The HE Net Zero Estate Conference 2025

Thursday 30th January 2025
9:30 am - 3:40pm
Virtual Conference

The HE Net Zero Estate Conference will offer vital insights on how HE estates leaders are managing the transition to net-zero and the next steps in overcoming major delivery challenges to meet ambitious targets in 2030 and beyond.

The Conference will:

  • Explore how estates leaders can translate strategic visions on net zero into meaningfully delivery

  • Assess the latest updates on green financing and how institutions can develop funding solutions to net zero investment

  • Share insights from across the sector in leading the net zero transition on legacy buildings through effective retrofits and refurbishments

  • Evaluate delivery solutions on net zero heating, cooling and energy efficiency

  • Examine the latest thinking on reimagining the use of space across the HE estate to support net zero targets

Why attend the conference?

Discover real innovation on managing the delivery route to a net zero HE estate

Gain practical insights on overcoming challenges to the net zero transition

Develop a roadmap for net zero implementation within your institution

Agenda

09:30 am

Chair’s Welcome Address

Trevor Wills
Director of Estates & Facilities
University of Plymouth (CONFIRMED)

09:40 am

In Conversation: What Next on Green Finance Options?

  • What are the financing options open to institutions embarking on major investments in net zero estate transformations?

  • Exploring how different routes to financing are being utilised by the sector including green bonds, sustainable private placement and sustainability-linked loans

  • Examining alternative funding structures beyond direct external borrowing

  • How to navigate green financing in the context of pressure on university balance sheets and deficit risk

  • Assessing grant options from government and other funders and what to expect from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme

Graeme Aithie
Partner
QMPF (CONFIRMED)

Liam Gillard
Senior Programme Manager
Salix Finance (CONFIRMED)

10:10 am

Net Zero Retrofits and Refurbishments: How Can We Repurpose and Transform Legacy Buildings?

  • The core design questions on leading a net zero refurbishment

  • Transitioning to net zero on legacy buildings through enhanced thermal performance and fuel switching

  • Reimagining the use of a building to drive energy efficiency and rationalise the use of space

  • Making savings on embodied carbon by repurposing existing building fabric

  • Taking a retrofit-led approach to meeting net zero targets on building performance across an estate

Carol Rose
Director of Estates and Academic Environment
London South Bank University (invited)

10:40 am

Break and Networking

11:00 am

Delivering on the Strategic Vision for Net Zero

  • Examining the key delivery challenges facing estate leaders in the road to net zero

  • Assessing how decarbonisation planning is progressing and the key risks that would prevent institutions meeting targets

  • Approaches to scaling up decarbonisation across university operations

  • Exploring the pressing questions on financing net zero transformation

Professor Zoe Robinson
Professor of Sustainability in Higher Education, Keele University
Co-Chair, EAUC (CONFIRMED)

Sara Lynch
Head of Sustainability
Queen’s University Belfast (CONFIRMED)

Simon Goldsmith
Head of Sustainability
University of Greenwich (CONFIRMED)

12:00 pm

The Energy Roadmap: An Operational Plan for Developing Resilient Low Carbon Infrastructure and Buildings

  • What does an impactful energy efficiency roll out look like in practice?

  • How do we develop a replicable and scalable approach to adapting a diverse range of buildings?

  • From ventilation to insulation, from heat recovery to lighting efficiency: What will drive impact on performance now?

  • The long-term goal: What does it take to meaningfully reduce energy demand and adopt new net-zero enabling technologies?

Grant Ferguson
Director of Estates Net Zero and Carbon Leadership
The University of Edinburgh (CONFIRMED)

12:30 pm

Break and Networking

1:30 pm

Making Gains on Net Zero Heating and Cooling: Examining the Delivery Route

  • Rolling out full electrification across an estate to decarbonise heating systems

  • The practical steps on decommissioning integrated fossil fuel-led energy systems

  • Examining opportunities for heat recovery and ventilation to reduce emissions across the estate

  • Exploring implementation and delivery of air source heat pumps

  • The ambition: What should a truly integrated net zero heating and cooling infrastructure system look like?

David Oldroyd
Interim Deputy Director of Development
University of Leeds (CONFIRMED)

2:10 pm

In Conversation: Designing a Net Zero First Capital Development Pipeline

  • How can net zero be achieved in construction and capital development programmes in the long term?

  • When is new development required and what are the options for deep retrofits?

  • Making decisions on sustainable land use for development

  • What does the net zero campus building of 2030 look like and how can it live up to long term performance objectives?

Professor Richard Bull
Deputy Dean, School of Architecture Design and the Built Environment
Nottingham Trent University (CONFIRMED)

Alessandra Foderaro
Deputy Director- Capital Development
Westminster University (CONFIRMED)

2:40 pm

Break and Networking

3:20 pm

Rationalising Space: 5 Questions on Driving Sustainability through Estate Management

This closing session will take an in depth probe into how we are using space on university campuses, how we rationalise that space to drive efficiency and how we need to adapt to the changing profile of how staff and students interact with the estate.

This session will explore 5 questions for you to explore in your own context and evaluate how space can be the key to delivering meaningful sustainability gains by supporting behavioural change.

Syd Cottle
Director of Estates Management, University of Liverpool
Chair, AUDE (invited)

3:40 pm

Conference Close

*Programme subject to change

Audience

This Conference is designed for all estates and sustainability leaders responsible for net zero delivery in higher education. Those in attendance will include:

  • Directors of Estates

  • Directors of Estate Development and Campus Services

  • Directors of Sustainability and Net Zero

  • Deputy Director of Estates

  • Heads of Sustainability and Net Zero Delivery

  • Heads of Capital Projects

  • Heads of Estate Management

Secure Your Ticket

HE and Public Sector

£195 + VAT

Private Sector

£395 + VAT

For group discounts and enquiries about your registration please contact us on enquiries@heprofessional.co.uk