Engendering Change Conference inspires creative solutions for York’s sustainable future

The conference marked the culmination of the Engendering Change module, a solutions-focused course where students tackle real-world challenges in food, transport, or energy systems for the City of York. Over 175 students and 15 external guests gathered to explore visionary ideas for addressing the pressing sustainability needs of York.

Throughout the module, students received theoretical and practical guidance before collaborating in teams to design creative, actionable strategies for transformational change. Their efforts culminated in a professional-style conference organised by a student-led committee of six, who were responsible for crafting an agenda, inviting guest speakers, and ensuring the event mirrored professional conferences.

The event featured an opening lecture, a keynote address by Ian Mackay from Leeds City Council, and breakout rooms showcasing student presentations. Discussions concluded with a plenary session where winning presentations were celebrated. External guests included Cllr Kate Ravilious and Cllr Paula Widdowson, along with representatives from City of York Council, Good Food York, Edible York, and York Community Energy.

Presentation Highlights

Students addressed key questions, such as:

• How can we radically decarbonise energy in York?
• How can transport in York be transformed to create a new regenerative pattern that overcomes the challenge of our rapidly changing world?
• How can we provide sustainable food for all in York?

Conference impact

The conference received positive feedback from attendees. Guests praised the professionalism of the student presentations and expressed optimism about the innovative solutions proposed. The event also provided an opportunity to meaningful foster connections for future dissertation topics, placements, and employment opportunities.

Issy Burkitt, Carbon Reduction Project Officer at City of York Council, shared, "It was such a great conference, very well organised, and the students had some fantastic ideas and presentation styles."

Additionally, Kirsen Ayris from York Community Energy, said “We found it a really interesting afternoon, and it was great to spend a few hours listening to all of the students' inspiring ideas.”

Professor Ioan Fazey, module lead, reflected on the day’s success: "This conference has shown me the extraordinary creativity and passion of our students, proving that together, we can envision and drive transformational change for a sustainable future."

Angela Purdham, Industry Liaison Officer for the Department of Environment and Geography, added, "This conference provided a fantastic opportunity for our students to share their ideas with peers and industry experts, putting valuable professional skills into practice while seeing their studies in a real-world context."

The Engendering Change module demonstrates the Department’s commitment to equipping students with solutions-oriented training, empowering students to combine their diverse skills and tackle real-world sustainability challenges with creativity and ambition.

Well done to all the student teams for their outstanding presentation efforts and to the student committee for organising such a brilliant and inspiring conference!