Geneva – 19th February 2025. The Tire Industry Project (TIP) is pleased to announce the appointment of four new members to its external Assurance Group, boosting its subject matter expertise. Formed in 2006, the Assurance Group guides TIP on vital environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics, bringing in an independent, external view. The Group is comprised of renowned experts from various scientific and academic fields, providing TIP with objective counsel on research and strategic initiatives.
“Ever since its inception, the Assurance Group has served as a solid sounding board as well as a check point, helping us stay on track in pursuit of our goals. Their multi-faceted advice over the years has strengthened our scientific understanding of key topics with an external perspective. We are now expanding the Assurance Group with specialist knowledge in the areas of ecotoxicology, human health, environmental impact and environmental policy, in line with our enhanced ambitions for TIP 2.0”, says Larisa Kryachkova, Executive Director, TIP.
The new members of the Assurance Group were selected following a rigorous process, based on their scientific contributions, relevance to TIP’s focus areas and fitment within the Assurance Group.
The four new Assurance Group members include:
- Dr. Masaharu Motoshita: A Research Group Leader at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan, Dr. Motoshita is a seasoned researcher with a focus on sustainable industrial practices, including Life Cycle Assessment, environmental impact assessment, and supply chain management.
- Dr. Iseult Lynch: Chair Professor of Environmental Nanosciences at the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK, Dr. Lynch is a leading expert in the field of nanotechnology and its environmental impact. Her research focuses on the safety of nanoscale materials and their interactions with biological systems.
- Dr. Oludayo Olusegun Dada: A lead expert and advisor to the African Region Group on Chemicals and Waste Multilateral Environmental Agreements, Dr. Dada brings over three decades of diverse experiences in developing sustainable solutions to both regional and global environmental challenges, especially around pollution control.
- Dr. John Bucher: An internationally known toxicologist and retired leader of the US National Toxicology Program, Dr. Bucher has studied the health effects of chemicals (including those used in tire manufacture) for over 40 years. He has served on the National Academy of Sciences, the International Agency for Research on Cancer and World Health Organization committees.
In addition to the above, the following Assurance Group members will continue advising TIP during the 2024-25 work cycle:
- Dr. John Spengler: A professor of Environmental Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, US, Dr. Spengler has done pioneering work on the impact of environmental pollution on humans. He also served as an advisor to the World Health Organization for air and indoor pollution.
- Dr. Emeric Frejafon: Currently at Bureau des Recherches Géologiques et Minières, France, scaling up industry innovation, besides being the Chairman of the European Committee for Standardization on Nanotechnologies, France. He specializes in environmental risk assessment, has won multiple awards for metrology and is the owner/co-owner of several world patents.
- Dr. How Yong Ng: Adjunct Professor at National University of Singapore (NUS), Changjiang Scholar Professor at Beijing Normal University, China, Fellow of Academy of Engineering Singapore and International Water Association (IWA), and Chair of the IWA Membrane Technology Specialist Group, focusing on sustainable water management and removal of emerging pollutants. Dr. Ng has over 500 publications and received multiple awards.
While welcoming the new members of the Assurance Group, TIP also expresses its sincere gratitude to the outgoing member Dr. Masahiko Hirao (University of Tokyo, Department of Chemical Systems Engineering School of Engineering, Japan), for his invaluable contributions since 2019.
“With the expanded Assurance Group now in place, we are better poised to pursue a sustainability agenda that is science-based, innovative and pragmatic”, comments Kryachkova.
