I have 40 years of expertise in enhancing industrial sustainability. My career began in various factories before transitioning to academia at Cranfield University, where I was appointed as the inaugural Professor of Life Cycle Engineering in 1998. Now I lead the internationally recognised Centre for Industrial Sustainability at Cambridge, driving transformative research in this critical field.

My research focuses on delivering insights to support sustainable change at scale, encompassing areas such as sustainable business model innovation, systemic transformation, the limits of efficiency, and the formulation of sustainable policies in developing nations. Drawing on 15 years of industry experience and over 30 years in academia, I have built a reputation for fostering global collaborations with leading businesses and governments.

My engagement with governmental organisations, both in the UK and internationally, has shaped policy across multiple levels. I have served as Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Manufacturing Commission alongside Lord Bilimoria, acted as a Special Adviser to the UK House of Lords, and contributed as a lead author to the Government Foresight Report on the Future of Manufacturing. Additionally, I have advised the United Nations on industrial policy.

Bringing this experience to the Just Transform research project, I offer a perspective on industrial sustainability, helping to advance the consortium’s mission of fostering equitable and sustainable transformations.