Environment, Sustainability and Energy Community Council

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.

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.

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.

Sheena Hindocha is Knowledge Transfer Manager - Materials Chemistry at KTN.

With a PhD in Chemistry Dr Sheena Hindocha supports the development of innovation across multiple fields including Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), Hydrogen, Circular Economy, Batteries, Carbon Capture and Utilisation, Critical Minerals and Alternative Feedstocks.

Samuel is a Research Fellow at the University of Southampton with a PhD in Electrochemistry. His research is currently focused on the development of hybrid thermoelectric materials for green energy production and wearable electronic devices.

He has served on various committees and team projects, leading new research directions in collaboration with industrial and academic partners across Europe and North America.

Samuel's research expertise covers a broad range of areas, including works to protect hydroelectric turbines from corrosion, develop biosensors for neurotransmitter detection, and carbon sequestration and catalysis for intermittent green energy security.

Samuel is also active in Chemical Education and outreach through University of Southampton. He was one of four UK delegates to the inaugural Commonwealth Chemistry Congress, where he forged new links between the University of Southampton and University of the West Indies. Samuel is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, provides outreach teaching with the Southampton Twilight Chemistry program and a mentor under the Destination STEMM – Chemical Sciences Programme.

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.

Glynn is a Chartered Chemist, a Chartered Environmentalist, a Chartered Water and Environment Manager, and a Chartered Scientist. A sustainability consultant who provides expert witness reports and delivers training. He is a Fellow of the RSC, the Higher Education Academy, and the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM).

Glynn is also associated with several organisations helping to deliver the UN SDGs - particularly SDG6, and he is a WELL water advisor with the International WELL Building Institute. He specialises in sustainability issues, water/wastewater treatment technologies and environmental management.

He is currently Vice Chair of the RSC Water Science Forum interest group and, until recently, he was an elected member of the RSC's Professional Standards Board, the RSC Nominations Committee, and the Secretary of the RSC Environmental Chemistry Group.

He undertakes professional body licence reviews for both the Science Council and the Society for the Environment and recently stood down from the Registration Authority of the Science Council. He is an Associate with Energy & Utility Skills, auditing UK water company Competent Operator Schemes and continues to be an expert project evaluator for the European Commission. Before working in academe, Dr. Skerratt spent fifteen years gaining practical scientific and managerial experience in the UK water industry.

Dr Higgins is a Nuclear Materials Chemist and specialist in radiation-driven corrosion. Following a PhD in gamma-enhanced corrosion of nuclear fuels, she joined Rolls-Royce Submarines Ltd, working since 2021 within the Core Structural Integrity Group. Jessica joined the Energy Sector Committee in 2019 and was elected chair in 2022.

As Section Lead for Core Materials Corrosion at Rolls-Royce, Jessica is responsible for the delivery of the Corrosion and Gettering (hydriding) R&D strategy, providing data to underpin the reactor plant operational safety case.

Prior to joining Rolls-Royce, Jessica completed a PhD at the University of Manchester, Dalton Cumbrian Facility; where she developed the technical capability to both irradiate and perform post-irradiation surface characterisation on radioactive materials.

Jessica has gained experience in a diverse range of industries within the chemical sciences including the synthesis and characterisation of legal highs (mephedrone and its derivatives), synthesis and scale-up of cadmium-free quantum dots and environmental water sampling investigating tritium leaching around the Low-Level Waste Repository, Cumbria.

Jessica’s priority in joining the Energy Sector Committee in 2019 was to provide support and encouragement to other early career scientists; with her election as Chair, she will continue to advance this agenda.

Dr David Megson is currently a Senior Lecturer in Chemistry and Environmental Forensics, and the Associate Director of the Ecology and Environmental Research Centre at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Dr Megson investigates sources of legacy and emerging persistent organic pollutants and monitors them in the environment using advanced analytical techniques including multidimensional chromatography and high resolution mass spectrometry. Much of Dr Megson’s research has an environmental forensics aspect which involves identifying the sources of contamination, transport pathways and magnitude of exposure. His current research group includes 7 PhD students (3 as DoS) and he has attracted over £1 Million of research funding since his appointment in 2016. Dr Megson currently sits on committees for the Royal Society of Chemistry (ESED & INEF), British Mass Spectrometry Society (EFASIG), British Standards Institution (BSI) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO). He has an H-index of 11 and his work has received over 300 citations. He has organised 10 international conferences, published 21 peer reviewed manuscripts, 4 book chapters and acted as editor for 6 books and journal special issues.

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.

Tomás is an experienced Researcher and Scientist, employed as a Data Scientist in government working on air quality (DEFRA/DfT) alongside separate project and client work. Tomás spent 10 years in academia, working and publishing (~50 papers) on geoscience, numerical modelling, future fuels, & data science.

After an international career working with collaborators on projects across the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia, Tomás held a permanent joint role as a Research Scientist for the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS) and as a Research Fellow (Asst. Prof.) at a Russell Group University before he moved into public and private sector work.