Sue Riddlestone
Executive Director and Co-Founder of BioRegional, Co-Director One Planet Living

Sue, a mother of three, formerly practised as a nurse. At BioRegional Sue has pioneered projects on sustainable paper production including Local Paper for London and the Laundry. She led a team to develop the MiniMill, new small-scale technology to produce paper pulp and is Director of BioRegional MiniMills Ltd. She also initiated practical research into more efficient ways of producing textiles from hemp. Sue is a co-founding director of One Planet Living, a joint initiative between BioRegional and WWF. As a member of the London Sustainable Development Commission, Sue has worked on setting targets for reducing London's CO2 emissions and the London 2012 Olympic bid. BioRegional, with WWF, subsequently worked with London 2012 to write the sustainability strategy “One Planet Olympics”. Sue co-authored a book with co-founder Pooran Desai about BioRegional’s projects and approach “BioRegional Solutions”.

Pooran Desai OBE
One Planet Living Technical Director and Co-Founder of BioRegional

Pooran studied physiological sciences at Oxford University. He founded the BioRegional Charcoal Company and has worked to revive London’s lavender industry. With architect Bill Dunster he initiated the BedZED eco-village. Pooran has been a sustainability consultant to government and industry, in the UK and overseas and chaired the Homes and Environment group of the UK Defra Advisory Committee on Consumer Products and the Environment. In 2005, Pooran helped found sustainable community development company BioRegional Quintain Ltd (BQL), where he is Sustainability Director. He is Technical Director of the international “One Planet Living” initiative. In 2004, Pooran was awarded an OBE for services to sustainable development.

Joanna Hills
Planning and Performance Director

Joanna has a degree in civil engineering. Before joining BioRegional she spent 5 years managing a programme of projects in the field of sustainable transport, including improvements to pedestrian and cycle routes, and promoting travel alternatives for schools. Prior to that, she gained 8 years engineering experience on wastewater and sewerage schemes. She also holds a teaching qualification and spent a year facilitating environmental projects for young volunteers.

Emma Croxson
Finance Director

Emma has a background in Ecology and Environmental Management, before joining BioRegional she worked for The Centre for Population Biology and The Mammal Society. Over the six years that Emma has been with BioRegional she has held a variety of positions including running BioRegional Charcoal Company for over two years.

Before joining One Planet Products Mark was the director of an award-winning internet business with a turnover of £1m and 12 staff, which he turned around from substantial losses into operational profit. Additionally Mark was elected to Croydon Council in 2002 and served as the Cabinet Member for Equalities and Community Partnerships and the e-government champion. Previously Mark was the Communications Director at Stonewall.

Mark has a undergraduate degree in environmental geography and spent three months in Dhaka, Bangladesh studying the affects of poverty on social exclusion and the environment. After graduating he led a six month expedition to the Amazon to consider the environmental and climatic consequences of rainforest destruction. Before going to university Mark spent one year working voluntarily in the township of Alexandria in South Africa. Mark is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and in 2003 he climbed Kilimanjaro to raise money for HIV / AIDS projects in Africa.

Cara Whelan
Resources Manager

After graduating with a degree in philosophy and literature, Cara worked as an arts festival administrator as well as voluntarily working on varied arts, homelessness and sustainability projects. Most recently Cara worked with St Mungo’s as a fundraiser for four years, specialising in charitable trusts. She is actively involved in reducing her own environmental footprint.

Stephen Ivings
Finance Manager

Stephen joined BioRegional in June 2008. In conjunction with the Finance Director he is responsible for the day to day running of the financial affairs of the BioRegional Development Group. Prior to completing his professional accountancy qualification in 2000, Stephen worked within the engineering and the health service sectors. Since then, Stephen has gained further financial experience within the not-for profit, social housing and financial services sectors.

Jennie Organ
Communications Manager

Jennie has a BA Hons Degree in Marketing. Whilst studying she volunteered for Friends of the Earth Birmingham. After graduating she worked for a commercial PR agency, leaving to join BioRegional in 2001.

Anna Francis
Consultant for BioRegional Consulting

Since completing a BSc in International Management and French and an MSc in Environmental Science, Policy and Planning, Anna has gained a range of experience in the environmental sector. Prior to joining BioRegional she worked as an Environmental Consultant for Waste Watch specialising in sustainable resource management, recycling and waste. She has also worked on a range of local food projects, helped to co-ordinate an environmental project in the Himalayas and worked in the communications department of a multinational energy company in Paris. Anna now works with the consulting team at BioRegional.

Jonny has a BSc in Zoology from Newcastle University and an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College, with a broad variety of environmental experience from ecology to waste management and education. He has worked and volunteered on a variety of ecological research projects in Tanzania, Fiji and the UK. In these roles he carried out base-line terrestrial and aquatic surveys to inform resource management plans for the Society for Environmental Exploration, GreenForce and WWT. At university and at work he has been proactive in initiating and publicising reuse and recycling, and as an Education Officer at WWT he has provided education for for all age groups.

Andrew is a registered architect now working as a sustainability consultant for BioRegional Consulting. He has over 25 years’ experience in energy efficiency and housing, having begun his career in a local authority research and development group and later working in central government on building regulations and sponsoring construction research.

Amy Hammond
Consultant for BioRegional Consulting

As Energy Specialist for the consulting team, Amy is involved in sustainable build consultancy, energy demand and supply modelling and assessments, renewable energy feasibility assessments and development of local, regional and national environmental strategies, policies and protocols. Her previous roles include Technical Project Manager at the Centre for Sustainable Energy in Bristol and Consultant with energy consultancy TNEI.
Amy is a registered SAP Plan Assessor, is an Associate of the IEMA and holds a first class honours in BSc Geography.

Jonathan is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Environmentalist with postgraduate qualifications in Development Management and Environmental Decision Making. He has consulted on the sustainability of development projects and programmes in the UK, Bangladesh and Vietnam, following a background in power, transport and maritime infrastructure with major consultants and contractors.

Jonathan is a co-founder of the Living Well course and Sustainable Redhill, a local environmental forum. Jonathan combines his work with BioRegional with research and consultancy, focused on the linkages between climate change and visioning for future sustainability, economics and development strategies. Jonathan also sits on the advisory board of the Green Economics Institute.

Harold has worked in private and third sector property development for over ten years. Since 2003, his work has focused on affordable and energy efficient projects around the UK. These delivered projects have included a combined workspace and primary care centre in east London made from re-used shipping containers and a low carbon affordable housing scheme in the north of England. He is also a registered consultant for the Development Trusts Association (DTA). Harold is a graduate of the London School of Economics and has a Masters in Urban Design from the Bartlett School of Architecture and a PG.Dip. in Sustainable Construction.

Ronan will be carrying out reclamation surveys, reporting on opportunities for reclamation and reuse and providing general advice for the construction and demolition industry. Prior to this Ronan completed an MSc in Design for Sustainability at Canfield University after spending 3 years implementing user-led design processes and championing better design quality for school buildings. His outside interest includes youth development and he has been helping to run weekly sessions for the 'Woodcraft Folk', an educational environmental youth movement. Ronan has a BSc in Physics and Philosophy from Leeds University.

Harry Holmes
One Planet Living Communities Manager

Harry currently manages the development and expansion of One Planet Living offices in South Africa, North America and China, working with developer partners in Portugal, India and United Arab Emirates. Harry has intimate working knowledge of local government, construction and development industries across the globe, increasing our wealth of partnership working and technical expertise.

Harry has worked on a variety of inner city and rural development projects in Europe, South East Asia, the Middle East and Africa with the range including community and private housing; healthcare and staff accommodation, educational projects, international airports, embassies and diplomatic quarters, libraries, schools, environmental and landscaping schemes, commercial developments such as banks, hotels, office complexes and retail schemes.

Tom has undertaken communications and policy work for BioRegional in the past, and currently divides his time between BedZED tours, managing the ICT and engaging the local community on our One Planet Living in Sutton project.

Sarah Alsen
One Planet Living Country Manager, South Africa

Sarah comes from a nursing background and has completed an Honours in Nature Conservation in South Africa and Masters in Environmental Science at London University. She started work with BioRegional on a volunteer basis and worked with Sue Riddlestone on the MiniMills project in its infancy before returning to Cape Town for consultancy work in 1999 / 2000. Sarah now works from South Africa as Country Manager for the One Planet Living South Africa community.

Nicole Lazarus BEng Hons
Communities Team Technical Manager

Nicole is responsible for developing and maintaining the core technical capacity within the BioRegional Communities team, covering ecological footprinting, Sustainability Action Plans, carbon accounting, energy, waste and other sectoral expertise as required by the team.
Nicole comes from a civil engineering background and joined BioRegional in 1997. She led the ZED programme within BioRegional throughout the BedZED project and Nicole now lives at BedZED as well as working there. She authored the BedZED Construction Materials Report and the BedZED Carbon Neutral Toolkit.
Nicole graduated from Leeds University in 1990, spent 5 years in design consultancy at Knight Piesold & Partners and then 2 years as a site engineer for Taylor Woodrow on the Jubilee Line extension at London Bridge.

Jane Hersey
Sustainability Consultant

Jane joined BioRegional in 2003 to promote Local Paper for Surrey to offices, helping them set up paper recycling and buy back local paper. Jane then developed a sustainable waste strategy for Z-squared, a 2000 home community planned for the Thames Gateway. More recent projects include developing Ecological Footprint models to assess communities, and creating a One Planet Living online calculator that engages users to assess their lifestyles and calculate their Ecological Footprint.

Jane studied Environmental Science at Bradford University and previously worked at The Environment Council, a charity promoting more effective environmental decision-making through stakeholder dialogue.

Naomi Durkan
One Planet Products Membership Manager

Naomi joined One Planet Products in 2007 whilst completing her thesis for an MSc in Architecture: Advanced Environmental and Energy Studies at the University of East London and The Centre for Alternative Technology. Her thesis investigates the environmental credentials of Green Roofs. Naomi also has an undergraduate degree in English, Philosophy and Classics from Durham University.

Jude Hassall joined One Planet Products in November 2007. In her previous life Jude worked in media before retraining and graduating from Imperial College with an MSc in Environmental Technology in 1997. She has since worked at DEFRA producing a guide for Britain’s top 200 companies to measuring greenhouse gas emissions and subsequently at the Energy Savings Trust running their managed housing programme.

Most recently Jude has completed research projects on sustainability drivers in the UK construction and housing development market for, amongst others, Beyond Green.
Jude has 3 children and lives in London.

Tom undetook his undergraduate BSc in Environment, Ecology and Economics at the University of York. Working with the Stockholm Environment Institute Tom's BSc dissertation involved examining the links between socio-economic status and the ecological footprint. He is currently in the process of completing an MA in Environment, Policy and Society at the Open University where his primary interest lies in the relationship between sustainability and values. Tom joins BioRegional after a period at EcoConsulting where he worked as a Sustainable Design Consultant.

Emily Stott
Hemp Textiles Project Manager

Emily studied Archaeology and Anthropology at Cambridge University, where she was Green officer for Downing college, promoting recycling, renewable energy and fair trade. Emily joined BioRegional in 2002 and is now working from York as Hemp Textiles project manager, working with universities and industrial partners to develop UK hemp textile production alongside completing a part-time MA in Sustainable Business.

Rachel Fleming
The Laundry Manager

Rachel holds a degree in Psychology, in which she had the opportunity to study Environmental Psychology. Before joining Bioregional, Rachel worked as an environmental consultant specialising in waste, recycling and packaging.

Harriet Simpson
Laundry Sales & Marketing Officer

Harriet has a degree in Anthropology. Before joining BioRegional she worked as an assistant at BBE, an environmental projects charity for Northwest London, and volunteered at Groundwork Camden and Islington.

Andrew Tolfts
Forestry Manager

Andrew is a professional forester with an MSc in Rural Resources and Environmental Policy. He worked in Southern Africa and the South Pacific before returning to UK in 2000. While overseas he managed a large forestry plantation and charcoal project, coordinated a 5 country eco-forestry project to develop Forest Stewardship Council compatible forest management systems and set up businesses using rainforest products as well as conducting forest certification assessments.

At BioRegional Andrew is setting up wood chip supply for the BedZED CHP and stimulating development of a local wood chip fuel market. He is also a member of the regional charcoal project team, focusing on timber supplies and wood processing.

Sarah Mooney
BioRegional Charcoal Company Account & Operations Manager

After graduating in Countryside Management, Sarah volunteered for Sutton Ecology Centre. She then worked as a member of Sutton Council’s Environment Team for eight years, promoting sustainable transport and other sustainability issues. She left Sutton to explore new options and volunteered for CPRE and BioRegional before becoming Account & Operations Manager for BioRegional Charcoal Company in November 2003.

Michael Scott
BioRegional Charcoal Company Accounts and Supplier Officer

Michael graduated with a BA Degree in Cultural and Literary studies from the University of Cape Town, and is currently working towards a BSc from the Open University specialising in environmental sustainability and other related issues.

He was born in Northern Ireland and spent a large part of his life in South Africa, as well as having lived in the Far East for a year. He has lived in London since 2003, and prior to joining BioRegional he worked for a housing partnership, involved in various housing and regeneration schemes as well as providing community and support services.