My work focuses creatively on sustainability, through the lens of, permaculture principles, nature-based-solutions, my 30+ years of community upcycling, cultural event management and cross sector environmental governance.
Helping people and organisations make sustainability something that is understood, shared, and acted upon.
I was interviewed for Unsee The Future before Humber Eco Fest 2023, by the brilliant Timo Peach:
🌿 How I work
I bring together creativity, storytelling, and practical experience to help people make sense of environmental change, turning climate anxiety into action.
That may involve:
- translating complex ideas into something people can engage with
- supporting teams to align around what matters
- helping organisations move from intention to meaningful action
- creating spaces where people can think clearly together
- facilitating community groups to write a future they want to live in
This work often sits between sectors, connecting policy, business, community, and culture.
🌿 Current work
As a Director at The Association of Sustainability Practitioners. I have the guardian role for sustainable technology and innovation. I am also teaching climate writing to members, helping develop an MA in action research, and will be a speaker in the Earth Conversations series in September 2026. I am also a Fellow of The Schumacher Institute for Sustainable Systems, and a member of The Organisation for Responsible Business (ORB), which are both closely connected to ASP, as partner members.
Curator & Voluntary CEO at The Creative & Cultural Organisation for 30+ years. I co-founded the social enterprise in 1993, and it’s still delivering creative community engagement for artistic expression and climate resilience. Meeting community needs in creative ways, with pop-up Climate Engagement Centres, 120 exhibitions, many festivals, and permaculture projects that have fed the community. Turning over 30 disused shops into sustainable arts spaces, upcycling found resources to stage major cultural engagement. I have personally funded the organisation from external work, and it has so-far never needed external funding, as it has been entirely run by volunteers for many years.
As an author of solarpunk climate fiction I have been facilitating creative community workshops on climate storytelling for community groups at East Riding Libraries. Resulting in individual written pieces, an audio recording read by the participants (radio show) and an art installation. In partnership with Ergon Theatre.
As a Co-founding Fellow of RSA Space Network, I recently gave a talk about space sector sustainability at RSA Space Unites in RSA House London, during Space Comm Europe 2026. This included the launch of my book To Sustainability and Beyond, A Practical Guide to Environmental Sustainability in the Space Sector.
In my role as RSA Fellowship Councilor for the North of England I support the RSA Playful Green Planet project as a PGP Champion. This practice has involved writing stories about nature and the seasons with children in the University of Hull Forest School, I also get to be their Storytelling wizard in the wood.
I am Co-founder and CTO of Humber Natural Capital, developing trusted technology for nature-based solutions. This includes supporting Biodiversity Net Gain and long-term environmental stewardship, using Earth observation and data to help local authorities, developers, ecologists, and communities document their work and make informed decisions. The focus is on enabling compliance, as part of a wider shift toward restoring and valuing natural systems.
Chair & Panelist for many sustainability events including: Keynote Speaker on Sustainability for the Humber Business Week Launch on Earth Day 2026, Space Tech Assembly (Earth Observation Challenges) 2025, UK Tech Week’s Green Innovation Revolution 2025, and UK-EONS (Earth Observation Network for Sustainability) 2024.
Alongside this, I continue to work with organisations, networks, and communities through talks, workshops, and facilitated sessions focused on sustainability, resilience, and future thinking.
🌿 Track record
Over the past 30+ years, I have built a wide range of sustainability and cultural initiatives.
This includes:
- Large-scale community programmes and environmental projects
- Several festivals and hundreds of public engagement events
- Over 120 exhibitions exploring social and environmental themes
- Contributions to 3 European Capitals of Culture and Hull City of Culture
- Founded Humber Eco Conference & Festival. 60,000 people engaged, with 116 events across 3 local authorities.
- Writing commissions for culture bids on environmental elements
Across this work, the focus has remained consistent:
Making sustainability something people can take part in.
I worked in Community & Youth Services for over 20 years, including being a City Centre Arts Office, Countryside Leader CLA & Duke of Edinburgh Awards Coordinator, Outdoor Activities Supervisor/trainer. Now using those skills and experience for creative sustainability work outdoors with groups.
Former BBC Radio Journalist, Presenter, Producer & Engineer, for 21 years, creating the BBC Eco-Time show. Featuring environmental scientists, climate activists, and community resilience projects.
Former CEO at GalacticESG, Using Earth observation satellites to care for forests. With our own planting project The Celebration Forest. Where trees were part of the community, with their own digital passport and care-plan. Galactic ESG was a subsidiary of Pan Galactic, a company that I co-founded. National Space-tech Startup of the Year 2024, supported by the UK Space Agency. Business-to-Business Startup Of The Year for Yorkshire & North East 2024. Now changed to the Pan Galactic Corperation in the US. It is now a space data security business with NATO, there is no sustainability element to it. I resigned before the move.
Former Trainer for Climate Fresk.
Former Chair of FEAST (Food Education And Social Transformation).
Former Green Team Leader & Trainer for festivals including Beverley Folk Festival
Former Permaculturist at the CEC Permaculture Garden, developing biodiversity and growing food for the community.
🌿 INVITATION
If you’re working on sustainability and looking for a way to make it more practical, engaging, and meaningful in your context…
I’d be glad to work with you.
🌿 My RELEVANT Awards & Ongoing TRAINING to be a better sustainability practitioner:
Doctor of the University of Hull Hon. Causa. for Sustainability & Creative Practice. 2025
East Riding College, PTLLS FE Teaching Certificate
RSA Playful Green Planet Champion training by the Eden Project for Outdoor play / forest school facilitation.
PDC qualified Member of the Permaculture Association UK
IEMA Environmental Sustainability Skills for Managers Certified.
Completed the Facilitating Responsible Business Certification Course, and now a qualified member of ORB The Organisation For Responsible Business. In association with Anglia Ruskin University.
University of Lincoln, HND in Community & Youth Work
Studied at Eastleigh College, Understanding Environmental Sustainability TQUK
United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Advanced Certificate (Sustainability)
SALHUB Royal Institute of Navigation EO & GIS (Earth Observation & Geo Information Systems) Certificate.
Climate Clarity, Climate Fresk Trainer Training.
Alison College, The Impact of Space Flight on the Environment.
BCcampus, Environmental Management Diploma.
The Business Academy, Certified ESG Analyst.
Alan Raw 