Description
Theme: Building Sustainable Organisations: Strategies and Partnerships for Enhancing Positive Impact”The University of Northampton plays a central role in catalysing partnerships and fostering much-needed collaboration between stakeholders across the business community. With strong research and consultancy expertise in sustainability, the University continues to support organisations in adopting more responsible and future-focused practices. A key initiative in this mission is the University’s Annual Sustainability Summit, which has become a cornerstone for shared learning, collaboration, and strategic action.
The inaugural Summit, held in May 2023, brought together over 150 delegates from businesses, charities, higher education institutions, and local government authorities. It provided a platform for identifying common sustainability challenges and led to the creation of the Northampton Sustainability Accord- a joint roadmap for action. This Accord laid the foundation for the Sustainability Local Innovation Partnership Agenda Hub (SLIPAH), a growing network that has since energised local stakeholders through a collaborative ecosystem focused on sustainable innovation.
One tangible outcome of this ongoing collaboration is the TANZ West Northants project- a two-year initiative funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and commissioned to the University’s Centre for Sustainable Business Practices by West Northamptonshire Council. Designed to help local SMEs understand and embrace Net Zero, TANZ partnered with businesses recruited through SLIPAH to drive practical outcomes and shared learning.
Building on the momentum of 2023, the 2024 Summit aimed to deepen these partnerships and accelerate progress toward the shared goals outlined in the Accord. It provided another valuable opportunity for cross-sector dialogue, networking, and knowledge exchange, further strengthening the region’s collective sustainability journey.
As we look ahead, the 2025 Sustainability Summit continues this trajectory with the theme:
“Building Sustainable Organisations: Strategies and Partnerships for Enhancing Positive Impact.”
The 2025 Summit will focus on equipping organisations with the tools, partnerships, and innovative strategies needed to integrate sustainability into the core of their operations- socially, environmentally, and economically. It marks the next step in our collective commitment to long-term impact and resilient organisational growth.
Summit Objectives
The objectives of the 2025 Sustainability Summit are to:
1. Identify and explore innovative sustainability strategies and models that could be employed by small and large businesses to enhance their social, environmental and financial performance.
2. Highlight and exhibit the high value of sustainability strategies undertaken by organisations across Northamptonshire.
3. Enable sharing of knowledge and best practice between businesses, charities, HEIs, and local government authorities on partnership approaches and tools to address sustainability challenges.
4. Introduce the UON Sustainable Innovation Challenge as a distinct partnership strategy and approach aimed at enhancing collaboration between researchers, students, businesses, charities, and local government authorities in Northamptonshire. Students across the University of Northampton will participate in developing solutions to sustainability challenges that businesses face, in a competition.
| Period | 30 Jun 2025 → 1 Jul 2025 |
|---|---|
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Northampton, United KingdomShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | Local |