2024 Environment, Sustainability and Energy mid-career Prize Winner
Professor Matthew Rigby, University of Bristol
Awarded for research on the abundances and fluxes of environmentally harmful gases in the atmosphere, which has contributed to a measurable reduction in emissions of climate forcing and ozone depleting gases.
Atmospheric observations contain a wealth of information on the sources and sinks of greenhouse gases and substances that deplete the stratospheric ozone layer. Understanding the processes responsible for the changing levels of these compounds is critical for evaluating progress on climate agreements and quantifying climate change feedbacks (processes that can either amplify or reduce the effects of global warming).
Professor Rigby develops and uses models that simulate atmospheric gas dispersion to interpret greenhouse gas observations. By combining the observations and models, his team has quantified emissions in the UK and other regions of the world. His advances in this field have allowed him to quantify global emissions trends of over 30 compounds relevant to the Montreal Protocol and Paris Agreement. His work is now routinely used to evaluate the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions inventory and spot unexpected greenhouse gas sources.
| Year | Name | Institution | Citation |
| 2023 | Professor Claire Corkhill | University of Sheffield | Awarded for advances in ceramic and glass materials for the safe immobilisation of radioactive waste through fundamental understanding of surface degradation processes, and advancing multi-stakeholder relationships to embed materials science in government policy. |
| 2022 | Professor Laura Herz FRSC | University of Oxford | Awarded for pioneering work advancing the development of solar cells through fundamental understanding of electronic, structural and chemical properties of next-generation light-harvesting materials. |
| 2021 | Professor Emma Kendrick | University of Birmingham | Awarded for discoveries and innovation in materials, manufacturing and recycling of lithium- and sodium-ion batteries. |
Re-thinking recognition: Science prizes for the modern world
This report is the result of an independent review of our recognition programmes. Our aim in commissioning this review was to ensure that our recognition portfolio continues to deliver the maximum impact for chemical scientists, chemistry and society.