The Sustainable Development Group provides a body of expertise to respond to key issues about sustainable development and the environment. The group aims to promote whole life-cycle thinking and is home to the Resources Strategy Subgroup. IOM3 works to support professionals in materials, minerals, and mining to be champions of the transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient society. More information on the Institute's sustainability principles, scope and commitment, and progress can be found on the Sustainability Governance page.
Latest sustainability news & resources
Meet the Sustainable Development Group Leadership Team
Matthew Thomas
Dr Matthew Thomas CEng FIMMM began a Technical Apprenticeship at TATA Steel in 2008, where he embarked on a hands-on journey through various laboratories, gaining essential insights into steel-making processes and emission monitoring. Presently, Matthew holds the position of Environment Lead Governance at TATA Steel UK within the Sustainability and Environment Department, focusing on environmental management systems and long-term sustainability strategies.
Matthew’s qualifications include an Engineering Doctorate at Swansea University, UK, a BEng in Material Science at University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and an HNC in Chemistry, and a BTEC in Engineering at Bridgend College, UK.
Responding to the appointment Matthew said, ‘I am determined to lead by example and to propel our Technical Community toward even greater accomplishments in the realm of sustainable development. My ambitions for this role align with the mission to actively contribute to the UK's net-zero and sustainability goals.
I intend to champion robust environmental practices, drive innovation in sustainable initiatives, and promote the reduction of our carbon footprint. It is my firm belief that the preservation of our environment for future generations hinges on the collective efforts of dedicated professionals like those within the group. Together, we can address critical issues concerning sustainable development and environmental stewardship, advancing our field's critical role in shaping a sustainable future.
In the footsteps of my esteemed predecessor, Emma, I look forward to working closely with the current and future members of the group to realise these ambitions. The challenges we face are significant, but with unwavering commitment and a shared vision, we can make substantial progress in shaping a more sustainable future. I'm excited to embark on this journey as the Chair of the IOM3 Sustainable Development Group and to build upon the exceptional work of my predecessors’.
Professor Mark Jolly
Mark is Professor and Director of Manufacturing and Materials at Cranfield University. He has over 40 years’ experience in manufacturing and materials. He spent 13 years working in industry in automotive and tier 1&2 suppliers into manufacturing both in the UK and abroad before moving into academia in 1995. In 2012 he joined Cranfield after 17 years at the University of Birmingham. He has managed over £17.5 M of research projects since 1999 and has over 350 publications, technical reports, articles and books. He is Director of the UKRI Transforming the Foundation Industries Research and Innovation Hub (TransFIRe), and co-Director of the Engineering and Physical sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Centre for Doctoral Training in Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing which offers a triple degree with the Universities of Warwick and Exeter. Mark is on the Royal Academy of Engineering National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC) working group on Materials for Net-Zero and sits on the Advisory Board for the Advanced School on Circular Metal Components for the Swedish Manufacturing Industry (CIRCUMET).
Until last December Mark was also co-Director of the Circular Economy Network plus in Transport Systems (CENTS). Mark has sat on the EPSRC Peer Review College since 2003 and sits on the council of the Cast Metals Federation, is a reviewer for the European Space Agency (ESA) and Enterprise Ireland. He is a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Environmentalist and sits on the Society for the Environment Honorary Fellows Panel. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), and is the chair of the Materials Processing and Manufacturing leadership group. He also sits on the IOM3 Sustainable Development and Light Metals leadership groups. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Cast Metals Engineers (ICME). Mark was Chair of the Solidification Committee of The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS, USA) for two years until 2018. He is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Founders and Freeman of the City of London.
With his co-authors he is the recipient of the 2024 TMS Light Metals Warren Peterson Subject Award for Cast Shop for Aluminum Production with a paper entitled “Defect Minimisation in Vacuum-Assisted Plaster Mould Investment Casting Through Simulation of High-Value Aluminium Alloy Components”. Mark was the recipient of the 2019 John Campbell Gold Medal awarded by ICME for “continual advancement in sustainable manufacturing and promotion of excellence in casting technologies”. He was the 2010 Winner of the University of Birmingham Josiah Mason Founder’s Award for Business Advancement and in 2008 was the recipient of the Oliver Stubbs Medal (ICME).
His main areas of current research are in circular economy and sustainability including resource efficient manufacturing, process modelling and novel casting processes. He has worked with many well-known names across a number of sectors including Rolls-Royce, Depuy-Synthes (Johnson & Johnson), Bentley, Aston Martin, BAES, Finmeccanica, GKN, EnCirc360, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Hanson Cement, Constellium, Siemens, TPC AB, Vesuvius, St Gobain, Luxfer, Lucideon, Pilkington Glass, Trent Refractories, and Coca-Cola. He has also championed working with many small companies especially SMEs who supply to large companies.
Cynthia Adu
Cynthia is a Sustainability Manager at Hide Biotech, an innovative startup developing sustainable alternatives to traditional leather. Cynthia holds an Engineering Doctorate (EngD) and MSc in Sustainable materials and manufacturing – jointly awarded by Cranfield, Exeter, and Warwick university. Her research focused on implementing a circular business model to convert industrial by-products into value for other industries such as construction, textiles, packaging, and composite materials. She also spent the first half of her professional career as a sustainability consultant at Accenture UKI sustainability services. Cynthia worked with businesses to support the transition to a Net-Zero future, her core competency was focused on Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), which involves the development of tools to help model environmental impacts associated with products and services.
Cynthia first became involved with IOM3 as a member of the Student & Early Career Committee in 2018 and is now currently a strategic advisor to IOM3, supporting the technical committee on skills and professional development. Cynthia is very interested in implementing sustainability knowledge in STEM courses. She has contributed to several panels and public outreach, like skills and capacity building for the circular economy, volunteering with the United Nations University on implementing sustainability assessment methods in post-graduate courses of developing countries, and mentorship to young black school students to show representation and importance of sustainability in STEM subjects.
Cynthia oversees the Ceramics Group, the Polymers Group, and the Sustainable Development Group.
Stuart Patrick
Stuart Patrick FIMMM MRSC. Liveryman Worshipful Company of Horners. Volunteer IOM3 Manchester Polymer Group. STEM Ambassador.
Jeremy Ramsden
Prof Dr Jeremy Ramsden FIMMM studied natural sciences at Cambridge University and received his doctorate from EPFL for research into photocatalytic semiconductor nanoparticles. After postdoctoral studies at Princeton University, the Szeged Biocentre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and ETHZ (chemical engineering), he became a member of the Basel University faculty of natural philosophy. Subsequently professor and chair of nanotechnology at Cranfield University, concurrently director of bionanotechnology at Cranfield University at Kitakyushu. Sometime visiting professor in Argentina, France, Georgia, Hungary and Japan. Hon. Professor of Nanotechnology at the University of Buckingham from 2012, editor-in-chief of the journal Nanotechnology Perceptions 2005–22. Latterly cofounded several high-tech companies developing nanomaterials and nanodevices. Jeremy has published about 350 peer-reviewed articles, as well as books on nanotechnology, bioinformatics, biomedical surfaces, climate change, complex systems etc. Many of his recent articles and conference talks deal with sustainability. Jeremy is a IUPAC Fellow.
Dawn Bonfield
Dawn Bonfield MBE FREng is currently President of the Commonwealth Engineers’ Council and the global issue related to the extraction and supply of rare and critical materials are crucial to the world’s ability to transition to renewable energy, and to enable the developing world to develop sustainably. Dawn's hope is that the IOM3 Sustainable Development Group will lead the conversation in the UK on this issues related to critical and rare materials, and the associated skills needs, and develop and understanding of the global picture for sustainable materials supply, in collaboration with others.
Andrew Dunster
Andrew Dunster works at BRE, a construction-related RTO. He is active in the fields of sustainable use of construction materials, particularly cements, construction aggregates and concretes. He also has a wider interest in the foundation industries and their impact on construction. Andrew has been a member of the SDG since 2010. He is interested in learning from non-construction industry sectors and contributing to occasional papers, webinars etc. Andrew has other links with IOM3, including to the Cementitious Materials Subgroup, part of the Ceramics Group; and also to the Construction Materials Group.
Richard Thackray
Dr Richard Thackray holds a degree in materials science and a PhD in metallurgy from Imperial College London. Richard is a key member of the team for SUSTAIN, the EPSRC funded future steel manufacturing research hub. His current research interests are related to the production of steel, including development of mould powders for continuous casting, inclusion engineering in steels and using novel powder metallurgical techniques for the production of stainless steel components. Richard is also involved in several projects that look at aspects of sustainability in steelmaking, in particular initiatives to quantify and reduce energy consumption in steelmaking, reuse and recycling of waste material, life cycle assessment of critical elements in steel and alternative materials for iron making. Richard is a past chair of the IOM3 Iron & Steel group and won the IOM3 gold medal in 2021 for significant contribution within the steel sector.
John Lewis
An Engineering Doctorate, Research Scientist and experience leader who has held high profile roles in heavy industry, public sector and academic settings for over 15 years. A highly motivated individual who enjoys being part of, as well as leading, a successful and productive team. Keen to learn new skills and accept challenging opportunities. Experienced in Steelmaking, Lean Manufacturing, People Management, Process Management, Project Management, Programme Management Recycling, Sustainability, Circular Economy, Chemical and Physical Testing processes. A positive attitude, results driven with meticulous attention to detail and good problem solving, communication and organisational skills. John joined the Welsh Blood Service in January 2023 as a Portfolio Project Manager. John’s current role involves facilitating projects through from start up to completion, this involves engaging with stakeholders, leading projects through the change management process and managing project portfolios that align with the business objectives. John’s experience has been managing projects and teams of people within a fast-paced industrial environment to target net zero and industrial decarbonisation. He also has experience in managing novel ideas through to completion in the academic-industrial collaborative sector. John is looking to apply the learnings from managing multi-million pound projects within the industrial sector to projects within the health care setting where the focus is on donor and patient safety and experience. Outside of work John is a family man but is not to be trusted with any DIY or power tools. His hobbies and interests centre around music and playing the cornet/trumpet in a brass band, where he has been since the age of 7, where he has competed against the top brass bands in the world and has played in the winning performance of the National Championships of Great Britain in 2013.
Andy Clifton
Andy Clifton has been involved for many years in the IOM3 SDG, both during his time at Rolls-Royce as their Global Sustainability Manager, and now as the Head of Social Responsibility & Sustainability at Games Workshop. As global manufacturers, material sustainability plays an important role in both those positions and the SDG has been a great way to help Andy stay on top of any regulatory or technological developments in material sustainability and find opportunities to collaborate.
Edward Kosior
Edward Kosior - Innovator in Plastics Recycling
Edward Kosior has had 48-years in the plastics and recycling sector, with 22 years as an academic and 26 years in recycling and sustainable solutions for plastics packaging.
He has focussed on reducing polymer waste and the carbon footprint of post consumer plastics packaging through the establishment of Nextek Ltd, a science-based consulting organisation dedicated to developing solutions and innovations for end-of-life plastics and inspiring a future where sustainability is at the forefront of global priorities.
Edward's recent accomplishments have been the IOM3 Prince Phillip Medal (2019), the Sustainable Future Award (Circular Economy 2023 Award for COtooCLEAN), Alliance Prize (USD$3M for Circular Solutions for Plastics Films 2023), World Packaging Award for Excellence 2022 (NEXTLOOPP), and Packaging Europe Sustainability Awards (2023 and 2021 for COtooCLEAN and NEXTLOOPP respectively) and Visiting Professor at The Wolfson Centre, Brunel University London, since 2012.
Louis Brimacombe FIMMM, CEng, MIChemE
Louis is a Fellow of IOM3 and a chartered Chemical Engineer. Currently working as a consultant and business advisor specialising in sustainable development and life cycle assessment (LCA). His leadership skills, innovative approach and vision has helped businesses to develop sustainability strategies and build R&D programmes that support life cycle thinking in product marketing strategies.
Having worked in the steel industry for 30 years, latterly at Tata Steel, he gained international recognition for his work on Life Cycle Assessment and led the international project to produce the first Global Life Cycle Inventories for steel products (1997). He continued to develop strategy in this subject area and in 2015 became the inaugural Chairman of the Product Sustainability Committee of the World Steel Association.
Meanwhile in his day job for 15 years, to 2016, Louis also led a 45-strong research team as Head of Environmental Technology at Tata Steel where the Department gained a strong reputation for delivering value-added R&D projects to the Tata Steel businesses whilst making cost effective improvements to both the manufacturing processes and new product development areas.
Outside of steel, he Chaired IOM3’s, Sustainable Development Group till April 2021, with membership across all materials sectors, supply chains and markets including KTNs, Universities. This group promotes collaboration between industry and academia to help raise awareness and develop projects on sustainability in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
More recently (2020-2024) he held the role of Chairman of the British Standards Committee SCP/1 “Sustainable Performance, Consumption and Production” leading the development of new standards in the field. He delivers annual lectures by invitation on Sustainability, Ethical Business and Life Cycle Thinking (including 2024) at Oxford University/University of Manchester). He has also created and teaches “An Introduction to LCA” training course for IOM3 and carries out independent critical review work for LCA projects.
He also Chairs the Strategic Advisory Board for the SUSTAIN project, a research programme aiming for zero carbon/resource efficiency/circular economy for the steel industry run collaboratively by Swansea, Warwick and Sheffield Universities.
In 2014, Louis was awarded the Sir Robert Hadfield Medal by IOM3 and he delivered the Bessemer Master Class in 2014 and again in 2018. He is an experienced assessor of research proposals for UKRI and Innovate UK competitions.
Christopher Oldroyd BSc, CEng, CEnv, FIMMM, MIET
Christopher Oldroyd BSc, CEng, CEnv, FIMMM, MIET holds a degree in Biochemistry from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, followed by a career specialising in heavy industrial mechanical and process engineering. Founder of Inprotec Ltd, an engineering company focussed on thermal & pyrometallurgical process plant. Inprotec implemented pan-global projects with a focus on the recycling and refining of base and precious metals from end-of-life vehicles and many other domestic & industrial residues, such as e-waste, catalytic converters, lead-acid batteries, lithium-ion batteries and biproducts from primary metal production. Recently an Engineering Director for Redwood Materials, leading cross-functional teams across North America, Europe and the UK to develop innovative in-house projects for the recycling of lithium-ion batteries and manufacturing of cathode active materials. Currently an independent consultant offering technical solutions, advice and leadership in the base and precious metal recovery sector.
Jim Coulson FIMMM
Jim Coulson is the Director of the consultancy practice TFT Woodexperts Limited (“Woodexperts”) which he founded in 1991 after leaving the Timber Research And Development Association (TRADA), where he had been Manager of their Regional Consultancy Network.
He won National prizes in each of the Intermediate and Final Years of his qualifying Institute of Wood Science (IWSc) courses; and he also won the Price & Pierce prize in the High Wycombe Certificate in Timber Studies at Bucks New University, passing with Distinction. In 1986 he was elected a Fellow of the Faculty of Building and in 2004 he was elected Fellow of the IWSc; after serving as its President from 2002-2004. After the merger of IWSc with IOM3, Jim was granted Fellowship of IOM3 (FIMMM); and in 2014 he gained C Env (Chartered Environmentalist) status.
His work involves an interesting mix of training the Timber Trade in a better understanding of their material; investigating problems in its use (with at least 20 Expert Witness reports done every year for the past 30 years – so that’s more than 600 practical cases dealt with in his working life so far); and undertaking Certification and Quality Assurance audits with Woodexperts’ sister company, TFT Certification: involving travelling to Mills in Scandinavia, the Baltics, Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as in the UK.
He is a member of the Board of the Wood Technology Group of IOM3. He sits on both the UK National Executive Committee and the International Wood Committee of ICOMOS (The International Council on Monuments and Sites); and he is a long-standing member of the UK Timber Grading Committee. He is also a member of two BSI Committees: B/518 on Structural Timber and B/558, Sustainability in Construction Works.
