Re:Gen Tomorrow Forum - Inspiring YOU in Creating Sustainable Everyday Lifestyle Choices, and Circular Economy Communities

The UTS BUILD (Beyond UTS International Leadership Development) Program proudly presents, 'Re:Gen Tomorrow', a half-day forum with expert speakers and workshops inspiring YOU in creating sustainable everyday lifestyle choices and circular economy communities. Join us in learning about the relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how to take action that will have positive ripple effects across the globe. 

This Forum is held in conjunction with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Global Goals Month raising awareness and celebrating our contribution to the UN SDGs. This month-long event coincides with the United Nations 'Global Goals Week', as well as the High Level Summit held in New York City where the progress of the UN SDGs will be discussed. 

The UTS Global Goals Month urges action, awareness and accountability for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals across the whole of the university community. 

This forum event is open for ALL UTS Students to attend. UTS Staff are welcome to attend as observers. 

BUILD members will earn 20 elective points for attending the ENTIRE forum.

Schedule for event

Full Forum program coming soon.

Keynote Presentation: How can YOU be Part of a Circular Economy?

What is a circular community? How do we reimagine our lifestyles to ensure what we consume and use has the longest and highest use and value? What are we already doing to be circular and what other ways can we do more? 

As Head of Circular Economy Development for Planet Ark, Australia’s leading environmental behaviour change organisation, Dr Nicole Garofano will share her learnings from both the global and the local to answer these questions. Nicole will place a particular focus on conscious consumerism and the sharing economy to support a more sustainable everyday life for the future.

Note: Speaker will be live presenting remotely via zoom.

About the speaker: Dr Nicole Garofano - Head of Circular Economy Development at Planet Ark

In her role, Nicole is leading the ongoing strategic development of the Australian Circular Economy (ACE) Hub, the national reference platform for circular economy knowledge and collaboration in Australia.  

For more almost 20 years, Nicole has worked in environmental education and action with a focus on waste management and more recently, circular economy. She has designed and managed community-based initiatives to increase sorting, collection and processing of a range of packaging materials, including plastic.  

Nicole has a PhD with research focused on the plastic food and beverage packaging value chain, identifying both local and global innovations to improve chain activities and outcomes. Nicole is an Associate of the Australian Institute of Packaging. 

Session 2: Workshop/Seminar - Fashioning Sustainability

In this session, attendees will learn how to use their own wardrobes to change the world; bringing fashion and sustainability together to create a lifestyle that is prosperous for the individual AND the collective. 

This session will include an optional interactive 'clothing' swap for registrants. Everyone is encouraged to bring pre-loved items of clothing or textiles that are clean and in good condition to donate to the clothing swap. You might find an absolute treasure of a fashion piece and give it new life!

About the Speaker: Dr Lisa Lake - Director of the Centre Of Excellence in Sustainable Fashion and Textiles

The Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Fashion and Textiles is a partnership between the University of Technology Sydney and TAFE NSW. Dr Lisa Lake is a pioneer in the Australian sustainable fashion movement and author of Sustainability with Style. In addition to her expertise on sustainable fashion, Lisa also helped develop the sustainability strategy for the University of Sydney, and previously led the marketing team at the Green Building Council of Australia. 

Fashion Ethics Sustainability Society (FESS, An ActivateUTS Club): 

FESS focuses on fashion sustainability from an environmental perspective. This includes hearing from industry professionals about the topic, learning about waste in the industry, doing market stalls/clothing swaps/group thrifting, and many more events.

FESS also focuses on the ethics of the fashion industry and advocacy surrounding these issues such as learning about sweatshops, production, wages, inequality in the industry and finding ways to take a stand against these issues. This is done through activities and events including: movie nights on these topics, industry professional speakers events and discussions.

Session 3: Round and Round We Go! – Business and Life in a Circular Economy Towards Sustainable Lifestyles and Communities

In this seminar, we explore responsible production and consumption systems and the sustainable business models that can help us thrive on a habitable planet, now and for generations to come. While economic growth has facilitated our prosperity and livelihoods, the benefits have not always been fairly distributed within and across global populations. Feeding our consumption demands draws down on vital non-renewable resources, and creates a burden of waste and pollution that is destroying the climate, depleting vital nutrients needed for plant growth and causing mass species extinctions.  

Attendees will be introduced to the business models and practices that can generate a sustainable, regenerative economy; and consider how we can act within our spheres of influence to enable global sustainable development in a healthy planet. Join us and put your mind to the challenge of creating green growth in the global economy. 

About the speaker: Assoc. Prof. Melissa Edwards - Director of the Executive MBA Program with UTS Business School 
Assoc. Prof. Melissa Edwards currently serves as the inaugural Climate Action fellow for the Australian Business Deans Council. She researches and teaches about sustainable enterprise and responsible management, complexity theory, and social impact. Her work draws across disciplines with an overarching aim to understand how people organise, learn and adapt to enable sustainable transitions. She is a co-author on a pioneering Corporate Sustainability text outlining an array of effective sustainable enterprise models, strategies and transformation approaches. Her recent work focuses on managing proactive responses to emerging trends such as stakeholder capitalism, the circular economy, ESG reporting and investment and regenerative business

This forum aligns with the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs):

About the Forum organiser/host - UTS BUILD:

• This event is hosted by UTS BUILD (Beyond UTS International Leadership Development). BUILD is an extra-curricular global leadership program with a mission to develop self-aware, informed and active global citizens and leaders in service to deliver positive social impact in the world.
• This event supports BUILD Values of Leadership, Global Citizenship, Empowerment, and Social and Environmental Sustainability.
• This elective event is open to all UTS students.
• BUILD members will earn 20 elective points for attending the ENTIRE Forum
• Find out more about UTS BUILD and consider joining - http://bit.ly/JoinUTSBUILD. If you are a Study Abroad and exchange Student you can also join BUILD by clicking - https://bit.ly/BUILDSAEX