Sophie Kempston
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Contact details |
Email: S dot Kempston at warwick dot ac dot uk Find me on LinkedInLink opens in a new window |
Current PhD student
Research
I am a final-year PhD student in Global Sustainable Development, researching the sustainability impacts of the UK's demand for critical raw materials as a result of increased electric vehicle battery demand. I am supervised by Dr Stuart ColesLink opens in a new window and Professor Kerry KirwanLink opens in a new window from WMG, and Dr Frederik DahlmannLink opens in a new window from Warwick Business School. I am kindly funded by the Leverhulme Trust Link opens in a new windowthrough the TRANSFORM Doctoral ProgrammeLink opens in a new window.
My project focuses on three main problems:
- What does raw material demand for electric vehicle batteries in the UK look like up to 2050?
- What are the potential sustainability impacts of this demand?
- Is UK policy aligned with addressing those impacts?
My wider research interests include: sustainable supply chains, circular economy, energy transitions, holistic sustainability frameworks, material circularity, and how we can measure sustainability. I am also interested in sustainability education and its accessibility outside of the university context.
Publications
- Kempston, S., S. R. Coles, F. Dahlmann, and K. Kirwan (2025). UK electric vehicle battery supply chain sustainability: A systematic reviewLink opens in a new window. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews vol. 210, pp. 115216.
- Kempston, S. (2023). STEMinism in the classroom: Reflections from a female GTALink opens in a new window. The Journal of PGR Pedagogic Practice vol. 3:1, pp. 18-26.
Conference presentations
- Sep 2024: What is a sustainable battery? Towards a holistic sustainability assessment of lithium-ion batteries and their supply chains. 12th Annual International Conference on Sustainable Development - virtual presentation.
- Mar 2024: What does a "sustainable" battery supply chain look like for UK electric vehicles? Co-creating a framework with stakeholders. Faraday Institution Early Career Researcher Conference and Training Event - University of Warwick, UK.
- Sep 2023: What does a sustainable supply chain for lithium-ion batteries in the UK look like? Faraday 23: Driving Towards Sustainable Electrification of the UK - University of Birmingham, UK.
- Feb 2023: Exploring different electric vehicle and battery scenarios on critical raw material demand in the UK. International Roundtable on Criticality IRTC 23: Raw Materials for a Sustainable Future - Université de Lille, France.
- Jul 2022: Measuring the impacts of the UK's raw material demand due to increased EV battery demand: Key challenges in methodology. Development Studies Association 2022 PhD Masterclass: Just Sustainable Futures in an Urbanising and Mobile World - virtual presentation.
Posters
- (upcoming) Sep 2025: Expanding the scope of sustainability assessment for batteries. Faraday 25: Energising the UK Battery Ecosystem - University of Warwick, UK.
- Oct 2024: Beyond battery life cycle assessments: Creating a framework to measure sustainability for the UK electric vehicle battery supply chain. SETAC Europe 26th LCA Symposium: Making LCA More Meaningful - Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden.
- Sep 2024: Towards a holistic sustainability assessment of lithium-ion batteries and their supply chains. Faraday 24: The Battery Breakthrough From Research, To Scale-Up, To Manufacturing - Newcastle University, UK.
- May 2023: Critical raw material demand from electric vehicle batteries in the UK cannot be met from secondary supply. International Conference on Circular Economy in Transport - Cranfield University, UK.
Conference contributions
Invited talks and panel sessions
- Jul 2024: What is a "sustainable" battery? WMG Research Forum July - WMG, UK.
- Feb 2024: Sustainable transportation: Trade-offs and policy options. Guest lecture for Liberal Arts students - University of Warwick, UK.
- Nov 2023: Myth-busting: Electric vehicles and sustainability (panel). EV Insights: Driving the Future with EVEEVO - Warwick Innovation Hub, UK.
- Mar 2023: IGNITE presentation: Exploring different electric vehicle and battery scenarios on critical raw material demand in the UK. SMM CDT Annual Conference - Royal Academy of Engineering, UK.
- Feb 2023: Humanitarian science and engineering education: Preparing the next generation (panel). Engineering and Science for Deeply Uncertain Times Conference - University of Warwick, UK.
- Nov 2022: Electric vehicles and sustainable transportation: Trade-offs and policy. Guest lecture for second-year Liberal Arts students - University of Warwick, UK.
- Oct 2021: Humanitarian Engineering academic journeys. MSc Humanitarian Engineering induction event - University of Warwick, UK.
Organising, facilitating and other contributions
- Jun 2025: Rapporteur. Manufacturing and the Circular Economy - The Shard London, UK.
- Jul 2024: Workshop co-organiser: Knowledge dissemination. GSD Symposium 2024 - University of Warwick, UK.
- May 2024: Ecopoly game demonstration and workshop. Festival of Postgraduate Research - University of Warwick, UK.
- Nov 2023: Rapporteur, session co-lead and panel member. CENTS Research Showcase and Celebration Event: Celebrating Circular Economy Innovation - Royal Academy of Engineering, UK.
- Oct 2023: Organiser and facilitator. Towards a UK Battery Digital Product Passport to Enable Circular Batteries Workshop - University of Warwick, UK.
- Jul 2023: Workshop co-organiser: Exploring research design and methodology. GSD Symposium: Pathways to Global Sustainability - University of Warwick, UK.
- Nov 2022: Organising committee and session facilitator. Rare Earths in the Just Transition Workshop - virtual.
Teaching
2023-2024:
- CH169 Beyond Science: Collaborative Student-Led ChallengesLink opens in a new window
- GD107 Global Sustainable Development ProjectLink opens in a new window
- IB149 Introduction to StatisticsLink opens in a new window
- WM9E1 Financial Aspects of International TradeLink opens in a new window
2022-2023:
2021-2022:
Funding and awards
My PhD is supported by a four-year TRANSFORM Doctoral Scholarship, funded by the Leverhulme Trust.
Other funding:
- Forward Fund Grant, Circular Economy Network+ in Transportation Systems (CENTSLink opens in a new window).
- Travel Grant, Circular Economy Network+ in Transportation Systems.
Awards, fellowships and committees:
- Outstanding Contribution award from Warwick Business School for teaching on undergraduate programmes.
- Best Poster award at the International Conference on Circular Economy in Transport.
- Commendation at the Warwick Award for Teaching ExcellenceLink opens in a new window.
- Received Associate Fellowship of the HEALink opens in a new window.
- Institute for Global Sustainable Development (IGSD) Thematic Fellow.
- 2021-22: GSD Postgraduate Student-Staff Liaison Committee - Equity Representative.
- 2021-22: School for Cross-Faculty Stides Equity Committee - Postgraduate Student Representative.
Academic background
- PhD Global Sustainable Development, Institute for Global Sustainable Development (2021-present).
- MSc Humanitarian Engineering (with Sustainability), Department of Engineering and the Institute of Advanced Teaching and Learning (2019-2020).
- BSc Mathematics and Statistics, Department of Statistics (2016-2019).