahead of the event to stamarinesoc@st-andrews.ac.uk.

As part of its contract to install the D’Arcy Thompson Simulator @ Eden Campus, using funding from the Tay Cities Deal, St Andrews has been enrolled in the United for Smart, Sustainable Cities programme. This has over 100 metrics as ‘key performance indicators’ for benchmarking and improvement purposes — but are these the right ones? In this online meeting, the evaluation work done to date will be shared and the SIMULATION-LED methodology to support ‘the rapid implementation of innovation and change in balance with Nature explained.

Moya Crawford (Managing Director D’Arcy Thompson Simulator Centre) has worked in the marine and offshore world for over forty years, combining hands-on experience in onsite operations, with positions at executive level. Her core background is the marine salvage industry.

In 1998 she founded Deep Tek Limited and since 2006 she has concentrated on taking innovative technology, developed for specialist cargo recovery, into the oil and gas sector. This, in particular, has led to a long strong collaboration with the Norwegian classification society, DNV on the assurance and certification of new technology. Proof of this was the sale of the world’s first, two, synthetic filament rope cranes (110t in air/110t @ 3000m) embodying a patented Deep Tek winch design, with Deep Tek acting as system integrator for the ground-break, principles-based standard, DNVGL-ST-E407.

This Northern North Sea/North East Atlantic relationship was further strengthened in 2015, with the formation of Deep Tek AS in the Møre & Romsdal district of mid Norway; which, in turn, has led to the world-leading developments of the Offshore Simulator Centre in Ålesund (a spin-out from NTNU, the National Science and technology University of Norway) being brought to the University of St Andrews’ Eden Campus, as a demonstrator for a large scale, fully immersive sphere.

Moya, is leading this initiative, as Managing Director of the D’Arcy Thompson Simulator Centre Limited, a joint venture with St Andrews Applied Research (StAAR) Ltd. The Company’s niche activity is the rapid implementation of innovation and change in balance with Nature.

In the 1970s and 80s, when menstruation was generally considered taboo, artist Jay Critchley made art out of discarded plastic tampon applicators washed up and collected on local beaches. With no idea what the items were used for, Critchley could not have known that his curiosity would lead to a decades-long quest to understand and improve issues surrounding menstrual product waste.

Critchley did not succeed legislatively, but his artworks document a history of protest through creativity and solidarity nonetheless. It is a timely story that predates the current interest in menstrual environmentalism by decades, linking the contemporary movement to a history of collective action against marine debris, consumer boycott, and protest against corporations. Based on interviews with the artist and visual analysis of his archive, this paper presents Critchley’s ‘environmenstrual’ works in an art historical light for the first time.

Dr Camilla Mørk Røstvik is Lecturer in Modern & Contemporary Art History at the University of Aberdeen. She is Honorary Research Fellow at St Andrews and the PI of the Menstruation Research Network UK, funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Giving something a new lease of life means that we’re less likely to throw it away and contribute to the problems our environment faces. This workshop will help you customise and upcycle tired clothes so that you want to where them again and again.
Booking is essential. Book via Art Ticket using the link below.

What happens when we bring together artists and researchers to think and talk about energy? The Centre for Energy Ethics and the University of St Andrews invite you to The Art of Energy: Creative Encounters, an online event showcasing the creative collaborations between researchers at the University of St Andrews, artists, photographers, writers and musicians.

At this event you will have a unique opportunity to engage with gallery contributors, find out why energy inspires artists and researchers alike, and how interdisciplinary collaborations can incite diverse imaginations of what energy and climate futures are possible.

You will also have an opportunity to explore the novel Art of Energy virtual gallery, where you will find exhibits by three world renowned photographers, curated soundscapes, creative works shortlisted for the inaugural Art of Energy Award, and exhibits that highlight new research and creative collaborations with University of St Andrews researchers.