Dr Nikzad Oraee

Nikzad is a key member of a large group of manufacturing companies operating in the Cement and Gypsum, Mining and Transportation industries. His roles include CEO, Deputy CEO, CLO and executive member of Board of Directors.

Nikzad's academic background together with his first-hand industrial expertise provides a mutually beneficial platform for students and academics to better understand the real challenges industries face in tackling their sustainability agendas. Sustainability challenges invoke many areas of science, engineering, social sciences and, of course, law. Legal issues are particularly pertinent when dealing with the rights of those affected by climate change (e.g. households, companies, insurance providers, farmers), responsibilities of polluters (chemical manufacturers, such as recent cases of PFASs) and of course, inherent responsibility of law-makers in tackling and preventing such issues directly and indirectly. Nikzad has an excellent theoretical legal background and is currently leading two large businesses in one of the emerging markets. Bringing academic excellence and industrial best-practices together is fully in line with the mantra of Centre for Environmental Policy and will benefit students and fellow academics.

• Non-financial corporate disclosure and the relevant international regulations affecting it. Where there are no such regulations, alternative legal vehicles are sought for compelling companies into full and relevant non-financial accounting;
• Strategic innovative solutions and implementation of such strategies by corporations in order to compete in a market which is defined by constant sustainability challenges;
• The ineffectiveness of some European Directives in promoting, enhancing or advancing the sustainability agenda as it applies to businesses.

Nikzad's research is primarily based on conducting corporate case studies followed by indepth legal analysis.

Imperial College is uniquely placed among other UK Universities (if not best-placed) for pursuing research in Environmental Law. The College does not have an autonomous Law Department, though there are a number of renowned lawyers who work within this field. By its very nature, energy law or environmental law are heavily tied to the industry. As such, a solid understanding of the technical side of the industrial issues is needed (e.g. manufacturing, fluid dynamics, material composition and decomposition, systems thinking). There have been many instances where we have sought clarifications on manufacturing matters from experts in other Departments.

The Centre for Environmetal Policy has a strong relationship with other departments and entities within Imperial such as the Energy Futures Lab, the Royal School of Mines, Chemical Engineering department, Civil and Environmental Engineering department and Materials. A number of PhD students within CEP work with and/or between two departments. 

Professional Associations

Associate Member of Environmental Law Institute (website)