Richard is MECS link researcher for Nepal, working with in-country organisations to accelerate the transition to modern energy cooking at scale. Previously, he was the research coordinator for the MECS Electric Cooking Outreach (ECO) challenge fund which funded 13 community scale pilot studies and one market assessment to assess the compatibility, uptake and market opportunities for energy efficient electric cooking appliances in different socio-economic and cultural contexts in Africa and Asia. He holds a PhD in Decentralised Energy Governance from Loughborough University with a focus on post-devolution Kenya, an MSc in Climate Change and Sustainable Development from De Montfort University, and a BA in History from Swansea University.