Where Serious Sustainability Work Moves Forward

This collaborative afternoon brings together Aston University, sustainability practitioners, and business leaders to remove the friction between ambition and delivery.

Built as a follow-on from the SUSTAIN UnConference, the focus is simple. What happens next, and who can help.
It’s a space for practical questions, honest constraints, and conversations that lead somewhere useful.

The themes reflect what the community has already said matters most, with the agenda sharpening as the event approaches.
Together, this growing group is proving that sustainability moves fastest when expertise, trust, and action meet in the same room.

About this collaboration

This event brings together the SUSTAIN UnConference community and Aston University’s Sustainability and Enterprise teams.

SUSTAIN was created to convene people who care about impact over optics, and action over alignment statements. Aston University has become a valued partner in that work, with a strong track record of turning sustainability, research, and enterprise into applied outcomes.

This afternoon is a natural next step. Built on shared values, practical expertise, and a belief that progress happens faster when institutions and practitioners work side by side.

Why attend

Sustainability work rarely stalls because people don’t care.
It slows when access to expertise, partners, and practical pathways is fragmented.

This afternoon brings together Aston University’s Sustainability and Enterprise teams with business owners, practitioners, and advisors who want clearer routes from intention to delivery.

The format is designed for real questions and useful conversations. You’ll have space to explore funding, research collaboration, talent, and partnership opportunities, alongside experts and peers already navigating similar challenges.

Whether you joined the SUSTAIN UnConference or are engaging for the first time, you’ll be stepping into a growing, action-oriented community focused on making sustainability work move forward.

Who should attend

This afternoon is for people actively involved in sustainability, innovation, and delivery, who want clearer pathways to make progress.

You’ll find value here if you are:

• A business owner or senior leader exploring sustainable innovation or R&D
• A sustainability or ESG professional working within real organisational constraints
• A consultant or advisor supporting clients on sustainability and transition
• A researcher or academic interested in applied impact and collaboration
• A funder, partner, or ecosystem builder connecting ideas to delivery

You don’t need all the answers.
You do need a willingness to engage.

Who will be there

You’ll be in the room with:

• Aston University’s Sustainability and Enterprise teams
• Experts from the wider SUSTAIN cohort
• Business leaders and practitioners working on live sustainability challenges

Some will be familiar faces from the SUSTAIN UnConference.
Others will be joining the conversation for the first time.

What connects everyone is a shared commitment to doing the work, not just discussing it.

To protect the quality of discussion and access to expertise, attendance is intentionally limited.

Join us

This event is free to attend, including catering, thanks to our partnership with Aston University and ChangeKitchen.

If you’re serious about moving sustainability work forward, we invite you to be in the room.

Reserve your place now.