Chris Hines MBE has been given an Honorary Degree in recognition of his lifelong commitment to protecting England’s seas and waterways, and campaigning for a more sustainable world.

In 1990, Chris co-founded Surfers Against Sewage. One of the UK’s most successful marine campaigning charities that raised the alarm about sewage discharge, holding the government to account and pushing for change.

Chris was the Sustainability Director at the Eden Project from 2001 to 2007 and in 2008, he was awarded an MBE for ‘Services to the Environment’. Now, through his own company, A Grain of Sand, Chris is supporting organisations of all kinds in their sustainability goals.

Chris’s interest in the environment began as a child, growing up on the edge of Dartmoor, with summers spent on Cornish beaches.

A keen surfer and part of the surfing community in the early 1990s, Chris and his fellow surfers understood their favourite pastime brought with it a health hazard via pollution.

Surfers Against Sewage was then born out of what Chris calls ‘righteous outrage’ which succeeded in ground-breaking environmental activism.

They pushed the issue of sewage up the political agenda, and, in 1997, Chris became part of a government select committee which concluded that all sewage must be treated at tertiary level, resulting in a £5.5 billion investment in new infrastructure.

Chris’ role at the Eden Project saw him introduce a waste neutral concept which resulted in a reduction in waste sent to landfill of more than 60 per cent.

In 2005, coinciding with the Live 8 concerts, Chris was instrumental in organising Africa Calling, an alternative concert broadcast from the Eden Project which put African artists firmly in the spotlight and featured a live broadcast appearance by Nelson Mandela.

Today, Chris works with a variety of organisations to bring about positive environmental change.