Keele University: why Climate Expo is where regional climate action comes together

Keele University is once again supporting Climate Expo, continuing its involvement as one of the event’s long-standing sponsors. Having supported Climate Expo every year, Keele’s commitment reflects a shared belief in the importance of bringing people, organisations and ideas together to address the climate and nature challenges facing our region.

For Keele, sustainability does not stop at the edge of the campus. As a university with a strong reputation for research, innovation and practical climate action, Keele sees its role as extending beyond education and into the wider communities, businesses and places it serves.

That is one of the reasons Climate Expo continues to matter.

As Zoe Robinson, Professor of Sustainability in Higher Education explains:

“Universities have an important role in the regions they serve, not only through research and education, but by helping to bring together people, organisations and ideas to address shared challenges.”

Climate Expo creates exactly that kind of space. It brings together businesses, public sector organisations, educators, community groups, charities and climate specialists to share knowledge, explore practical solutions and start conversations that can lead to future collaboration.

At a time when many organisations are thinking about how to respond to climate risk, rising costs, new skills needs and changing expectations, those connections are increasingly important.

Keele’s own sustainability journey offers a powerful example of what long-term, practical action can look like. The university is widely recognised for its Smart Energy Network Demonstrator, which has helped establish the campus as a leading testbed for the UK’s energy transition.

Its low-carbon energy generation park includes more than 12,200 solar panels, two wind turbines and a large-scale battery, all managed through smart energy systems designed to improve efficiency and resilience. More recently, Keele has added green hydrogen production, using surplus renewable electricity to generate hydrogen for vehicles used by its Estates and Campus Safety teams.

But Keele’s sustainability work is not only about energy and carbon reduction. The university has also monitored the impact of its renewable energy infrastructure on biodiversity, helping to inform best practice in addressing the climate and nature crises together.

This whole-university approach means sustainability is embedded across teaching, research, operations and student experience. Keele staff contribute expertise to challenges including community-led climate action, place-based decarbonisation, sustainable healthcare, low-carbon technology adoption and agricultural emissions reduction.

As Dr Laura Rhodes, Head of Net Zero Sustainability puts it:

“Sustainability at Keele is not a single project;
it is a way of thinking about the role of the university in society.”

That wider role is also reflected in the way Keele works with partners across the region. The university supports businesses, public sector partners and community organisations through funded projects, student placements, applied research and specialist expertise.

Keele has worked with Support Staffordshire to better understand the sustainability skills that community groups want to develop, supported local authorities with climate action planning, and helped schools and colleges across the West Midlands through its leadership of the regional Climate Ambassadors Hub.

Keele is also a founding partner and co-lead of the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Climate and Nature Commission, which brings together organisations and individuals from across sectors to accelerate climate action and nature recovery across the region.

For businesses and organisations attending Climate Expo, this is exactly the kind of knowledge, partnership and practical support the event is designed to open up.

Keele believes one of the most important lessons for any organisation is to start moving forward, while building in enough flexibility for projects to evolve. Good governance, regular review, data, collaboration and shared ownership all help sustainability initiatives become more than one-off projects.

Climate Expo gives organisations the chance to explore those ideas in a practical, accessible and action-focused setting.

Whether you are just beginning your sustainability journey, already delivering ambitious climate work, or looking for partners, suppliers, knowledge or inspiration, the event offers a valuable opportunity to meet others facing similar challenges.

As Zoe and Laura say:

“Climate Expo is an excellent opportunity to meet people who are grappling with similar challenges, discover practical solutions and build relationships that can lead to future collaboration.”

Join Keele University and organisations from across the region at Climate Expo 2026 to explore practical climate action, build new connections and be part of the conversations shaping a more resilient future.