South West College (SWC) has announced a number of keynote speakers for the upcoming ‘Building a Sustainable Future’ conference which will be taking place over the course of two days at the College’s Erne Campus in Enniskillen on Tuesday, September 27 and Wednesday, September 28.

The conference programme will explore sustainability, the latest international processes and standards in the design and construction sector, how organisations in the public and private sector across Ireland are refocusing their efforts on alternatively fuelled transport options, and how organisations can begin developing their sustainability strategies in line with government targets on carbon emissions and achieving Net Zero.

Encirc, part of the Vidrala Group – that produces more than four billion glass containers for many leading global retail brands – has also signed on as the headline corporate partner for the two-day conference.

Since its formation in 1998, Encirc has become the industry leader in the glass industry and is also acclaimed globally for its sustainability initiatives and impact on shaping industrial attitudes on sustainable practice.

Vidrala’s Sustainability Director, Fiacre O’Donnell, will join the line-up of speakers on Wednesday, September 28, offering an in-depth insight into the company’s operations not just at the Fermanagh-based plant, but at their factories across England, Spain, Portugal and Italy.

The panel of esteemed presenters and conference facilitators will include the following.

Ann Marie Fallon, Associate Director and CEPH Designer at Architype (one of the UK and Ireland’s foremost experts on the principles of PassivHaus design); Emma Osmundsen, Managing Director of Exeter City Living Ltd. (responsible for the delivery of a portfolio of residential, commercial and leisure developments, and a pioneer of low-carbon, healthy and climate-ready buildings); Tomás O’Leary, Managing Director of MosART (owner of Ireland’s first Passive House-certified building); Geraldine Herbert, Motoring Editor at The Sunday Independent (and one of Ireland’s leading automotive experts and advocates for the use of alternatively fuelled vehicles); Sarah Simpson, Business Change Manager, Translink (with responsibility for the deployment of hydrogen and electric vehicles into the public transport fleet); and Stephen Roycroft, Managing Director, Krow Ireland (one of the UK’s and Ireland’s leading creative agencies, with clients including Kia, Belfast International Airport, Translink and InterTrade Ireland).

The complete line-up of speakers will be announced soon on the SWC website and its social media channels, along with the programme for the two-day event.

Reflecting on the speaker and sponsor announcements, SWC's Interim Chief Executive, Leo Murphy, said: "The Building a Sustainable Future conference is shaping up to be an unmissable event and one which I believe will leave a lasting legacy not only here in the college, but in the wider region.

"The calibre of globally-renowned speakers that we have been able to attract to Enniskillen for the event is something beyond our own expectations, and we look forward to welcoming them to the town and showcasing everything South West College and the region has to offer.

"We are also thrilled to have a number of hugely successful corporate partners supporting the two-day programme, and I believe that their case studies will prove inspirational for the attending delegates, whether they are from a local authority, public sector, housing, education or private sector background."

Running in parallel with the Building a Sustainable Future conference, global affiliates of the International Passive House Association will take part in a five-day camp at both the Erne Campus and the CREST Centre in Enniskillen.

Visitors from up to 26 countries will attend a programme of workshops which will take place across both sites from Monday, September 26 to Friday, September 30, with SWC winning a bid to host the camp earlier this year.