Imperial students awarded at the London Student Sustainability Conference 2026

Imperial College London in collaboration with nine other London-based partner universities, successfully delivered the annual London Student Sustainability Conference (LSSC).

The hybrid event, this year hosted at Kingston University London on 25 February 2026, welcomed over 300 people to listen and engage with over 90 student interdisciplinary research and extra-curricular projects related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

Following a competitive application process, the top 33 student projects were selected to present their sustainability work, with a further 57 academic posters showcasing their ideas. LSSC26 also welcomed three creative demonstrations that students interacted with throughout the day. The energy, creativity and innovation on show were truly inspiring. You can still view the academic posters in the online poster exhibition space.  

The Conference was co-organised by 11 dedicated student volunteers working alongside staff to support promotion and logistics, with a further 21 volunteers helping on the day with registration, wayfinding, hosting and chairing sessions. Together, they created a vibrant space where students could connect, amplify their ideas, and spark collaborations that contribute to a brighter, more sustainable world. 

"It has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to Chair this year’s London Student Sustainability Conference. One of the real highlights was seeing so many students present their insightful and imaginative research from across a wide range of disciplines. Their passion and commitment to creating a more sustainable future truly shaped the energy of the day." LSSC26 Conference Chair, City St. George’s, University of London. 

 LSSC26 Awards  

Imperial students Kate Wexell and Mufty Sumarto were recognised for Best Overall and Most Inspiring Projects at the annual student-led conference. 

• Excellence in Original Research Concept: He Ya Lin, King's College London 

• Excellence in Visual Communication: Sophie Templer and Sebastian Salvat, London College of Fashion 

• Best Overall Project: Kate Wexell, Imperial College London 

• People’s Choice: Muhie Al Haimus and Silvia Valls Santafe, Queen Mary University of London 

• Most Inspiring Project: Edward White, Kingston University London; Lito Shen, Sofia Fugali and Ryan Wen, King's College London; Mufty Sumarto, Imperial College London 

• Best Overall Creative Project: Neeraj Sadhu, Rayan Bhuyan and Vidhi Bhusari, Kingston University London 
• Winners of the Student Sustainability Research Conference Leeds: Rosie Willis, University of Leeds; Busola Popoola, University of Bradford; Michael Osagie, York St John University

Spotlighting presentations from Imperial College London: 

• Harnessing the sun for sustainable fisheries in Indonesia - Mufty Sumarto, Department of Mechanical Engineering

• Behind the scenes of sustainable chemistry: Tracing the hidden footprint of a simple chemical - Hayeon Lee, Department of Chemistry

• Weight, wealth, and health: A story of global inequality - Lakshya Jain, School of Public Health
• CRISPR interference versus persistence: preventing relapsing salmonella infections - Daphne Armengol, National Heart & Lung Institute

Spotlighting academic posters from Imperial College London: 

• Helping Companies Verify Carbon Emissions From Al Data Centers - Kate Wexell, Business School

• Retrofitting London's Housing Stock to Cut Carbon and Costs while Bridging Housing Equity Gap - Abdullateef Bamigbade, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Kabiru Adebayo, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Yinka Adeniji, Department of Life Sciences and Muhammad Maaruf, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering

• Tiny Cells, Big Impact: How Gut Microbial Cell Size Shapes the Future of Carbon - Charmaine Wan, Department of Life Sciences

• Following the Money: Towards a Framework for National-Level Accountability on Cross-Border Financed Greenhouse Gas Emissions - Freddie Stretch, Centre for Environmental Policy

• Will Planting Exotic Trees Increase Pest and Pathogen Risk in the UK? - Jessica Hunter, Centre for Environmental Policy

• Advanced Biorefining with lonic Liquids – Unlocking Sustainable Materials from Mixed Biomass - Rashed Jastaniah, Department of Chemistry

• MindBox: A Game-Based Strategy for Promoting Positive Mental Health - Shedrack Nwaokocha, School of Public Health

If you'd like the chance to showcase your sustainability-related work next year, then stay tuned for LSSC27 applications opening in autumn 2026.  

The history of LSSC: 

LSSC was founded by City St George’s, University of London in 2019 to provide an opportunity for students from across London to share their sustainability research and extra-curricular projects, and has grown year on year.  

LSSC26 was an impressive collaboration between 10 London universities: City St George’s, University of London, Imperial College London, King’s College London, Kingston University London, London School of Economics, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of Greenwich, University of Roehampton, University of West London and University of Westminster. 

The Conference highlighted our collective commitment to embedding sustainability across our teaching, research, leadership, operations, and wider engagement, while shining a light on the students who are bringing their passion and innovation to sustainability challenges.  

Learn more about Imperial's sustainability initiatives and opportunities.