James Clayton Lecture - The Hot Reality: Living in a 50°C World

Dr Leyla Sayin: Senior Research Fellow, University of Birmingham and Deputy Director, Centre for Sustainable Cooling

Both a Chemical Engineer (BSc) and an Economist (MSc and PhD), in collaboration with the University of Birmingham Business School, Leyla leads the development of socio-economic models to understand, quantify, and monetise multiple benefits of sustainable, resilient, and equitable cooling and cold-chain access across social, economic, and environmental dimensions, and its role in delivering UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and commitments on the Paris Agreement and the Kigali Amendment to Montreal Protocol. In collaboration with Wageningen University & Research, she leads the development of financing mechanisms, enabling policies, and sustainable and equitable business models for cold-chain.

Leyla has also this year been appointed as a Cooling Decarbonisation Specialist, UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to provide technical evidence and advice on cooling to inform the UK Government’s policies and strategies, and innovation teams responsible for decarbonising the UK’s energy system.

She is also a member of Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps Technical Options Committee (RTOC), Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) of the Montreal Protocol.

Tim Fox: Immediate Past Chair, Process Industries Division, Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Tim is an internationally recognised expert in climate change mitigation and adaptation with specialist knowledge of clean energy systems, sustainable cooling, sea level rise, sustainable food systems and the process industries. He works as an independent consultant operating at the intersection of science-engineering-policy-business-communications. Tim is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, where he chairs the Climate Change Adaptation Working Group. Tim has authored numerous peer-reviewed papers, research reports, IMechE thought leadership reports and policy papers, and has commented widely in the press and at conferences and webinars.

Dr Catherine Kilelu: Senior Research Fellow, African Center for Technology Studies (ACTS) (Kenya)

Dr. Catherine Kilelu is a Senior Research Fellow at ACTS, where she recently was the Project Coordinator of the 3R Kenya (Robust, Resilient and Reliable). 3R Kenya is a learning initiative that assessed evidence and drew lessons on market-led models in spurring sustainable agri-food systems transformation in relation to shifting trends from aid to trade and investment approaches in Kenya. She is currently leading as assessment on food and nutrition insecurity vulnerability analysis and modelling under COVID-19 in selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr. Kilelu received a Ph.D. in Social Sciences from Wageningen University with her thesis focusing on the role of innovation support for inclusive smallholder commercialization. She has vast experience in Research for Development, having worked at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and as a Consultant.

Her research interests are in agri-food systems innovation and transitions mainly in sub-Saharan Africa linked to sustainability, competitiveness, employment creation and resilient livelihoods and on circular bio-economy. Dr. Kilelu has numerous publications in international peer reviewed journals and book chapters related to these themes.

Jim Hall FREng: Professor of Climate and Environmental Risks, University of Oxford

Before joining the University of Oxford in 2011 to become Director of the University's Environmental Change Institute, Prof Hall held academic positions in the Newcastle University and the University of Bristol. Prof Hall is internationally recognised for his research on risk analysis and decision making under uncertainty for water resource systems, flood and coastal risk management, infrastructure systems and adaptation to climate change. Professor Hall is a member of the Prime Minister's Council for Science and Technology, is a Commissioner of the National Infrastructure Commission and is Vice President of the Institution of Civil Engineers. He was a member of the UK independent Committee on Climate Change Adaptation from 2009 to 2019 and was Chair of the Science Advisory Committee of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) from 2020 to 2022.

Ruth Shilston: Strategic Director, RWDI

Ruth is a strategic director and engineer specializing in microclimate design and building physics. Ruth collaborates with design teams and building owners to create spaces that are energy-efficient, well adapted to local climate, and comfortable for occupants. Ruth has carried out much of her work over the past decade on demanding projects, often stadia, in the challenging climates of the Middle East. Her project management approach is client-focused and results-driven, and her capacity to manage projects on any scale is demonstrated by her work as a client advisor and technical reviewer for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.