Nigel Roome obituary

Nigel Roome, who has died of septic shock while undergoing treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia aged 62, was a leading adviser to both government and business on sustainability issues.

Born in Epsom, Surrey, the youngest son of Clifford, a wine merchant, and his wife, Margaret (nee Males), a retail assistant, Nigel was educated at Northgate grammar school, Ipswich, and studied chemistry with economics at Surrey University. He then gained a PhD with a cost-benefit analysis of nature reserves from St Edmund's College, Cambridge. His doctoral studies sparked a lifelong commitment to unravelling complex global problems and conceiving ways in which our relationship with the planet could be improved.