Environment, Sustainability and Energy Community Council

Kevin West is Head of Technology Research, Advanced Energy Solutions at BP, where he leads the team focused on developing long-term technology solutions to enable the firming of intermittent renewable power. His work spans energy storage innovation—including flow batteries, thermal storage, and long-duration solutions. In addition to his primary role at BP, Kevin sits on the International Centre for Advanced Materials programme management board and chairs the RSC Board of Fellows, supporting the development of chemists in BP and helping them gaining accreditation including chartership. 

Prior to his current role, Kevin held a series of leadership and technical positions across BP’s upstream and downstream businesses. He led the Upstream Centre for Applied Science, delivering high-impact technologies and led efforts to shift subsurface and upstream capabilities to support low carbon and sustainability efforts. In BP’s lubricant business, Castrol, he pioneered thermal management fluids for electric vehicles, developed and commercialised an oil based predictive maintenance system for wind turbine gearboxes, and developed novel lubricant additives, several of which have been commercialised. 

Kevin holds an MChem in Chemistry from the University of Edinburgh and a PhD in supramolecular chemistry from the University of Cambridge. He is a Fellow and Chartered Chemist of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Kevin lives in Reading with his wife, Alison, three young children, Cameron, Matilda and Laurence, and two cats.

Professor Matthew Davies is head of the Applied Photochemistry Group and part of the Senior Management Team in the SPECIFIC IKC, Materials Science and Engineering/Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering at Swansea University

He is also an Honorary Professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa and a Fellow­­­ of the Royal Society of Chemistry. His research is focused upon the photochemistry of materials that are useful for low-cost photovoltaic applications, with the ultimate aim of improving stability, sustainability, light harvesting efficiency and performance. He is particularly interested in the characterisation of re-manufactured devices (“photochemistry/photophysics of the re-use of materials”) and developing materials and processes to enable re-use and re-manufacture within a circular economy to develop the next generation of solar PV materials. He has been active in advising and influencing policy of the Royal Society of Chemistry and national UK Government on issues of circular economy, emerging technologies and electronic waste.

Dr Robert Sparkes is a Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science at Manchester Metropolitan University. Robert uses his expertise in environmental analytical chemistry to trace the erosion, transport, burial and fate of carbon I the Earth system. His current research focuses on using molecular, elemental and isotopic techniques to study carbon burial via saltmarsh restoration. He also uses Raman spectroscopy to trace particulate carbon in modern, ancient and extra-terrestrial rocks.

Robert is a Climate Ambassador, delivering carbon literacy training to students at Manchester Metropolitan and assisting primary schools with climate action plans, including delivering climate education. He is a member of the UK Blue Carbon Forum and sits on their sampling and measuring action group.

Andrew is a Global Product Development Manager at Johnson Matthey. He has worked across various areas of chemistry including catalysis, refining and emissions control for over 30 years. He is a Fellow of the RSC and active in the RSC mentor programme.

Mark Fitzsimons is an Environmental Chemist whose career has been defined by extensive contributions to biogeochemistry, environmental analytical chemistry, and the study of nutrient cycling across marine and terrestrial systems. He is a Professor of Environmental Chemistry at the University of Plymouth and previously led the Biogeochemistry Research Centre, overseeing research that spans organic geochemistry, nitrogen cycling, and the environmental pathways or pharmaceuticals in natural waters.

His research focuses particularly on the complex behaviour of nitrogen, often described as a "wicked element" due to its multiple forms and environmental interactions. He has worked extensively on nitrogen cycling in terrestrial and aquatic environments, contributing to a broader understanding of how reactive nitrogen influences ecosystems. As a Principal Investigator on major projects such as the ERDF-funded FABSOIL and Interreg EU-funded ReCon Soil initiatives, he has led efforts to develop sustainable, reconstructed soils from locally sourced construction waste, dredged sediments, and agricultural by-products. These projects aim to address soil degredation, promote low-carbon technologies, and bridge the gap between laboratory science and commercial application.

Chidinma is an accomplished Fermentation Scientist at Colorifix Limited, where she plays a crucial role in developing and optimising bioprocesses for sustainable textile production. With a solid academic background in environmental biotechnology and ongoing PhD research on anaerobic digestion, Chidinma combines her expertise in bioprocess technology with a passion for environmental sustainability.

Chidinma's work involves creation of novel bioprocesses and the enhancement of pre-existing ones, designing and coordinating large-scale fermentation experiments, ensuring that lab innovations are scalable and meet rigorous quality standards. Throughout her career, she has received multiple awards, including fellowships from the Schlumberger Foundation, and has published several research papers in scientific journals. Outside of her professional life, Chidinma enjoys drawing, reading, singing, and traveling, bringing a well-rounded perspective to her work and life.

Gemma is a Senior Lecturer in Physical and Computational Chemistry and the Sustainability Lead for the School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry (LSPC) at Kingston University. She has extensive experience in both teaching and curriculum development and previously served as Course Leader for undergraduate chemistry programmes. In her current School role, she leads the integration of Education for Sustainable Development across teaching, research, and wider institutional practice within the laboratory-based science disciplines at the university. 

Gemma also works across disciplines and stakeholder groups to promote sustainability in the chemical sciences and beyond, supporting curriculum transformation and the embedding of sustainable practices within scientific training. She co-developed Education for Sustainable Futures, a university-wide module designed to support staff in incorporating sustainability into their courses, regardless of discipline. She is also an active member of institutional communities focused on inclusive and innovative pedagogies.

 

 

Robin completed his studies in Chemistry at the University of York (UK), with a PhD in the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence under the supervision of Prof. J. H. Clark. He was then a Max-Planck-Fellowship holder at the Max Planck Institute for Colloids & Interfaces (Germany) in the department of Prof. M. Antonietti, which was followed by a post-doc at TU Berlin in the Functional Materials department of Prof. A. Thomas. Following a project scientist position at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies in the department of Nobel Laureate Prof. C. Rubbia, he moved to the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, to found and lead the Sustainable Catalytic Materials Group, supported by a prestigious Fraunhofer Attract Award. A subsequent move to TNO (Netherlands) as a Senior Scientist - Specialist in Catalysis was followed by the transition to his current position as senior Lead Scientist for H2 & CO2 at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology. His R&D interests lay in the innovative energy/material systems needed to deliver an ecological and equitable energy transition and sustainable society.

Dr Emma Braysher is a Senior Scientist at NPL. She runs the ICP-MS analysis lab, overseeing measurements for the UK Heavy Metals Air Quality Monitoring Network and research projects including, stable and active isotope measurement, single-particle analysis, and non-exhaust emissions. Emma also oversees electrometer calibrations for nanoparticle measurements. Emma completed her PhD with the University of Surrey in Nuclear Metrology in 2021. Emma is a Chartered Chemist, Chartered Environmentalist, and committee member of the RSC Environmental Chemistry Group. She sits on the Atomic Spectrometry Updates editorial board and was awarded NPL's 2023 Early Career Lomonosov Award for her contributions to ICP-MS capabilities in air quality research.

Ben is a Senior Research Fellow at UWE Bristol with 18 years of experience in environmental sampling, measurement, and source apportionment of air pollution and airborne contaminants. His doctoral research explored geochemical fingerprinting to map fugitive dusts from industrial sites. He subsequently worked as an environmental consultant, undertaking source apportionment investigations for industry and regulators, and later supported the Environment Agency, through secondment, in the development of the UK's next-generation air quality monitoring networks.

Ben has led and collaborated on projects funded by the national and international research councils, government bodies, and private organisations. He co-leads UWE's Biospheric Microplastics Research Cluster, has contributed to Defra's Air Quality Expert Group and the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants, and sits on the International Network of Environmental Forensics Committee, Prisms: Plastics journal editorial board and UWE's Sustainability Executive Committee, amongst other commitments. Alongside research, he co-directs several MSc programmes, supervises doctoral researchers, MSc students and undergraduates and engages widely with the public and media, to ensure science breaks out of perceived silos.