MSc Global Sustainability Solutions alumni profiles
Our MSc graduates will go on to work in various environmental sustainability roles across the private and public sectors. Browse the profiles below to see what some of them are doing now.
Name: Zach Clarke
Year of graduation: 2023
Employer: CO2balance
Current role: Carbon Projects Officer
Brief description of your current job role: My role as a Carbon Projects Officer involves developing high-impact community-focused carbon projects which aim to achieve additional benefits to the local communities through their implementation. Specifically, I consult on projects in Ethiopia which provide safe water and clean cooking technologies for local communities. I'm also involved in some nature-based mangrove and terrestrial afforestation projects.
How have the experiences from your GSS MSc helped you in your job role: The MSc was a pivotal year for allowing me to gain insightful knowledge into the complexities of sustainable development. Most notably, as part of my dissertation, I was fortunate enough to gain sector-specific experience working with Mike Allen, professor and CEO of Seaweed Generation. Through engaging with local stakeholders in Antigua and Barbuda, I attempted to unravel the complexities of developing a carbon project alongside understanding the social dynamics of those living within the project area. This research identified the importance of having a rigorous and inclusive stakeholder engagement process for maximising a project's success. Culminating my year with this experience, I was able to draw on topics learnt on the course such as systems thinking, natural capital and environmental justice. Being able to apply a sustainability lens to real-world challenges is something this MSc has hugely helped me with.
What did you enjoy most on the GSS MSc course? The course brought students from a diverse range of backgrounds and skill sets together. I particularly enjoyed engaging with this unique group of people, and learning from one another in the process.
Any ambitions for the future/career: Blue Carbon is a passion of mine which I would like to explore more in the future. I see huge potential in Blue Carbon as a method for combatting climate change.
Name: Jen Guy
Year of graduation: 2022
Employer: Galapagos Conservation Trust
Current role: Finance & Operations Officer
Brief description of your current job role: Co-ordinating and supporting the operations, administration & financial bookkeeping of a ~£1.5m charity, overseeing the charity's volunteer programme, IT support.
How have the experiences from your GSS MSc helped you in your job role: The internship dissertation programme allowed me to carry out research with Galapagos Conservation Trust and resulted in a paid research internship and then a full-time job. In addition to this the coursework and group projects prepared me for a realistic collaborative working environment. I felt really confident and prepared going into my role.
What did you enjoy most on the GSS MSc course? The GSS programme was so varied and diverse so that I was able to pursue multiple interests concurrently. I also really valued the interpersonal relations between staff and students, help felt easily accessible and readily available. The whole cohort felt like such a community, and we still see each other and organise events two years on. On the academic side of things, I really enjoyed the way that the course was mapped out and the modules run, I felt I was far better suited to this approach than in my undergraduate degree and it prepared me better for the role I am currently in.
Any ambitions for the future/career: Continue working in conservation, PhD, research & fieldwork.
Name: Cameron Brown
Year of graduation: 2022
Employer: JLL
Current role: Sustainability Consultant
Brief description of your current job role: Working with clients across the real estate sector, my role primarily revolves around developing and setting decarbonisation strategies, assessing physical and transitional risks that may impact the client and reporting on sustainability related performance, often through the means of emissions calculations, aligning to compliance schemes and writing ESG reports.
How have the experiences from your GSS MSc helped you in your job role: With the GSS MSc covering a wide range of sustainability issues through both the module led teaching but also through giving free reign when conducting assessments, you have to be quick to get your knowledge up to speed. This process has helped me in my current role where sometimes I’ll be working on things I have not come across before - this flexibility and ability to learn a topic quickly can be a consultants best friend! With the MSc course providing various opportunities for real world work experience, these skills can be developed and put into practice early on and can set you apart when coming to apply for roles post University.
What did you enjoy most on the GSS MSc course? During the GSS MSc course I really enjoyed viewing sustainability topics through a systems approach and seeing how wide reaching sustainability issues can be. Often many stakeholders will be involved when considering both sustainability problems and solutions with the ability to approach them from a range of perspectives being fundamental when trying to achieve the most optimal outcome. This was also promoted by some great discussions with my cohort during lecture and seminar teaching, considering things you perhaps wouldn’t have done ordinarily. I also enjoyed the variety in assessments. They provided great opportunities to learn more about specific interest areas and apply that knowledge to a variety of outputs, producing them for a range of audiences. This was also great experience for my current role.
Any ambitions for the future/career: At the moment I’m really enjoying working with some big clients on all things sustainability. With my dissertation being based around embodied carbon and starting to have discussions around building uses, I would like to work in the future on how we can reimagine real estate, making best use of the building stock we currently have and trying to avoid assets from becoming stranded. Whilst new buildings often look great and can be incredibly operationally efficient, is there a way we can alter the buildings we currently have to future proof them, better serving us now and for the future?
Name: Sejal Agarwal
Year of graduation: 2023
Employer: EcoOnline
Current role: Sustainability Analyst
Brief description of your current job role: My job primarily involves assisting companies in their GHG accounting and meeting disclosure criteria for reporting standards and regulations like CDP and SECR. GHG accounting requires an in-depth understanding of GHG protocols and we aim to ensure a high level of accuracy in our calculations. So, my day-to-day involves lots of spreadsheets and data analysis. It is a client-facing role and requires a significant amount of client management and relationship building as well.
How have the experiences from your GSS MSc helped you in your job role: The GSS MSc introduced me to various interesting topics like climate science, climate justice, marine biodiversity, and systems thinking, to name a few. GSS organised some really interesting seminars and we had the opportunity to engage with people working in climate policy and think tanks. And while the day-to-day of my current job is quite different from what I studied in the course, as it is GHG accounting and emissions calculation oriented, GSS MSc has broadened and enhanced my understanding of sustainability issues and topics.
What did you enjoy most on the GSS MSc course? For me, the most enjoyable aspect of the course was the excellent quality of teaching. GSS has some of the best climate science researchers in the world and to be taught by them is indeed a privilege. It is also one of the major reasons I came to the University of Exeter. I thoroughly enjoyed the numerous thought-provoking discussions. Also, I had the opportunity to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bonn, which was so unexpected and was such an amazing experience!
Any ambitions for the future/career: It has always been my dream to work for the United Nations, and someday I'll get there.
Name: Tom Doidge
Year of graduation: 2023
Employer: ITV
Current role: Sustainability Analyst
Brief description of your current job role: My current role is to produce research and conduct data analysis to support ITV's climate transition programme, developed from the recent publication of ITV's Climate Transition Plan. I take ownership of ITV's internal climate content tracker and engagement, BAFTA albert certification reporting, our internal advertiser sustainability scoring methodology, and the CDP disclosure process.
How have the experiences from your GSS MSc helped you in your job role: Within my role, I am continually trusted with undertaking climate science and policy research to inform our climate transition workstreams and conversations with commissioners/producers around effective climate content. The knowledge that I have gained from the GSS MSc has been invaluable to inform that research, and the degree itself was an expressed reason for my initial interview.
What did you enjoy most on the GSS MSc course? In terms of course content, I really enjoyed learning about the policy landscape within the Innovation and the Science-Policy Interface module, particularly the group work aspect of creating a report on a new policy proposal. I also gained valuable business knowledge from the CSR and Sustainable Tourism modules. But candidly, one of the most enjoyable parts of the course was meeting the variety of people that shared the same passion for climate change solutions as I did.
Any ambitions for the future/career: I hope to maintain my climate science knowledge as the sustainability landscape becomes ever-more complex. Within ITV, I want to continue to produce meaningful research and insights to inform sustainability initiatives. The influence that ITV has in terms of behaviour change is something that can be harnessed to create effective solutions to the climate crisis, and I'm so grateful that the GSS MSc course has given me the foundations to support that progress.
Name: Eloise Conley
Year of graduation: 2022
Employer: PwC UK
Current role: Senior Sustainability Consultant
Brief description of your current job role: Within my role I support various clients in meeting their sustainability reporting commitments, in addition to developing their ESG strategies. I have a particular specialism in the Carbon Markets, where I help organisations set carbon offsetting policies, advise on the quality of different carbon credits and also develop new thought leadership pieces for the wider market.
How have the experiences from your GSS MSc helped you in your job role: The GSS MSc gave me a great knowledge base from which to start my career, building my understanding of concepts such as systems thinking, ESG policy and sustainability consulting. In particular, the placement I undertook at an environmental consultancy and focusing my dissertation topic on carbon markets has led to many opportunities within my current role that may have otherwise been unavailable - so pick wisely!
What did you enjoy most on the GSS MSc course? I especially enjoyed the variety of modules within the GSS MSc. There was something for everyone and the tutors made the topics really engaging and encouraged a lot of participation. Additionally, after graduating, the network you gain with your fellow alumni is really valuable and many of us are still in contact now.
Any ambitions for the future/career: Over the next few years I’d like to continue working with clients to develop new and innovative sustainability strategies on a range of topics, and also continue my work in the Carbon Markets space, to support efforts towards higher integrity carbon credits in the market.
Name: Amy Shaw
Year of graduation: 2023
Employer: University of Exeter
Current role: Green Futures Solutions Consultant
Brief description of your current job role: Working at the intersection of environmental academia and the business world to help realise the practical application of cutting-edge climate science.
How have the experiences from your GSS MSc helped you in your job role: For this role in particular, the GSS MSc was invaluable in giving me a good understanding of the science around climate change and some of the wider challenges faced by society. I use the knowledge gained from the course on a regular basis when working with organisations to help them on their sustainability journeys.
What did you enjoy most on the GSS MSc course? My dissertation. It's not often that you get dedicated time to learning new skills within a supportive environment in which everyone wants to see you succeed. I came out of my dissertation with a new skillset across areas I hadn't previously been exposed to and that in itself I look at as a huge achievement.
Any ambitions for the future/career: I don't know what my future career will look like, but right now building and working on the Green Futures Solutions initiative is currently where my focus lies. I believe that we the power to help solve many of today's challenges by working collaboratively across academia, the public sector and the private sector. It's a really exciting space to be working in and I'm looking forward to seeing how it evolves in the future.
Name: Dalia Tarazi
Year of graduation: 2023
Employer: Nestlé
Current role: Confectionery Sustainability Intern
Brief description of your current job role: Since finishing my GSS MSc I have been a Confectionery Sustainability Intern based in Switzerland, assisting the Confectionery and Ice cream Strategic Business Unit, helping them to meet their sustainability ambitions and carbon reduction roadmaps. My role has consisted of an array of responsibilities ranging from climate reporting (extracting quarterly and annual data across all markets and zones within the ice cream and confectionery categories, whilst reviewing and editing the latest progress and annual reports of the business), digital marketing (assisting with the relaunch and translation – from English to French, the Nestlé Cocoa Plan Global website), social marketing (being featured on the social media of the KitKat and Nestlé platforms), and designing newsletters and flyers for events and latest sustainability updates within the category.
How have the experiences from your GSS MSc helped you in your job role: The GSS MSc has allowed me to start a career with the needed knowledge about climate science and global systems. I have been able to act as a green consultant as well as a scientist through being the main contact regarding carbon data of the category. The GSS MSc helped me connect the business world with the natural one and be the bridge proposing roadmaps, projects and glidepaths to address the gaps in the business model.
What did you enjoy most on the GSS MSc course? I enjoyed having a variety of different modules – touching on all the different aspects of sustainability and global systems. The tutors made these topics very engaging and made it a pleasure to want to participate in the seminars. For example, in GEOM143 Global Systems Thinking I was able to implement my learnings from the module not only in my thesis on the decarbonization of the cocoa industry (with Nestlé as my main study focus), but also all throughout my internship at Nestlé after finishing my MSc whilst understanding the way business models overlap with ecological systems. Other modules on the GSS allowed me to deep dive into topics I’ve always been curious to know more about, for example in BIOM568 Blue Planet I was able to learn more about mangrove restoration through formulating a Policy brief on the ecosystem services which are derived from these ecosystems whilst recommending ways to conserve them.
Any ambitions for the future/career: Over the next few years, I’d like to get a feel of what it would be like to be based in the field. Now that I’ve experienced a year in the corporate setting, and experienced the business side of sustainability with Nestlé, I would love to take part in the work done on the grounds and be based in the field reporting and researching.