Hamish Forbes

Hamish's passion for environmental change came from his teenage years spent discussing the climate crisis with his family.

"We had countless conversations around the dinner table about the planet and the environment, and how it made no sense to us to have an economy which trashed our one and only home."

Taking his green credentials seriously in his day-to-day life, Hamish realised that he needed to do more.

"I had a lightbulb moment one day, that ‘doing my bit’ in my private life with the products I bought and the way I treated them, it wasn’t enough. This was what I needed to be doing 9 to 5, to help bring about the change which would help us all live sustainably. So I pivoted my career by studying a master’s degree in environmental policy focussing on food, energy, and water."

Hamish has now been a full-time employee with WRAP since mid-2020, where he has done brilliant work around food waste and the links between food and climate change globally.

As  part of his food waste expertise Hamish has worked on capacity development across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, West Asia, and Asia Pacific, briefing government officials and key stakeholders on food waste measurement, management and reduction. He was the lead author on the UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2021 and has led presentations for the UNEP Regional Working Groups, as well as speaking at IDB’s food loss and waste reduction summit for Latin America and the Caribbean.

He also specialises in environmental impacts around food, working closely on measuring and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with food consumed in the UK. As part of this work, Hamish has taken part in a parliamentary roundtable on ‘decarbonising the UK food system’, a Footprint Media panel discussion on the environmental labelling of food and presented to the UK Evaluation Society around ‘Evidence and Climate Change’.

"For me this isn't just a job, it's a continuation of how I try to live. The passion comes from the opportunity we have to improve the information at our disposal. One of the real shocks for me was how in so many cases we have too little data, data too poor to make informed decisions. Much bigger opportunities lie ahead: there is so much more to find out. When it comes to food waste, it’s like the more we look, the more we find. It’s everywhere, and increasingly everyone agrees that food waste needs to be addressed, so it’s a really exciting space for action."