SUSTAINABILITY SUB-GROUPS
Sub-groups are one of the key ways the Sustainability Network can take collaborative action on specific issues. They were operational between 2016 and 2019, but are currently dormant.
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The sub-groups are out-come focused, so each group aims to produce a physical output such as an event, a report, a think piece, an industry resource, a webpage etc. Because the Network is largely coordinated by volunteers, the aim is that sub-groups will be self-driven. Several sub-groups have been created so far and more are forming you can find out more about these and how you can get involved below.
Sustainable Fashion
Sustainable Production: this sub-group is looking at how the fashion industry can further embrace sustainable design. The scope and out-put(s) will be formally decided by the group, but the first output is a Sustainable Fashion Innovation Showcase and Symposium on 18 September 2017. This event gives an opportunity for designers, brands, industry practitioners, higher education professionals, and researchers to present their work, along with a research stream looking at the key themes of sustainable design, ethical production, retail and consumption, and education. The group lead is Debbie Moorhouse
If you are interested in joining or finding out more, please complete this quick form.
Sustainable department store
Sustainable Commerce: the Sustainable Department Store project aims to bring together a wide range of products that have a compelling story about local production, positive labour practices, recycling or raw materials usage. We want to bring sustainability to the high street, by creating a familiar department store experience. Initially, we’ll be aiming for a temporary store in a major shopping area, for up to a month in autumn 2018.
If you're interested in joining this sub-group or finding out more, please complete this quick form and we will be in touch. The group lead is Talia Hussain.
Health and Wellbeing Videos
Sustainable behaviours: the Sustainability Health & Wellbeing group’s aim is to educate people on the necessity for well-being to be recognised as a key part of sustainability and will do this through producing a series of short informative videos on various topics related to sustainability and health and well-being.
If you are interested in getting involved please complete this quick form. The group lead is Robin Dickinson.
Hackathons
The purpose of this group is to organise hackathons on key sustainability issues. The topics may vary but the group will coordinate and run the Hackathons. There has been interest from several members in an initial hackathon with Leeds Council, Forum for the Future and the Open Data Institute on a topic around infrastructure and climate change (yet to be fully mapped out).
If you want to get involved or find out more, please complete this short form. The group lead is Umesh Kumar.
Creativity and Sustainability
The creativity & sustainability sub-group will develop conversations, ideas and actions to take forward around the themes of creative responses to sustainability, specifically looking across creative making and arts practices linked to sustainability. The first outcome of the sub-group will be to research previous work done by the RSA, for example the Arts & Ecology programme 2005-2010, and write blog post/article about this for the RSA website/magazine indicating how the sub-group can build on this. The sub-group actively invites innovators within the fields to get involved. The group lead is Anna Sexton.
If you are interested in participating of finding out more, please complete this short form.
Corporate governance for sustainability
Sustainable Commerce: focusing on how to practically implement sustainability and the SDGs in all business operations and the day-to-day running as well as the Board – beyond CSR. We need experienced investors, company directors, consultants as well as professionals working in the CSR/sustainability departments of their companies. This is to gain insights into what mechanisms are in place, what works and what doesn’t. The goal is to build a model of corporate governance that puts sustainability at its core, for both SMEs as well as bigger corporations.
If you’d like to get involved, please complete this quick form. The group leads are Tom Burgess and Anne Cruickshank.
Consultation responses
The purpose of this group is to prepare responses to government consultations in relation to sustainability on behalf of the RSA/RSA Sustainability Network. Members will keep an eye out for consultations on relevant topics and circulate information to the wider network inviting them to contribute to the Network’s response. The subgroup members will then coordinate and prepare the response, with input from the RSA Board if necessary.
Interested in joining or leading this sub-group? Please complete this short form and the Network Lead David Bent will be in touch.
Circular manufacturing
Sustainable Production: focused around the potential for improvement in quality associated with the adoption of a circular manufacturing this group has identified two possible outcomes to focus on: The RSA medal for leading adopters and Key products.
Interested in joining this sub-group? Please complete this short form. The group lead is Clive Hall.
C2C Buildings
Sustainable Production: understanding Circular economy and cradle-to-cradle are at the forefront of development in the built environment globally. As this group builds its understanding of where the RSA can contribute, it is keen to help promote what's already going on, and perhaps disseminate more about CE and C2C to the fellowship.
If you're interested in joining the subgroup of finding out more please complete this short form. The group lead is John Routledge.
Other sub-groups
Several other sub-groups are currently in the early stages of development. These are listed below – please get in touch with the lead contact if you are interested in getting involved in these themes and might be interested in getting involved in a developing a subgroup.
Sustainable Behaviours:
- Sustainability impact of RSA activities - Professor Wendy Purcell wendympurcell@gmail.com
- User Centred Design - Merryn Haines-Gadd M.Haines-Gadd@brighton.ac.uk
- Benchmarks for householder resource use - Tanuja Pandit tanujapandit2@gmail.com
Sustainable Production:
- Quality manufacturing; the RSA Medal; Key Products; Infrastructure; RSA Quality Mark - Clive Hall cjh@eventuremedia.co.uk
Sustainable Commerce:
- Performance of Re-use businesses - Gerrard Fisher gerrardfisher@qsapartners.co.uk
- Securitisation and Finance for Sustainability - Sustainability Network Exec Robin Dickinson rdickinson@greengrowthint.com
Other Sustainability:
- Sustainable Development Goals Deployment Freespace - Sustainability Network Exec Robin Dickinson rdickinson@greengrowthint.com
FORMING SUBGROUPS AND THEMES
In line with the full title of the RSA: The Royal Society of the Arts, Manufacturing and Commerce, the Sustainability Network has identified 3 core themes to underpin the formation of new Sub Groups, together with a fourth all encompassing theme of ‘Other Sustainability’.
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SUSTAINABLE BEHAVIOUR
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SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION |
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SUSTAINABLE COMMERCE |
OTHER SUSTAINABILITY
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So, for example, new Sub group outcomes might be related to: Sustainable Towns; Resource efficient manufacturing; Sustainable Energy; Sustainable Food; Sustainable Land management; Anti-corruption; Social enterprises or anything else that you believe to be important.
If you have an idea for another sub-group and are happy to lead it: please let us know by emailing the Chair, Susan Harris at susan@srssustainablebusiness.co.uk and RSA London Manager, Charlotte Bayley at charlotte.bayley@rsa.org.uk briefly giving the topic, the outcome, and your contact details. We will then circulate this information to the network calling for expressions of interest. If others are interested, we’ll put you in touch so that you can form a sub-group and take things forward.