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Policy Reports

The following pages represent reports, policy commissions and documents that I have contributed to, either as a contributor, manager, reviewer or commissioner. Policy documents, including commission reports, research papers, and parliamentary briefings, are vital instruments for translating complex academic research into clear, actionable evidence for decision-makers. In an era of profound technological and societal shifts, they provide the critical link between scientific understanding and effective governance. By rigorously analysing challenges and opportunities—from securing national supply chains to navigating the energy transition—these documents frame the debate, clarify the stakes, and present evidence-based pathways for government, industry, and civil society to consider.

The primary utility of such policy contributions is their capacity to build consensus and drive strategic change. Far from being abstract academic exercises, they are the product of intensive collaboration between diverse stakeholders, designed to inform legislation, shape national strategy, and guide public investment. The reports and briefings listed here are the outcomes of these deliberative processes. They serve as authoritative reference points that help to de-risk decision-making and ensure that long-term strategic planning is grounded in the best available evidence, fostering a more resilient and prosperous future.

Ultimately, these documents represent a deep-seated commitment to ensuring that innovation and progress serve the public good. They are a testament to the principle that our most significant challenges require solutions that are not only technologically advanced but also socially responsible and economically sound. By providing a foundation for evidence-led policy, they help us navigate complexity with foresight and integrity, working proactively to build a more sustainable and secure world for generations to come.

Policy Commissions I Have Sat As A Commissioner On

Securing Technology Metals for Britain

  • University of Birmingham Policy Commission
  • Chair: Sir John Beddington
  • Lead Academics: Professor Toby Peters ⬥ Professor Martin Freer
  • Commissioners: Jonathan Radcliffe ⬥Lenny Koh ⬥ Tim Benton ⬥ Dinah McLeod ⬥ Sally Uren ⬥ Rob Elliot ⬥ Peter Fryer ⬥ Pete Braithwaite ⬥ David Sanders ⬥ Clive Hickman ⬥ Nick Winser
  • Policy Commission Editor: David Strahan
  • Policy Commission Manager: Gavin Harper
In the next 5-10 years the UK is going to see dramatic changes to many of its large industrial sectors, such as automotive, aerospace, and energy generation, as we move from a fossil-fuel-driven society to an electrically driven one. Many of these industries will be dependent on technology-critical metals (TCMs), for example, cobalt and lithium for the batteries in electric vehicles and rare-earths used in the magnets for electric motors and wind turbines. Many regions of the world, including the EU, have been developing strategies to access these technology-critical metals for their key industries, while the UK has lagged behind. The challenges already faced around access to key technology metals are potentially complicated for the UK by the nation’s exit from the EU, and the uncertainty that this has created with regard to trading relationships around the globe. It is in this challenging context that the UK must now fashion its own independent policy for access to technology critical metals.
Link To Repository⬥ Link to PDF Version of Report⬥ ISBN: 9780704429697

Policy Commissions I Have Managed

Powering West Midlands Growth: A Regional Approach to Clean Energy Innovation

  • University of Birmingham Policy Commission
  • Chair: Professor, Sir David King
  • Lead Academic: Professor Martin Freer
  • Commissioners: Patrick Allcorn ⬥ Jon Berry ⬥ Martin Crouch ⬥ Caroline Kuzemko ⬥ Philip Farrell ⬥ Martin Freer ⬥ Sir Richard Friend ⬥ Stephen Marland ⬥ Philip New ⬥ Paul Jordan ⬥ Matthew Rhodes ⬥ Ilias Vazaios,
  • Policy Commission Editor: David Strahan
  • Policy Commission Manager: Gavin Harper
The West Midlands is uniquely positioned to lead the UK in taking advantage of the economic opportunities arising from the global transition to a clean energy system. The region’s strengths include: strong and coherent political leadership committed to sustainability; the diversity of economic needs and scale of demand required to build competitive markets to support radical innovation; a world-class concentration of both academic and commercial expertise in the low-carbon energy sector; a massive programme of public and private investment in infrastructure planned for the next decade, and above all, the determination to secure long-term economic benefit from clean energy innovation. This report makes the case for the creation of a small number of Energy Innovation Zones (EIZs) across the region, acting as pathfinders for an approach that might subsequently be adopted across the country as a whole. EIZs enable barriers – such as powerful institutional silos separating transport, digital, planning and energy – to be overcome within designated geographies. They create a risk-managed and commercial-scale context for the development of new local clean energy markets. They also provide a practical mechanism to help attract investment and muster local political support. At a national level, they can help ensure innovation is built into the government’s strategic sector deals and other large scale public investment projects.
Link To Repository⬥ Link to PDF Version of the Report

Doing Cold Smarter

  • University of Birmingham Policy Commission
  • Chair: Lord Robin Teverson
  • Lead Academics: Professor Toby Peters ⬥ Professor Martin Freer
  • Commissioners: Jonathan Radcliffe ⬥Lenny Koh ⬥ Tim Benton ⬥ Dinah McLeod ⬥ Sally Uren ⬥ Rob Elliot ⬥ Peter Fryer ⬥ Pete Braithwaite ⬥ David Sanders ⬥ Clive Hickman ⬥ Nick Winser
  • Policy Commission Editor: David Strahan
  • Policy Commission Manager: Gavin Harper
Cold has been much neglected in the energy debate. Governments are developing strategies and policies to green everything from electricity to transport to heat, but the energy and environmental impacts of cooling have so far been largely ignored. This is a serious oversight, since making things cold is energy intensive and can be highly polluting, and demand for cooling in all its forms is booming worldwide – especially in developing countries. According to one projection, by the end of this century global demand for air conditioning alone could consume the equivalent of half our worldwide electricity generation today – and most of the increase will come in developing markets. The ‘greening’ of cold is clearly an urgent global problem – but it may also offer Britain a massive business opportunity. Cold may have been ignored but is vitally important to many aspects of modern life. An effective cold chain, for example, is essential for tackling problems such as food waste, food security, water conservation and public health. Cooling is also critical for many less obvious but essential functions: data centres couldn’t operate without it, nor for example MRI scanners in medicine or superconductors in power electronics. Cooling also provides modern levels of comfort in hot countries – and can make the difference between some regions being habitable or not. At the same time, vast amounts of cold are wasted – for instance during the regasification of LNG – which could in principle be recycled to satisfy some of this demand and start to reduce the environmental damage caused by cooling. Such a system-level approach – which starts by asking what energy services we need, and what is the least damaging way to provide them, rather than accepting existing practices as a fait accompli – has recently been coined the ‘Cold Economy’. It is clear the Cold Economy could unleash a wide range of innovative clean cold technologies and provide energy resilience, economic growth and environmental benefits, but there is an urgent need to develop a system-level analysis of this problem and the potential solutions to inform both industry and policymakers. The Birmingham Policy Commission: Doing Cold Smarter was convened to start this work.
Link To Repository

Policy Reports I Have Acted As A Peer Reviewer For

Global Electric Vehicle Outlook 2018

  • International Energy Agency (IEA)
The Global EV Outlook is an annual report that identifies and discusses recent developments in electric mobility across the globe. Combining historical analysis with projections to 2030, the report examines key areas of interest such as electric vehicle and charging infrastructure deployment, ownership costs, energy use, CO2 emissions and battery materials demand. The report includes policy recommendations, learning from frontrunner markets to inform policy makers and stakeholders who aim to encourage electric vehicle adoption. The Global EV Outlook annual series is developed with the support of the members of the Electric Vehicles Initiative (EVI).

The IEA Global Electric Vehicle (EV) Outlook 2018 provides a comprehensive look at the state of EVs, charging infrastructure and policies around the globe today as well as a series of scenario outlooks to 2030.

It is a leading global resource, promoting efforts to accelerate the deployment of EVs within countries and cities, with the aim of increasing energy security, improving air quality, reducing noise pollution, and tackling the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Link to International Energy Agency⬥ Link to PDF Version of Report⬥ ISBN: 9789264302365

Advancing Sustainale Battery Recycling: Towards A Circular Battery System

  • SYSTEMIQ
This is the first comprehensive synthesis of the fragmented knowledge on sustainability in electric vehicle lithium-ion battery (LIB) recycling. The report aims to build a foundation for effective measures and supportive environments to optimise the sustainability impact of the battery recycling process and facilitate better partnerships between industry, the public sector and civil society. It examines sustainable battery recycling operations, evaluating their technical processes and sustainability performance, and emphasising the need for a careful balance of conflicting sustainability trade-offs. It investigates policy and industry levers for scaling and implementing sustainable battery recycling, and analyses broader circular economy practices that support a sustainable and circular battery system. Finally, the report proposes actionable principles for decision makers in the private and public sectors to optimise the sustainability impact of battery recycling. The study team would welcome questions, challenges, relevant data points and information about published or ongoing studies that are not referenced in this paper.
Link to Report Page on SYSTEMIQ Website⬥ Link to PDF Version of Report

POSTNOTEs I Have Contributed To

Supply Chains for Energy Infrastructure

  • Parliamentary Office for Science & Technology
  • POSTNOTE Compiled By: Maria Dolak
  • Contributors: [In Preparation]
Renewable electricity generation is increasing, and growing electrification is changing how and when energy is used. These shifts require upgrades to the grid so it can manage new patterns of generation, demand and flexibility. Many technologies such as wind turbines, photovoltaics, batteries, nuclear and grid infrastructure, depend on complex global supply chains for critical components such as transformers, cables, semiconductors, rare earth elements, and specialist manufacturing capacity. Geopolitical tensions, shipping disruptions, and material shortages have raised concerns that supply chains could slow deployment or increase costs. The Government’s Critical Minerals Strategy and Supply Chain Resilience Framework identify risks around import dependence, long lead times, and limited domestic manufacturing. There may be opportunities for UK industry in mining, recycling, component manufacturing, and diversification of supply. This POSTnote would examine supply chain challenges across key energy technologies, assess their implications, and explore potential responses, including building domestic capability, international partnerships, and circular economy approaches.
Link To Repository⬥ Link to PDF Version of Report⬥ ISBN: 9780704429697

Access to critical materials

  • Parliamentary Office for Science & Technology
  • POSTNOTE Compiled By: Lydia Hariss ⬥ Andrew Stretton
  • Contributors: Brigette Amoruso, Cobalt Institute ⬥ Dr Paul Anderson, Birmingham Centre for Strategic Elements & Critical Materials ⬥ Andrew Bloodworth, British Geological Survey* ⬥ Cabinet Office* ⬥ Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy* ⬥ Department of International Trade* ⬥ Prof. Rob Elliot, University of Birmingham* ⬥ European Commission* ⬥ Neil Glover, Rolls Royce* ⬥ Dr Kathryn Goodenough, British Geological Survey* ⬥ Government Office for Science ⬥ Gus Gunn, British Geological Survey* ⬥ David Harding, European Recycling Platform* ⬥ Dr Gavin Harper, Birmingham Centre for Strategic Elements & Critical Materials* ⬥ Ian Higgins, Less Common Metals* ⬥ Innovate UK* ⬥ Prof. Robert Lee, Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham* ⬥ Dr Vicky Mann, Critical Elements and Materials Network, University of Birmingham ⬥ Carol Pettit, Cobalt Institute ⬥ John Redmayne, European Recycling Platform* ⬥ Dr Dannielle Sinnett, Centre for Sustainable Planning & Environments, University of the West of England ⬥ Steven Wakefield, STFC’s ISIS Neutron and Muon Source* ⬥ Prof. Frances Wall, Camborne School Mines, University of Exeter* ⬥ Prof. Allan Walton, Birmingham Centre for Strategic Elements & Critical Materials* ⬥ Prof. Philip Withers, University of Manchester & The Royce Institute ⬥ Members of the POST Board*

    * Denotes contributors who acted as external reviewers of the briefing.
Key points:
  • Materials may be considered critical because of their importance to the economy, national security, or if they are at high risk of supply disruption.
  • Rising consumption has led to high demand for materials used in products such as wind turbines, computers and electric vehicles.
  • Access to CMs may be restricted by political, environmental, economic, legal and social factors.
  • Security of supply may be improved by opening or expanding mines, diversifying suppliers and increasing resource efficiency through recycling, reuse or substitution of materials.
  • UK industry relies on CMs, but the UK Government does not have a specific CMs strategy.
Governments and organisations may consider a material to be critical if it has properties (such as being magnetic or emitting light) that are essential for a product and cannot readily be provided by other materials. Most methods to assess material ‘criticality’ include measures of economic importance and likelihood of supply disruption, but some also include other factors such as environmental impact. UK manufacturing relies on CMs for a variety of applications including energy, transport, healthcare, defence and electronics. In addition, demand for CMs is predicted to increase due to emerging technologies such as batteries and renewable energy. Global supply of CMs is largely dominated by a few countries that may have a high abundance of a given material or the infrastructure required to process raw materials into refined materials and products. For example, China dominates the mining and processing of rare earth elements, which are required for a wide range of products including electric motors, loudspeakers, and computer hard drives. Supply of materials may be limited by the time and cost of bringing new mines into operation, suppliers intentionally limiting supply to drive up prices, a small number of producers, low recycling rates and the environmental impacts of extraction and processing. The UK imports the majority of its CMs but does not have a specific strategy for CMs and their supply. Security of supply can be increased by opening or expanding mines, diversifying suppliers and increasing resource efficiency. Resource efficiency can be improved through recycling, reuse and substitution of CMs. Recycling CMs is challenging due to the low quantities of materials present in most consumer goods. CM recycling rates could be improved through circular economy approaches, such as design-to-recycle practices, or specific extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes.
Link To Repository⬥ Link to PDF Version of Report⬥ ISBN: 9780704429697
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