James Watson is the CEO of SolarPower Europe (formerly EPIA: European Photovoltaic Industry Association) based in Brussels, Belgium. He joined SolarPower Europe in July 2014 after seven years of working in the energy sector in Brussels with the consultancy Weber Shandwick. Prior to this he worked for the European Commission, posted for two years as an expert in Africa working on trade and sustainable development. Earlier in his career, Dr Watson worked for various UK government bodies and worked as a lecturer in Environmental Law at the University of Manchester.