A pioneer of green chemistry and one of the world’s most prominent proponents of sustainable technologies, Professor John Warner is recognised for his leadership and expertise spanning across academia, industry and policy.
He was appointed a Distinguished Professor of Green Chemistry at Monash University in 2019 and is President and Chief Technology Officer of the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry, a research organization he founded in 2007 to develop green chemistry technologies across all sectors of the chemical industry. He also co-founded Beyond Benign, a non‐profit dedicated to sustainability and green chemistry education. Since 2020, he has been Distinguished Research Fellow at the Zymergen Corporation, where he is helping to design and create commercial technologies inspired by nature and consistent with the principles of green chemistry.
Hosted by Professor Matthew Davidson in the Centre for Sustainable and Circular Technologies (CSCT), Professor Warner has been working closely with students, colleagues and partners to develop creative and collaborative solutions to global sustainability problems and promote industrial engagement. He has inspired new pathways for the chemistry curriculum at Bath and has provided mentorship and career advice for our PhD students and early career researchers. His Global Chair is also lending further support to Bath’s strategic partnership with Monash University, including joint research with the Monash Sustainable Development Institute.
Activities at Bath
Since his appointment as a Bath Global Chair in 2020/2021, Professor Warner has:
Facilitated our University’s Green Chemistry Commitment, a global initiative for embedding green chemistry principles into the undergraduate Chemistry curriculum.
Delivered a series of public lectures through the John Warner’s Sustainability Webinar Series between October 2020 and April 2021, including on topics such as the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry, Circular Economy and Plastics in the Environment, Chemistry and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and R&D and Design.
Organised a Sustainability Round Table Session on 25 May 2021.
Contributed as a speaker to the CSCT Summer Showcase in 7-9 July 2021, which will explored how science and technology can help governments and businesses across the globe in their Race to Zero.
Engaged with, and led, specialist seminars with senior academics and early career researchers in sustainable technologies at Bath.
Promoted industrial engagement and met with partners at the Sustainable Technologies Business Acceleration Hub (STBAH) and SetSquared.