Dr Amani Maalouf

Profile

Dr Amani Maalouf is a Senior Researcher at the University of Oxford, where she leads research on waste management, and on organisational change for Net Zero United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI). She is the Integration Lead for the Network for Sustainable Digital Research Infrastructure Vision and Expertise (NetDRIVE) programme. Dr Maalouf holds several positions across the University, including College Adviser at St Antony’s College and Research Fellow at the Oxford Net Zero programme. She also lectures in Environmental Engineering and Life Cycle Assessment, contributing to modules on Energy Systems, Methods and Data, among others. Dr Maalouf holds a DPhil (PhD) in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering. Externally, she is an Honorary Research Associate at the Earth Engineering Center at Columbia University, USA, has been appointed to the UN Environment Programme – Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (CCAC-TEAP), and is widely regarded as a leading voice in the global waste and resource management community.

Her research has resulted in a distinguished record of more than fifty publications, including high-impact peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings, which have received international recognition. Her work has earned multiple prestigious awards, including the Springer Nature Excellence Paper Award in 2018. She has made contributions to influential international scientific reports (e.g. UNEP’s Global Waste Management Outlook; Engineering X – Royal Academy of Engineering Global Review on Safer End of Engineered Life), to government strategic frameworks, and to expert consultation reports, such as leading life cycle sustainability assessments in European Commission-funded projects. She also serves the academic community as a frequent peer-reviewer, guest editor, and editorial board member for international journals.

Her expertise in waste management has led to invitations to chair conference sessions and contribute to numerous scientific committees. She is regularly invited to deliver keynote addresses, participate as a panellist, and offer guest lectures at leading international institutions and conferences. Since 2021, she chaired and organised the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) Young Professionals Group International Online Conference, a leading global platform in waste management organised by and for young professionals.

Dr Maalouf’s work is frequently referenced by major media outlets and has been featured on international TV channels. She has contributed to numerous newspaper articles and interviews to raise awareness of environmental issues, with media appearances including Sky News and coverage in Vogue Business, The Business Reporter, The Conversation UK, among others.

Beyond academia, she brings more than fifteen years of international professional consulting experience, with a strong track record in delivering successful environmental projects and collaborating with global institutions. Her work spans over ten countries across Europe, North America, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia. She has served as a senior environmental expert and team leader on multidisciplinary research and development projects funded by organisations such as the World Bank, UNEP, UNDP, the International Solid Waste Association, the European Investment Bank, the European Commission, Lloyd’s Register Foundation, and the Royal Academy of Engineering. 

Research

Dr Maalouf’s research employs interdisciplinary methods, including life cycle sustainability assessment, encompassing environmental life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle costing (LCC), and social LCA, as well as emission accounting, material flow analysis, spatial finance, geospatial intelligence, asset-level data analytics, and artificial intelligence, to support evidence-based decision-making in waste management, renewable energy, the circular economy, sustainable finance, and climate change mitigation. Her work also contributes to the development of global waste datasets and the rigorous review of existing life cycle assessment methodologies, including the advancement of LCA-based and decision-support tools for the waste sector.