About SUSTAIN
SUSTAIN UnConferences create the space where people can work together on the sustainability challenges that matter most to them.
We don’t set the agenda.
We don’t decide the topics.
We don’t tell anyone what the solutions should be.
We simply hold the space for the meeting of minds to challenge, collaborate and lead.
Because the expertise isn’t ours — it’s yours.
Centre for Responsible Business
Birmingham Business School
Why we started sustain
The SUSTAIN UnConference started with a simple belief: when people from different sectors, backgrounds and experiences meet at eye level, better ideas emerge.
When everyone is ready to listen, challenge and build, the solutions sit between us — in the shared thinking, and unexpected connections.
Our role is to make those moments possible.
We design the platform.
You fill it with content.
Together, we create the conditions for meaningful exchange and lasting networks
How the SUSTAIN UnConference started
In 2024, we flipped the conference script.
And yes, we may have engineered a little creative chaos along the way.
No stage.
No keynotes.
No programme telling everyone where to sit and when to clap.
Instead, we gave you a full day where the agenda wasn’t handed to you, but shaped by you. For some, it was surprising, even slightly disorienting. For many, it was the most energising part of the whole experience.
Then something interesting happened:
People who had never met before were suddenly sketching solutions together.
Sessions emerged from the room.
Networks formed in real time.
The day moved with the people in it.
That first UnConference showed us what was possible when people come together with purpose and drive, and we let collective intelligence take the lead. SUSTAIN has grown from that moment because we created a space for everyone else to bring the answers.
Who Founded SUSTAIN?
Our Volunteers
Our Mission
To spark the collaborations and collective energy that create ripple effects of tangible impact across sustainability, social equity, and regional resilience. From shrinking our carbon footprints to expanding our collective fingerprints.
A space where challenge and support sit side by side.
This is a Midlands-born movement, powered by collaboration, driven by purpose, and designed to make a real impact. When people come ready to listen, lead, and act, not just talk, change becomes unstoppable.
Our Values
- We value progress over performance. We care less about what you say you’re doing and more about what you’re ready to do next.
- We believe in access over ego. There’s no hierarchy here, just humans trying to do better.
- We contribute to the region’s climate-friendly future through open, diverse and participant‑led events that accelerate action.
- We are building a welcoming sustainability hub where anyone can contribute, learn, and lead — including the 50+ young volunteers who help run the UnConference each year.
Join SUSTAIN 2026
Be part of a community shaping the Midlands’ sustainable future.
Follow our socials, get in touch with us and book your place at SUSTAIN UnConference.