Sign up for a sustainable lecture

Rob Holdway, environmental expert and presenter of Channel 4’s Dumped, is to give a free lecture at the University on Monday 26 January.

Rob is perhaps best known as the presenter and on-screen expert from Channel 4’s Dumped programme, screened in 2007, where a group of strangers were forced to survive on a rubbish tip. He is also a product designer and director of the award-winning company, Giraffe Innovation.

Rob’s lecture will be entitled ‘Design for a One Planet Economy’ and takes place from 5.00pm to 6.30pm in the Centuria Building. His lecture is aimed at a wide audience, including businesses, decision-makers and all those who are interested in finding out more about sustainability and how it makes economic sense. To book a place on the lecture please email c.e.wilson@tees.ac.uk.

One of a series of events The lecture is part of Sustees, a series of events running at the University from Monday 26 January to Thursday 29 January.

Paul Denison, Principal lecturer in design said: ‘The whole week will be about raising the profile of the sustainability agenda and we’re delighted to welcome someone with Rob’s expertise. This agenda cuts across many walks of life and these events are simply a taste of how much work is being done in this field.

‘The University is launching two degree courses which show we are stepping up to this emerging market. Employers are increasingly asking for skills in these areas and students don’t yet recognise these are career paths that are worth looking at.’

The University’s two new degrees are:

• Design for Sustainable Futures*
• Sustainable Design and Technology*

*courses subject to approval

Factfile
Rob Holdway is co-founder and Director of environmental management consultants Giraffe, who work with companies on carbon management and foot printing, sustainable design and EU environmental legislation. Rob was described by ‘The Manufacturer’ magazine as ‘Britain’s leading eco-design consultant’. Giraffe was listed by The Guardian as one of the ten brightest independent UK green businesses.

Through Giraffe, Rob has worked with over 400 companies on eco-design, in the EU, China and U.S identifying potential savings to clients of over £75m. Clients include: Dell, Canon, De La Rue, Virgin Group, PC World, Belkin, The Royal Society of Arts (RSA), Early Learning Centre, J. Sainsbury Plc, Toyota, Morphy Richards, British Airways and L’Oreal.

Rob is also a judge on last year’s The Observer Ethical Awards and the face and expert for At Home Magazine. Rob is one of eight advisors on the UK Government Envirowise programme, an advisor on Sustainable Products and Materials Programme for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and he is also a technical advisor on the Government WRAP (Material Change for a Better Environment) programme.

Rob was director of the RSA WEEE Man project, a large sculpture made of electronic waste permanently on display at The Eden Project. He has written widely on sustainable design and innovation and has appeared on BBC Radio 4 (Costing the Earth, Shop Talk, You & Yours) and several television news channels across Europe including BBC 10 O’Clock news, BBC News 24, and Channel One, Russia.

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