Jimi Irwin was formerly Head of Risk and Forecasting for the Environment Agency where his remit covered the application of risk principles across the range of Agency activities including flood risk management and environmental protection. He graduated in chemistry from Queen’s University Belfast where he also completed his PhD researching the properties of organometallic iridium compounds.

Before moving to the Environment Agency Jimi worked at Warren Spring Laboratory where he established the national acid rain research programme, producing the first maps of wet deposition over the United Kingdom. He chaired the Review Group on Acid Rain for the Department of the Environment whose reports informed the UK negotiating position on the EU acidification strategy and UN Economic Commission for Europe’s air pollution protocols. He also undertook a wide range of other air quality research for the UK government and the European Commission, contributed to Government reviews on the impacts of acidification and provided evidence to the House of Commons Environment Committee.

He has written over 100 scientific papers and reports on air quality and risk analysis. He is a visiting professor at the University of the West of England where his research interests include developing a more risk-based approach to air quality management and investigating social inequality in exposure to pollution. 

Jimi was a member of the IES Council from 2010-16 where he oversaw the development of the IES journal. Jimi is a self-confessed long-suffering Aston Villa supporter.