SARA LAMB PARKIN OBE Curriculum Vitae

CURRENT ROLES

Founder Director and Trustee, Forum for the Future Council Member, Natural Environment Research Council Advisory Panel Member, UK Research Council Science in Society Board Member, Leadership Foundation for Higher Education Independent writer and campaigner On partial sabbatical writing a book on sustainability literate leadership

SUMMARY

Sara Parkin has been an independent campaigner, writer and broadcaster on environmental and sustainable development issues for around 40 years. After starting her working life as a nurse and ward sister in Edinburgh, she played a leading role in the UK Green Party and the development of Green Parties worldwide during the 1970s-80s. With colleagues she established Forum for the Future, growing the organization over the last decade to become the leading UK sustainable development charity, employing over 70 people. The Forum for the Future works with government and the private and public sector to accelerate practical change to a more sustainable way of life.

She serves on the boards of the Natural Environment Research Council, and the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, and, until 2006, The Environment Agency of England and Wales. In recent years has acted in an advisory capacity on the science curriculum, government foresight panels, and to various engineering bodies. She joined the Research Council UK’s Science in Society Advisory Panel in 2008.

In 2001 she was awarded an OBE for services to education and sustainable development and is currently writing a book on sustainability literate leadership. She is an honorary companion of the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Institute of Energy in recognition of her long-time involvement with sustainability and the engineering profession.

Sara Parkin was born in Aberdeen and is married with two sons. Her home is on the Island of Islay, but her current working base is in London. She has no political affiliations.

CONTACT DETAILS

Professional Forum for the Future (registered charity number 1040519) Overseas House 19-23 Ironmonger Row London EC1 3QN

Tel: 020 7324 3676 Fax: 020 7324 3697 E: [email protected] W: www.forumforthefuture.org.uk

Sara Parkin Full CV update July 2008 1 BORN 9th April 1946, Aberdeen, Scotland née McEwan

STATUS Married (1969) Dr Donald Maxwell Parkin, two sons (b. 1974, 1975)

EDUCATION

1965 – 1970  Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh 1964 – 1965  Bromsgrove College, Birmingham 1957 – 1963  Barrs Hill Grammar School, Coventry

QUALIFICATIONS

1980 (audited)  Biochemistry for Medical Practitioners Course (Michigan University, USA) 1978  Joint Board of Clinical Nursing Studies Certificate in Family Planning 1970  Registered General Nurse (Prize for Surgical Nursing), Edinburgh

HONOURS (non-bold are honorary degrees)

2008  City University, Doctor of Science 2007  Cardiff University, Fellowship of the University 2006  Queen’s University, Belfast, Doctor of Laws 2006  Society for the Environment, Honorary Fellow 2005  University of Brighton, Doctor of Science 2004  University of Stirling, Doctor of the University 2003  University of Bath, Doctor of Laws 2002  Institute of Energy, Companion 2001  OBE for services to education and sustainable development 2000  Liverpool John Moores University, Fellow of University 1999  University of Middlesex, Doctor of University 1996  Institution of Civil Engineers, Companion 1993  Ball State University, Indiana, DDH (Doctor of Humanities) 1990  Schumacher Society, Fellow

PUBLIC APPOINTMENTS

2008 -  UK Research Councils’ Science in Society Advisory Panel, Member 2003 –  Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, Board Member 2003 –  Natural Environment Research Council, Council Member 2000 – 2006  Environment Agency of England and Wales, Board Member

VOLUNTARY APPOINTMENTS Current

2006 –  Higher Education Funding Council of England Sustainability Advisory Committee 1998 –  St Andrews Prize, Trustee 1995 –  InterAct (Population Concern) Member

(advises, patron etc to a range of small charities and not-for-profits)

SP Source CV 23/02/2009 2 Past 2003 – 2005  Joint research Councils Sustainable Energy Programme Scientific Advisory Committee, member st 2003 – 2005  21 Century Science, Advisory Committee Member 2002 – 2007  Head Teachers in Industry, Council Member 1999 – 2002  Energy and Natural Resources Foresight Panel, Member 1997 – 2005  Real World Coalition, Chair (Real World is a coalition of 25 UK organisations campaigning across the broad sustainability agenda.) 1999 – 2001  DfEE Ethical Management Code Steering Group, Member 1997 – 1999  Groundwork Foundation, Trustee 1996 – 2002  Friends of the Earth, Trustee 1995 – 2004  Civil Engineering Editorial Panel, Member 1995 – 1996  New Economics Foundation, Trustee 1994 - 1996  Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh, Founding Patron

EMPLOYMENT

1995 – now  Forum for the Future, Founding Programme Director, set up charity together with colleagues Jonathon Porritt and Paul Ekins. Launched publically in 1996, Forum for the Future works with around 100 partners in the private and public sector (including all levels of government and Devolved Administrations) focusing on practical solutions to the implementation of sustainability in organizations as diverse as the Welsh Assembly Government, NAO and Tesco. Her achievements include:  Leadership for Sustainable Development Masters design and development of a pioneering higher education qualification, now in its 13th year, with graduates in senior positions in government, business and community organizations – a significant number having set up their own enterprises. Regarded internationally as best practice. (ongoing). Sara continues to teach on this course.  Engineers of the 21st Century: started in 1997 in partnership with government and engineer professional bodies and employers, the E21C initiative has helped to drive change through the profession, including the integration of sustainability competencies into professional standards, and a more positive image of engineering to a new generation of environmentally concerned graduates (ongoing).  Sustainability Integration Group: design and animation of an all UK 2 year project funded by the then DfES to (unprecedentedly) bring together over 20 bodies that fund, regulate and run the post school education sector (inking to schools via the National College for School Leadership) to help them develop capacity and share experience in order to integrate sustainability objectives into their policies and practice in a coherent way. (complete, outcomes demonstrate it was successful in its objectives)  Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability (HEPS) a UK-wide 18 institution project to design and test strategies for integrating sustainability into the way universities run their campuses, design their curriculums and research programmes, and influence their local and other communities of interest. (completed) Viewed internationally as a model of good practice, slower take up by UK universities than hoped  Other projects include an effort to integrate sustainability into professional bodies, based on success with the engineering institutions. Only partially successful due to very slow timetables for change of many professional institutions (probably before its time) and

SP Source CV 23/02/2009 3 an applied sustainability module for MBAs at London Business School which influenced provision in general  Organisational management: Sara oversaw the growth of the organization and the implementation of the necessary governance and operational systems until the appointment of a dedicated Director of Resources, and (with co-founders) secured the leadership succession by appointing a CEO.

1967 – now  Independent campaigner, writer, broadcaster on environmental and sustainable development issues A good communicator, Sara Parkin writes and lectures to audiences ranging from community groups to military leaders, and advises and contributes to many different organizations e.g. the UK Engineering Council, the Optimum Population Trast . Sara has written or edited five books - mostly on green politics – and is currently engaged on a sixth, on sustainability literate leadership to be published in 2009 by Earthscan.

1985 – 1990  European Greens: Co-secretary and Spokesperson After playing leading role in developing and advising Green Parties worldwide for several years (including support and advice for groups engaged in the democratic revolutions in East Europe), Sara Parkin served for 5 years as Co-secretary and Spokesperson for the formal co- ordination of European Green Parties and led the writing of many manifestos and statements. During this time she lectured regularly on Environment and Security to NATO senior officers.

1983 – 1992  UK Green Party: International Liaison Secretary and Chair of the Executive As International Liaison Secretary, worked with Green Parties and environmental organisations worldwide. As Chair led the Green Party Executive. Other roles on the Executive during this period included Speaker, manifesto writer. Sara was a candidate in national and local elections, and played a leading role in the in the party’s 15% poll in the 1989 elections which took green politics centre stage in the UK for the first time. She resigned from the party in 1992, at odds with its approach to leadership and strategy.

1970 – 1981  Post graduate employment relating to Nursing qualifications  Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Staff Nurse/Ward Sister  University of Edinburgh, Research Associate  University of Edinburgh, Tutor, School of Nursing  Brook Advisory Service, Edinburgh, Board Member  Leeds Area Health Authority, Family Planning Nurse  Independent sex educator/relationship counselor, Yorkshire

PUBLICATIONS

2001  (as commissioner and overall editor for the Real World Coalition) From Here to 1994 Sustainability, by Ian Christie and Diane Warburton, Earthscan, London 1991  The Life and Death of Petra Kelly, Pandora, London 1991  Green Futures, Fount, London 1989  Green Light on Europe, Heretic, London (contributing editor)  Green Parties: An International Guide, Heretic, London (also chapters and articles).

SP Source CV 23/02/2009 4 INTERESTS A keen walker and gardener. Home, on the Island of Islay, is a renowned wildlife and heritage site, where she is a member of the Islay Wildlife Trust, Islay Museum Trust, the Finlaggan Trust and the Islay Energy Trust. An unalloyed fan of both urban and rural environments, she enjoys working in and exploring London, especially via its industrial and social history (she lives in Hackney), theatre and opera. With her husband and over a decade, Sara completed the pilgrims’ path from Le Puy in France to Santiago de Compostella in Spain in 2000 and is now walking (in stages) from le Puy to Islay.

SP Source CV 23/02/2009 5