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from Cop 26 to Green hydrogen there are plenty of OA S working in sustainable industries .
During the week of 15 November 2021, immediately after the COP26 Summit in Glasgow, the College ran its own ‘Eco Week’ of eco awareness and sustainable change. Pupils and members of staff were challenged to answer one simple question: Can you choose your change? It is a philosophical and practical question and one we must confront if we are to lead future generations in making the right choices for the benefit of us all. The programme challenged everyone to consider new ways of thinking about the environment and to adopt new practices that together would positively affect not only the College, but also the future of the planet. The College were delighted to be working with Target4Green who provide crucial links in making children and adults more aware of the global issues we face together, bringing all elements of sustainability together in thought-provoking ways through practical workshops, seminars and whole-school events. Other initiatives included a ‘pop-up’ bicycle repair shop and a Middle School initiative to recycle jackets and jumpers for the charity Little Lives. The Art Department presented an exhibition that sought to celebrate the enduring beauty of nature while simultaneously drawing attention to our collective duty to protect and preserve it. Meanwhile, the Science Department led a day of free learning with JAGS and Dulwich College Year 8 pupils with a focus on plastic production and our Year 9 geographers met architects from the firm ‘alma-nac’ who launched a morning of designing a sustainable future.
Anatoli Smirnov (96-01) , Coal Mine Methane Analyst at Ember
I distinctly remember the first time I read about global initiatives to fight climate change. It was around 1997, when I sat in the Wodehouse Library’s magazine section, reading a New Scientist article about the recently signed Kyoto treaty. I have been very fortunate that my career has centred on renewables and combatting climate change. Currently, I work in a British think tank, promoting the fight against emissions of methane from coal mines. It is an obscure area, which has very few people working in it, but I chose it because of the impact I can make. In recent months, the world has realized the importance of methane’s contribution to climate change, with over 100 countries signing the Global Methane Pledge in Glasgow at the United Nations Climate Change Conference. The reason is that methane is responsible for half the global warming we’ve seen to date, and coal mine methane has warming effects on par with all of the EU’s carbon dioxide emissions. It is 85 times more powerful than CO2 and the world’s methane concentrations have risen threefold since the start of the industrial revolution. Unlike carbon dioxide, it is actually relatively easy to solve, quickly and at low cost. Tackling methane emissions will not replace the need to take action on CO2, but will potentially buy the planet time to find solutions to global warming. Climate change is a massive and complex challenge, which can only be solved through co- ordinated action across many areas - energy, agriculture, transport and industry. It is even more challenging in the context of the social justice issue that wealthy countries enjoyed many decades of coal-powered economic development. I chose to work in my area because I felt it was where I could make the most impact on climate change. In my work, I get to work with industry, national governments, and international organisations like the EU and UN to develop the global strategy to tackle coal mine methane emissions.
"Young people - they care. They know that this is the world that they're going to grow up in, that they're going to spend the rest of their lives in. But, I think it's more idealistic than that. They actually believe that humanity has no right to destroy and despoil regardless of the consequences" Sir Attenborough
On its own, my work will not save the planet, but it is part of a complex jigsaw of making the world habitable for future generations.
Robert ’Bobby’ Holdbrook (03-10) Lead Scientist for Active Bacterial Solutions
My primary interest is in sustainable waste management. Having completed my PhD in the field of nutritional ecology, focusing on microbial nutrient use, I have spent the last few years working as a Lead Scientist for Active Bacterial Solutions. In this role, I lead a team of scientists in the development of bacterial products for urban and agricultural waste treatment.
Food Waste Audit The Economics Society decided to tackle the issue of food waste at lunch time. With the help of some enthusiastic Sixth Form Economics students, we started by setting a benchmark of exactly howmuch food was wasted during one typical lunch. The catering staff were fantastic in supporting us with this, scraping all food leftovers into clear bins which were subsequently weighed. Throughout the week we then ‘hijacked’ the pupils’ registration one morning with a video underlining why food waste was such a national issue and why it has to be addressed. At the end of the week, the waste was once again weighed and this time students with clear trays were rewarded with stickers. Needless to say the initiative was a huge success and we saw a significant drop in food waste by the pupils. Moving forward, we will continue encouraging students to think about their food choices and how unnecessary food waste impacts on the climate.
Fawzi Abou-Chahine PhD (00-05), Director of Chahine Communications
Fawzi Abou-Chahine PhD is Director of Chahine Communications and helps innovative companies secure government and commercial funding. His background spans sales and consulting in sustainable and energy technologies, with a particular interest in the renewable energy sector. He is also non-executive director for The ESG Foundation, a charity establishing best practice in sustainability, where he provides business development guidance.
In his essay Can we be sustainable economically? (page 39) Fawzi asks one of the most difficult questions at the heart of the green agenda.
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