Maria Sharmina

Maria Sharmina, PhD, AMEI, FHEA

Prof

  • Phone0161 529 3554
  • Nancy Rothwell Building, Oxford Road

    M13 9PL Manchester

    United Kingdom

Personal profile

Biography

Maria Sharmina is Professor in Energy and Sustainability at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research in the School of Engineering. She is a Co-Director at Policy@Manchester, the University's sector-leading policy engagement institute. Maria is a member of the Strategic Advisory Team for the UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) Digital Security & Resilience Theme, and a member of the Sustainable Robotics Committee at the British Standards Institution (BSI).
 
She served as Senior Academic Advisor with the Government Office for Science and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), working on the Net Zero Foresight project from 2021–2023.
 
Previously, she was a member of the University Senate, Deputy Director of Research with responsibility for Research Environment in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace & Civil Engineering, and a visiting fellow at the University College London (UCL) Energy Institute.

Maria is the University of Manchester Principal Investigator on the UKRI £6m BuildZero programme, leading the research on innovative business models and techno-economic assessments for sustainable buildings. She has also worked on new business models for her UKRI-funded projects on the energy sector, sustainable food systems, single-use plastics and digital solutions based on environmental and other datasets.

She completed her PhD within the Tyndall Centre. Her educational background is in economics and statistics.
 

Opportunities

Research Projects

Postgraduate research topics currently available are listed on the following Research theme(s):

Other research

Consultancy and knowledge transfer

Maria has undertaken consultancy projects with the Co-operative Group, Manchester City Council and Oxfam International. She regularly gives public talks about climate change and sustainability, and engages with policy-makers (e.g. submitting written evidence to the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change/Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee) and the media (e.g. writing for OpenDemocracy.net).

Teaching

Teaching interests

Maria has a strong interest in pedagogy relating to sustainability, food-energy-water nexus, supply chains and innovation. She strives to deliver engaging, thought-provoking and research-informed teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Some of the courses she has taught include Operations Management, Sustainable Waste Management, Sustainable Innovation Management, Sustainable Business, and Renewable Energy and Clean Technology.

Research interests

  • Energy systems
  • Food-energy-water nexus
  • Emission scenarios
  • Circular economy
  • Climate and energy policies
  • Low-carbon business models

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 4 - Quality Education
  • SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation
  • SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
  • SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
  • SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
  • SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
  • SDG 13 - Climate Action
  • SDG 15 - Life on Land
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
  • SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

  • Energy
  • Sustainable Futures
  • Digital Futures
  • Manchester Environmental Research Institute

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