Environmental Accreditations for Tendering – Using Net Zero to Win New Contracts

Alison Philips

Director, Kindred CSR

Alison Phillips is an ESG consultant and founder of Kindred CSR, a consultancy company that supports businesses to achieve sustainable supplier third party accreditations such as B Corp and Ecovadis. 

Coming from a background in the environmental community sector, Alison's core values reflect her belief that every business can improve their environmental and social impact, no matter what their size or industry. She loves to work with businesses who are new to this journey by helping to reduce the overwhelm of such an extensive topic through a friendly, fun and informal approach.

In her talk, Alison will briefly cover the most common third-party verifications or standards that are available, as well as the certification process for B Corp and EcoVadis.

Dr Denise Taylor

Sustainability Consultant, Wylde Connections

Dr Denise Taylor is a seasoned Sustainability Consultant dedicated to providing practical solutions to help businesses to develop and implement their sustainability strategies. With over 30 years of experience in environmental education on an international scale, Denise has witnessed firsthand the impacts of human activities on ecosystems worldwide. In a bid to encourage more businesses to be responsible and ethical, Denise has assembled a team of passionate experts at Wylde Connections from a number of disciplines covering sustainable leadership and consultancy, transformative education, supply chain management, and stakeholder engagement. Together the team provides Wylde’s clients with the knowledge and skills they need to embed sustainable practices throughout their operations.

Jon Wilkins

Carbon and Energy Management Consultant, Auditel

Jon is a Carbon and Energy Management Consultant, recognised for delivering carbon solutions by the British Standards Institution (BSi) and the UKAS accredited agency NQA.

With a degree in Mechanical Engineering, he has 30 years’ experience in manufacturing organisations ranging from a Global FTSE 100 Company to an SME Start-up.

Global Vice President roles in Electric Vehicle Powertrain across Manufacturing, Engineering, Sales Management, and Marketing have developed his skills and experience across the complete supply cycle.

In his talk, Jon will share insights on maximising energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. He will cover the fundamentals, key processes, and industry standards, along with how these have evolved over time. He’ll also present a real-world example of progress over the past year, discuss "Carbon Maturity" and what success looks like, and provide an update on the "Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism."

Tommy Randa

General Manager, ChangeKitchen CIC

Tommy Randa is an experienced manager within the social enterprise sector, dedicated to driving meaningful social and environmental impact. With a focus on implementing innovative, values-driven business practices and fostering relationships with like-minded stakeholders, Tommy works to advance sustainability and positive change.

As General Manager of ChangeKitchen CIC, a well-loved Birmingham-based social enterprise established in 2010, Tommy oversees the delivery of healthy, nutritious catering with a strong commitment to sustainability and climate-conscious practices. Collaborating closely with Founder Director Dr Birgit Kehrer, Tommy has overseen the social enterprise through a significant growth phase. With an expanding expertise in the tender process and a deep understanding of evolving approaches in corporate and B2B supply chain sustainability, Tommy is committed to empowering SMEs to leverage sustainable practices and gain access to major contracts.

In his talk, Tommy will go through his expertise in sustainable supply chains empowering SMEs to adopt impactful green practices. Tommy shall also provide first-hand experience of going through tendering processes, large and small, and reflect on the challenges around ESG data collection and potential documentation pitfalls for successful bids.

Beate Pesian

Director , Worksmiths

Beate is co-Director of the recruitment consultancy Worksmiths, a specialist for Sustainability roles and trusted recruitment partner for organisations looking to get ESG certifications, become NetZero or work more sustainably.

At the same time, she mentors and champions career returners, career changers and the changemakers of tomorrow, supporting them to find their right-fit role.

Beate is the founder of SUSTAIN, the Midland's first Sustainability UnConference, going ahead on 17th December at GBCC Patrons University College Birmingham. This unique audience-led event unites Sustainability and ESG experts, business leaders, educators and community champions and invites them to bring their sustainability challenges, share ideas, and work together as equals, sparking fresh solutions for a greener future.

In her talk, Beate will touch on employee involvement, and what the skills are of a sustainability champion and how to support them in their work.