George McLoughlin

George is the Learning Community Coordinator for the Climate Smart Forest Economy Program (CSFEP). He focuses on translating the global climate-smart forest economy concept into localised, practical approaches through tools, thought pieces, and community gatherings. He brings to this work expertise in areas such as circular economies, low-impact packaging, and the built environment.   

George is part of the Climate Smart Forestry team at Climate-KIC, looking at all areas of the forest-to-product value chain and bringing together actors to shift the operating parameters of the contemporary bioeconomic system.   

George has a background in architecture and circular economy innovation. His main interests are bio-based and circular systems, specifically how to optimise bio-based material flows.   

 Before Climate-KIC, George worked and studied in the architectural industry for 8 years, achieving an MSC in Architecture from TU Eindhoven. During his professional experience, he designed and constructed various buildings, from small home extensions to a skyscraper in London. These experiences gave him a deep grounding in the construction industry, particularly in the processes and decisions involved in building creation.  George also spent 2.5 years at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, where he developed expertise in systems change. At the Foundation, he worked to shift the global plastics system towards a circular economy through eliminating, reusing or substituting plastics. In this role, he collaborated with international organisations (UNEP & EU), global corporations (Coca-Cola & Unilever) and materials experts on projects such as workshops, design sprints, product development, and reports.