Professional background: Environmental Engineering, Sustainability, Life Cycle Analysis, Building Services, ESG

Speaking experience: Main Presenter, Panellist, Keynote Speaker, Chair/Moderator

Speaker topics: Whole-life carbon assessments and circular design in commercial and infrastructure projects, retrofit strategies and low-carbon design aligned with RICS/LETI standards, ESG integration and net-zero investment strategy for built environment portfolios, climate resilience and adaptation planning for housing and infrastructure, smart and sustainable cities: data-driven design, AI, and open-data tools, equity and justice in housing policy and environmental design, inclusive design education and gender-sensitive engineering practices, teaching tools for LCA and systems thinking in multidisciplinary settings, peer-to-peer solar trading, off-grid solutions, and just energy transitions, youth leadership, refugee entrepreneurship, and grassroots climate equity, diverse leadership in climate, design, and sustainability professions, global comparative insights from projects across the UK, India, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

Dr Rhythima Shinde is a sustainability advisor, educator, and researcher with over nine years of global experience across the UK, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and India. Her expertise spans low-carbon and circular design, ESG strategy, climate resilience, and inclusive innovation in the built environment. She currently serves as a Senior Sustainability Advisor at KLH Sustainability and has previously held academic roles at TEDI-London and ETH Zurich. Rhythima has advised on housing policy, smart cities, and decarbonisation strategies for infrastructure and commercial portfolios. She is a published researcher and frequent speaker at international conferences, including Futurebuild, SEFI, and the Clean Energy Ministerial. A strong advocate for equity and justice in design, she co-founded platforms supporting refugee entrepreneurs and gender-responsive innovation. Passionate about making sustainability accessible and actionable, she develops open teaching tools for life cycle assessment and systems thinking. Rhythima is committed to amplifying diverse voices and shaping more inclusive and sustainable urban futures.