Aliza Ayaz - 2019 Joint-Winner of the Student Award for Outstanding Commitment to Sustainability

Aliza is the Founder and Executive Chair of CAS - UCL's Climate Action Society. Under her leadership, CAS partnered with the United Nations to become the first student society to lobby parliament.

Photo of Aliza Ayaz delivering a conference speech

14 May 2020

What is your role and what does it involve?

I am the Executive Chair at the Climate Action Society which has been running successfully for 2 years now. In my current capacity I ensure that the committee is effective in its task of setting and implementing the company's direction and strategy. The goal is education, advocacy and action for climate resilience with a focus on diversity & inclusion - the basis on which I built CAS with my brilliant team. I am also involved in environmental consulting for start-ups and universities and work on various relief projects on the side.

How long have you been at UCL and what was your previous role?

I have been at UCL for almost 3 years now for my undergraduate degree in Global Health and will be graduating soon (amidst the COVID19 pandemic!). My previous position as President of CAS was an operating role whereby I set up divisions: sales & promotions, marketing, socials, events and diversity. Therein, I delegated tasks, attended dozens of meetings to discuss collaborations and helped translate ideas into concrete workshops, campaigns and conferences. I also coordinated student participation in numerous sustainability-oriented working groups which went on to draft some key policies, such as those for vegan catering at UCL and the campus divestment plans. Now, as executive chairperson, I organically evolved to handling more key strategic projects including work with the United Nations.

Tell us about the Sustainability Award you won in 2019 and the work that it celebrated

My award “Outstanding commitment to Sustainability” was not just my individual win, but instead, a recognition of an impact enabled by my 60+ member team and over 7000 subscribers in sustainability. We became the only student-led organisation in the UK that robustly and strategically facilitates the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDG) for 2030 and were welcomed on board the UCL Policy Commission on Climate Change. I think the coolest element was being able to attract and retain Generation Z - a generation that is so busy doing job applications, socialising and finding its own feet to an idea that was associated with an “environment frenzy”. We converted the perceptions of budding economists, artists, medics and engineers to one whereby they saw climate activism as a multi-faceted, fun and important way to play their part in delivering change. The award was also a small way of honouring my parents who have mentored me and taught me how to approach any challenge with grace and discipline.

Has winning the award changed things for you?

It certainly verified that I was on the right path and that it was worth investing my time and energy in a project that did not necessarily contribute to my academic results or professional career. I was doing something out of my passion for social positive impact and time and time again faced the pressure of managing time, navigating priorities, workload and handling any backlash whether it was in the form of opinions or reviews.

It also inspired me to think that CAS’ new infusion of climate science and entrepreneurship could expand nationally, adding locations in nine new universities by the end of 2019.

Tell us about a project you are working on now which is top of your to-do list

I am working on a Climate Emergency Education Act with Teach the Future and MP Nadia Whittome. This is an act to ensure that Climate Emergency is incorporated into education at all levels and to provide funding so that school pupils, university students, apprentices, teachers, lecturers and adult learners are prepared for their future and the responsibility of preserving a habitable planet for future generations and that education buildings achieve net zero emissions.

I have also been studying the work by Stanford professor BJ Fogg on behavioural design. He has a three-step method for designing products to encourage behaviour change. His method is thoughtful, methodical and impactful. I love building products to help people live better lives. It’s what we do at CAS and it’s my personal mission as well.

What is your favourite album, film and novel?

Novel: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

Film: Interstellar directed by Christopher Nolan.

Album: Can’t say. I like any music and my preference changes with my mood.

What is your favourite joke (pre-watershed)?

I love this super lame meme:

Meme of a Climate Change Mango

Who would be your dream dinner guests?

Roger Federer, David Beckham and Lewis Hamilton.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Stand behind your move. Never feel bad. You can't feel bad - you have to just make the best decision you can at the time you're in, and be like, that's the decision I believe in. Make a decision, though. The worst thing you can do is sit there and do nothing, right?

What would it surprise people to know about you?

People always think I’m this huge climate science person. But, I started this company CAS because I am scared of the harsh reality those outside our bubbles face - floods, heatwaves, droughts and water shortages and so on. I didn’t even know the full-fledged mechanism behind climate change until I was eighteen. I hated studying physical geography - I found it slightly dry so I would just rote learn. Coming into university, I was not a climate activist by any means.

What is your favourite place?

I am in a state of perpetual migrancy - I have grown up moving around in so many cities so it is hard to pick one. I think my favourite can be anywhere I am able to pursue my interests and goals and if I find a set of compassionate people who reciprocate the care and comfort I aspire for. But in a nutshell, my favourite place is wherever my family is living at a particular point. In an ideal world, some days I would like to be in Bora Bora, other days a skyscraper view from an apartment in Dubai.