Martin joined the Centre in January 2011 to pursue a part-time PhD undertaking research into commercial funding models for investment into large scale energy efficiency projects. He completed the MSt in Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment (IDBE) in 2010 which is a part-time Masters course run at the time jointly by the Departments of Engineering and Architecture but is now a programme offered by the Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership (CISL). As part of the IDBE course Martin investigated the use of Energy Performance Contracting in the UK as a response to meeting the CO2 reduction targets.
Martin's research involved a single case study, being that of the Green Investment Bank's investment into three energy efficiency funds, with embedded units of analysis in the form of the three fund managers and the additional institutional investors (pension funds, insurance companies etc) in each fund. The aim of the research was to analyse institutional investors decisions to invest or not to invest in the energy efficiency funds with a view to identifying the enabling conditions that would encourage further investment at scale. The research focused on the commercial or non-domestic buildings sector.
Professionally Martin is a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Surveyor with a background in Project Management and Development. From 2001 to 2019 he worked for a major US financial institution in the PFI and Infrastructure/Project Finance field in a risk management function. This had been on a global basis and included the funding of projects in countries such as the US, Chile, Australia, France and Spain as well as the UK. Since May 2019 Martin has worked as a consultant to project funders and investors advising on risk, due diligence and operational issues on new and existing projects. Apart from his Cambridge MSt Martin holds a BSc in Building, an MSc in Construction Management and an MBA from Warwick Business School, University of Warwick.