Where I've Been: Climate jobs, outside time, and more
Hello Post Industry readers!
It's been a minute - or perhaps 10-ish months - since I last posted on here (though if you follow on Instagram, you'll know I haven't been totally AWOL). There has been so much happening in the environmental space during that time, and it is my sincere intention to offer you more deep-dives here, with more regularity, in the coming year. If there's a topic you really want to know more about, DM me on Instagram or shoot me an email!
As we gear back up here, I wanted to give you an update on what I've been doing during this hiatus and give you some foreshadowing on upcoming content. So - what have I been up to?
Working on Climate
Working for the climate remains top priority. In December 2022, I took on a new role as a Lui-Walton Innovators Fellow at Conservation International (CI). In this role, I am working with CI's Conservation Finance Division to develop their Conservation Finance Innovation and Replication program. This program will innovate and replicate new business and investment models to facilitate increased private sector investment into nature-based climate solutions.
Approximately half of the world’s GDP depends on nature and its services (World Economic Forum, 2020), yet as you've likely learned by now, we hugely underprioritize the conservation and restoration of ecosystems. And despite the many international pledges and treaties that world leaders have made, there exists a massive shortfall in the funding available to achieve those goals: by some estimates, this gap ranges from US$ 598-824 billion annually! Funding from public sources (governments) is insufficient to bridge this gap, so private sector finance (which today accounts for just 14% of global conservation investments (CPIC)) must be mobilized. My work at CI focuses on building and piloting the financial instruments and business models that will facilitate the flow of private sector finance into conservation and nature-based climate change solutions.
In addition to my work at CI, I am still consulting for the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEPFI), albeit in a part-time capacity. At UNEPFI, I support climate change mitigation efforts in the banking sector via the Net-Zero Banking Alliance. Together, these two roles are keeping me very busy!
Talking to You about Climate Jobs
At the same time, I have been amazed at the number of people who have reached out to ask how they can transition their careers into climate work. With the impacts of climate change becoming ever more apparent, and the growing awareness of the need for action, a lot of you are thinking in earnest about how you can dedicate more of your time and talents towards proactive solutions. Whether that's refocusing your whole career or volunteering your skills in your off-hours, I've talked to dozens of you about how to search for jobs, where to develop skills, and how to make sense of the climate job landscape. I love it!
In this spirit, I'm working on a series of articles focused on climate job-hunting. Stay tuned to this space for the kick-off of this series. And if you have questions about how you can get into working on or volunteering for the climate, send me an email!
Getting Outside
As you might imagine, all of this work does keep me tethered to a screen for long periods of time. But as I spend more and more time at a desk, I find the need to counterbalance that with more and more time spent outside, enjoying the world that I'm working to protect. On the daily, this looks like lots of hiking, swimming, climbing, and gym sessions. I've also finally got a BlockSurf rack for my car, so am looking forward to getting back to surfing regularly. On a larger scale, I'm also planning some very exciting trips this year, including a backpacking trip to the Olympic Peninsula, a potential mountaineering course in the Cascades, and a 2+ week trip to southern Africa! I'm looking forward to bringing you notes from the field. It's important that we take immense joy in the world we currently inhabit, so we can replenish our energy to work for the future world.
I'm looking forward to bringing you some new topics and bright ideas - stay in touch and let me know what you want to learn about!
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