22 May 2026
COB Inspires brought together sustainability leaders of the future, including students, graduates and early-career professionals seeking a clearer picture of what a path in sustainability can actually look like. The event showcased real stories from a range of experts spanning industries, focusing on two key areas: leading the change in the sector and building a strong network.
Speakers shared practical guidance on problem solving, collaboration and the importance of making bold decisions. Examples included turning coffee into a high value ingredient, cutting carbon through remote broadcast production and building tangible and long-lasting relationships that open doors. The afternoon was filled with stories of driving meaningful change through career paths that sometimes take an unconventional or surprising route.
Our keynote speaker, Scott Kennedy, co-founder of Revive Eco, opened the event by sharing his entrepreneurial journey that started during a university project with his co-founder, Fergus Moore. Scott and his team began questioning the reliance on environmentally damaging virgin plant oils used widely in cosmetics and the food and drink industry. At the same time, while working in cafés, Scott noticed the high volumes of spent coffee grounds that were thrown away each day. Together, the observations led to the team collecting waste grounds, extracting coffee oil and refining it into a high value cosmetics ingredient. Before it was deemed a ‘circular’ solution, the business was led by its positive environmental and economic impact, only later being recognised as a demonstrator circular model in the sector. Scott’s story framed sustainability as a career built through curiosity and functionality, and one that has continued with support from partnerships and Scotland’s wider ecosystem of investment and innovation.
The first panel, Leading the Change, reinforced that sustainability careers are often non-linear, shaped through an open mind, by grasping opportunities and ensuring that sustainability is a core part of business practice. Speakers highlighted that progress happens when sustainability is integrated into organisations’ culture rather than isolated within one role and why it’s paramount to translate sustainability into operational decisions that the whole business can recognise, such as through materials, travel and procurement. They also recognised that linking businesses’ environmental impact to decision makers’ priorities was key, by relating it to costs, risk and governance.
Across perspectives from Elizabeth Halliday (Morgan Sindall), Alex Horne (QTV), Cameron Mackay (University of Glasgow), Hilary Hao (Network Rail) and Michelle De Waele (Student Loans Company), a consistent message emerged: influence is built by building relationships, anticipating objections and bringing solutions to the table that leaders can practically act on.
The second panel, Building your Network, focused on how to cultivate relationships in the sustainability space, including guidance on how to approach networking that may feel daunting. Speakers stressed that networks are less about collecting contacts and instead, emphasised the importance of building genuine relationships through shared work, curiosity and follow-up. They also encouraged attendees to be proactive while setting realistic goals, including researching who will be in the room, setting targets such as having ‘three good conversations’ and remembering that big industries may feel vast at first, but after some time they become surprisingly small.
Overall, Louise Davies (Scottish Fair Trade), Rebecca Johnson (Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games), Nikul Pandya (E.ON), Romain Charley (Anderson Bell Christie) and Dr Graeme Hunt (University of Glasgow) emphasised that everyone has something to bring to the table and confidence grows when transferable skills are recognised. Opportunities are often created by the people who step forward, collaborate outside of their field and remain engaged.
Each of the stories shared during COB Inspires highlighted how sustainability can, and should, be built into every career path. By developing and nurturing a dynamic community of peers, making bold decisions and remaining flexible and open to opportunities, COB Inspires showcased the range of pathways available to the future leaders of sustainability.
With thanks to the GALLANT at the University of Glasgow for supporting COB Inspires 2026.