Josh Matthews

Josh is the Practice Leader for Sustainability at HFS Research. As an "activist analyst," Josh focuses on making an objective and emotive case for sustainability. He founded Critical Mass for Sustainability Through research, consulting, and convening partnerships, aiming to move us toward the positive tipping points that the global context needs. A critical mass that pulls policy, consumer behavior, and business into alignment with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Josh was a Parliamentary candidate in the UK’s General Election in 2024. He also co-chairs the Cambridge Alumni Society for Sustainability. Josh has spoken at COP26 and multiple industry and sustainability events. He is a former Cambridge City Councilor and shadow cabinet member for Climate Change, Environment, and the City Centre.

Josh graduated from Cambridge's Institute for Manufacturing and Loughborough Chemical Engineering. He was a process engineer at TotalEnergies and had broader consulting experience at Unilever and several other large and small firms. He spent time as a visiting scholar at UC Santa Barbara researching low-carbon hydrogen and was a published author in Chemical Engineering and Technology.

Josh spreads his sporting time across cricket, racket sports, running, and the gym. He is a former competitive swimmer and has tried almost every sport competitively but has yet to make a career out of one. Thank goodness for the research. Josh reads mostly nonfiction (but with a special place for the Game of Thrones books and seasons 1-7). He is a fan of most edible things, red wine, and a gin and tonic—served in a tumbler, not a massive goblet.