London Student Sustainability Conference 2026

Students, staff, professionals, and the public came together at Kingston University for the eighth London Student Sustainability Conference (LSSC).

The conference offered experts, activists and those who are interested in addressing sustainability issues the chance to explore the work undertaken across the globe to combat climate change and other environmental challenges.

On Wednesday February 25, attendees gathered at Kingston University’s flagship Town House building to take part in talks and workshops themed around climate action.

The conference was an impressive collaboration between 10 London universities: City St George’s, University of London, Imperial College London, King’s College London, Kingston University, London School of Economics, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of Greenwich, University of Roehampton, University of West London and University of Westminster.

Students from City St George’s were among the many presenters at the conference, with students presenting  research and projects on topics including the race to net zero, the role of memes in climate action, wind farms, urban ecosystems, and recycling education.

The award-winning Scout leader and City St George’s student teaching youth about recycling

One of the student presenters was Georgina Horwich who is studying Project Management, Finance and Risk MSc at City St George's. As an award-winning Scout leader passionate about youth engagement and sustainability, she presented her nation-wide project that helped transform young people’s attitudes to recycling.

Through the Scouts of the World Award, Georgina developed and delivered a programme across the country for young people aged 4-25, focusing on what can be recycled beyond standard household bins. The initiative included interactive sessions, printable guides, and a custom-built map of recycling points in Ealing, helping families and Scout groups identify local options for items like batteries, textiles, and crisp packets. The project advocated for clearer education and infrastructure when it comes to non-kerbside recycling, integrating with existing Scout badge criteria to make it actionable and accessible for young people.

On her experience at the conference, Georgina said:

There were so many amazing ideas, brilliant presentations and interesting posters across the day which showed the creativity of students from every discipline and their commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The conference showed us that sustainability belongs in everything we do, and that one small individual change can lead to a bigger collective impact on our environment and our future.

Could memes help save the planet?

Another student who presented at the conference was Roberta Cojocaru - an Erasmus Mundus student studying the Journalism, Media and Globalisation MA at City St George’s. She researches science and climate communication across social and legacy media and said she hopes to become an international science journalist, translating complex research into accessible stories for global audiences.

Roberta presented her study ‘Saving the world, one meme at a time’, which examined whether a single internet meme can encourage climate action and increase concern about global warming.

The findings of Roberta’s research indicated that memes motivate and inspire climate engagement as their humour and accessibility can make a huge global issue feel personal and relevant to people’s everyday life. On her experience presenting at the conference, Roberta said:

I firmly believe we all benefit from sharing our research with each other, especially in interdisciplinary fields such as sustainability. By stepping away from technical jargon and implementing the right amount of storytelling, you can engage your audience with your research.

Students worked together to deliver the conference

Designated ‘student leads' worked closely with the conference team to help plan the event. By assisting in delivering the conference, students gained hands-on skills including project management, teamwork, communication and leadership.

From City St George’s, Loretto Aiello worked as Communications Lead and Avantigaa Subramaniam gained experience as External Engagement Lead. Student volunteers from various universities helped on the day to ensure the conference ran smoothly.

Sparking conversation, taking action and making an impact

LSSC was founded by City St George’s, University of London in 2019 to provide an opportunity for students from across London to share their sustainability research and extra-curricular projects.

The conference has grown year on year and highlighted London universities’ collective commitment to embedding sustainability across teaching, research, leadership, operations, and wider engagement, while shining a light on the students who are propelling this momentum with their passion and innovation.

Katharine O’Dwyer, Sustainability Officer at City St George’s, said:

We founded the London Student Sustainability Conference eight years ago to create opportunities for students across all disciplines, encouraging them to explore sustainability within their studies and bring it to life through the lens of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In recent years, the conference has toured through our partnership of London universities, and we were incredibly fortunate to have Kingston University, London provide a home for it this year.