The Oxford Martin School is made up of a community of more than 200 researchers, working to address the most pressing global challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

Beddington has been a specialist in the economics and biology of sustainable management of renewable resources, and has previously advised UK ministers on scientific and environmental issues.

On 1 October 2007, it was announced by the Prime Minister Gordon Brown that Beddington would succeed Professor Sir David King as the Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government with effect from 1 January 2008.

[13] Beddington was closely involved in helping the British government formulate its response to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster,[14] the eruptions of Icelandic volcanoes and ash dieback disease in the UK.

[5][15] In March 2009 Beddington addressed the Sustainable Development UK conference warning that the world faced a "perfect storm" involving food shortages, scarce water and insufficient energy resources.

[18][19] Professor Beddington was awarded the Heidelberg Award for Environmental Excellence in June 1997, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2001[20] and was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) by Queen Elizabeth II in 2004, in recognition of his services to fisheries science and management.