Our people
Get to know the people in the Sustainability Team and find out how to contact them.
Contacting the team
To contact the team and get involved in sustainability, email sustainable@sussex.ac.uk.
To receive information and updates about sustainability at Sussex and how you can get involved, join our mailing list.
James Butcher, Senior Net Zero Policy Officer
Email: J.Butcher@sussex.ac.uk
James joined the Sustainability Team in July 2023 to support the University to hit its ambitious 2035 Net Zero carbon target. This follows his graduation from the University of Cambridge with a Masters degree in Engineering for Sustainable Development. He provides subject matter expertise in energy systems and demand management.
James was previously employed on the delivery of railway signalling projects, and now hopes to use this experience to manage the University of Sussex’s decarbonisation schemes. He is working to phase out our use of fossil fuels for heating and power and install alternatives based on renewable energy. He looks forward to settling in the city of Brighton and making an impact at the university.
James says: “The range and depth of sustainability goals described in the university’s sustainability strategy shows the drive of this team to go beyond compliance and become a leading institution. I will embrace the challenge of turning these goals into reality.”
Michael Harpham, Senior Sustainability Performance Officer
Email: m.harpham@sussex.ac.uk
Michael joined the team in July 2023. Michael has been working on Sustainability Projects since school, where they ran two volunteering campaigns to engage students in saving energy and reducing waste.
After completing their integrated Masters in Environmental Science, they worked in the Sourcing and Sustainability team at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, where they reported on operational sustainability KPIs to senior executives and other key stakeholders to further expand and drive the organisation's sustainability initiatives. Having worked with a diverse range of suppliers, Michael is interested in working with procurement teams to drive decarbonisation in the supply chain.
"Having had the chance to build sustainability into the operational everyday aspects of the corporate world, I am keen to get involved with other areas of sustainability and SDGs at Sussex, for example reporting on our progress to reduce inequalities and poverty, thus enhancing socio-economic prosperity. As a details person, I love to work with high quality data to inform our decision making. It’s a great diverse environment to be involved with, where lots of different perspectives and ideas are valued in a culture of innovation.”
Pamela Linhares, Sustainability Performance Officer
Email: p.linhares@sussex.ac.uk
Pam joined the Sustainability Team in April 2022. Pam has been involved with environmental projects since her early teens. She has a MSc Environmental Assessment and Management and has previously worked as a Sustainability Advisor in the construction industry and as a Sustainability Projects Assistant at a London university. Nowadays, she is keen on further developing her skills in energy management, decarbonisation, and the circular economy.
Pam says “Working at the University has been a refreshing experience so far, there are many interesting projects to get involved with, and many passionate colleagues and students fostering an inspiring sustainability culture.”
Martha Knott, Sustainability Engagement Officer
Email: mk581@sussex.ac.uk
Martha joined the Sustainability Team in November 2020 after graduating from Sussex with an MSc in Global Biodiversity Conservation. Martha was involved in sustainability focused student societies and campaigns in her time as a Sussex student and has enjoyed continuing to work on sustainability as part of the Sussex community.
She is particularly interested in working together with students and staff to make change, running events and helping to support the biodiversity of the campus. She’s looking forward to developing more stakeholder engagement and liaison skills.
Martha says: “I really enjoyed the opportunity to take part in the conversations with stakeholders that fed into the Sustainability Strategy and am now working together with staff and students on it’s implementation. It’s been great to meet so many people across the university and see how important sustainability is to many people.”
Urja Chaudhury, Graduate Sustainability Associate
Email: uc33@sussex.ac.uk
Urja joined the Sustainability Team in April 2023 after graduating from Sussex with an MA in Environment, Development and Policy. During her studies, she was actively involved in sustainability initiatives across campus and was elected to the Student Union Sustainability Committee as the Environmental Justice Officer.
Urja is interested in the execution and implementation of sustainability strategy and policy across organisations; embedding sustainability in education; how the amalgamation of policy and engagement can positively impact not only the organisation itself, but also local communities, and how sustainability can be popularised and more effectively embedded within governance frameworks and corporate systems in the Global South. She is eager to develop her knowledge and skills in policy analysis, project development and stakeholder management.
Urja says: “I am really looking forward to working within the Sustainability Team at Sussex! The University has always been quite vocal about their commitment to the UNDP SDGs and the Sustainability agenda, so I’m excited to be a part of the team that is leading the implementation of such meaningful and positive change.”
Eve Pawsey, Graduate Sustainability Associate
Email: e.pawsey@sussex.ac.uk
Eve joined the Sustainability team in May 2023. After completing her MSc in Global Biodiversity Conservation at Sussex, she has spent the last year working within the charity sector, educating people on planetary health, including topics such as biodiversity, sustainability, nature based solutions and the circular economy. She worked to inspire people to take action in implementing behavioural changes in their day-to-day lives and be aware of how we can all work towards a sustainable future.
Eve is now keen use the skills she has developed through both her education and work experiences to catalyse change within the University of Sussex and beyond to achieve and maintain its strategic goal of being one of the most sustainable universities in the world.
Eve says “I am thrilled to be working within the Sustainability team at Sussex. The ambitious Sustainability Strategy provides a variety of really interesting projects that I am excited to get involved in and will allow me to interact with many passionate colleagues and students who have already shown how important sustainability is to them.”
Sustainability Committee members
- Rachel Mills, Provost (Chair)
- Jason Oliver, Chief Digital Transformation Officer
- Robert Hutton, Director of Estates, Facilities Management and Commercial Services
- Samantha Waugh, Sustainability Manager
- Richard Follet, DPVC International
- Sue Baxter, Director of Innovation and Business Partnerships
- Ian McKee, Assistant Director of Finance (Supply Chain and Systems)
- Joseph Alcamo, Director of the Sussex Sustainability and Research Partnership
- Tim Foxon, Professor of Sustainability Transitions (Science and Policy Research Unit)
- Joanne Paul, Senior Lecturer in Early Modern History (Trade Union Representative)
- Connor Moylett, Student Living and Sustainability Officer (Students’ Union)
- Annie O’Connor, Sports, Societies and Events Officer (Students’ Union)
Sussex Students’ Union Sustainability
To find out about our Students’ Union and their sustainability work, visit their Sustainability page or contact Becca Finney at becca.f@sussexstudent.com.
You might also be interested in:
- Sussex courses in development, the environment and sustainability
- getting involved with sustainability at Sussex
- Sussex in the community.