For several years, he has been extensively involved in national and European public sector technology programmes, as a member of various advisory committees and chair of policy reviews in the area of future energy systems.
Professor Loughhead is a Chartered Engineer, and a Fellow of a number of institutions, including the Australian and Chinese national Academies of Engineering, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the City and Guilds of London Institute, the Royal Society of Arts and the Institution of Engineering and Technology, where he is also a Past President (2008). He is an Honorary Professor of Cardiff University, Honorary Fellow of Queen Mary University of London, and a Freeman of the City of London.