
Changing woodland creation projects in the UK
- Job title
- Finance Programme Manager
- Company
- Energy Saving Trust
- Programme
- MSc Carbon Finance
- Graduation year
- 2019
The course
Why did you choose to study at the University of Edinburgh Business School (UEBS)?
I was interested in climate change and carbon finance and UEBS was one of the few places that offered a Masters in Carbon Finance (now Climate Change Finance and Investment).
Staying in Edinburgh was a big bonus as well!
What was it about the degree programme that particularly attracted you?
I am passionate about tackling the climate crisis and have an interest in market solutions for reducing emissions. The degree tied in nicely with my undergraduate degree in Economics and Politics and seemed like a great way to take my career in a new and exciting direction.
Your career
Can you tell us about your career before and after graduating?
Before my MSc, I worked in operations for a couple of different start-ups. Once I graduated, I was able to secure a role with a small company called Forest Carbon, where I worked with projects in the UK carbon market.
After nearly three years of working closely with the Woodland Carbon Code, landowners, and companies looking to mitigate their climate footprint, I moved to Energy Saving Trust where I support households and SMEs to install energy efficient and renewable measures.
My Masters enabled me to influence policy on additionality in carbon markets.Carolina Krödel MSc
How did your degree prepare you for your career?
The MSc was invaluable as it helped expand my understanding of carbon finance, carbon markets, nature recovery and tackling the climate crisis.
In addition, the experience of working closely with different businesses and having lectures delivered by industry professionals meant I was able to make contacts and learn about the types of roles available after graduation.
As a result, when I joined Forest Carbon, I was able to hit the ground running and got involved in high-level conversations around additionality and carbon markets.
Masters of Change
What notable changes has your degree enabled you to make in your professional or personal life?
It allowed me to move into a whole new industry. Before my MSc, I was working in operations for start-ups. I am now wholly in the environmental sector.
The degree definitely helped me secure the role with Energy Saving Trust. It gave me an in-depth understanding of the policy space and the challenges involved in making UK homes more energy efficient.
What are the changes you have been able to make in your chosen field, of which you are most proud?
I represented Forest Carbon at stakeholder meetings with the Woodland Carbon Code. They were working to update the code to adapt to changes in the types of projects applying. I was able to use my knowledge on additionality to influence the development of the code.
Course highlights and advice
What are your best memories on the programme?
Both the consulting project and the green investment group project were fantastic learning opportunities and allowed me to really get into the details and engage with real world problems.
Another stand out, was the chance to attend a big international conference - different students went to different places and I went to the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) conference in Paris. It was a huge opportunity and enormously interesting!
What one piece of advice would you give to current students and recent graduates?
To make the most of the experience, to make connections and to pursue the things that interest you - it is so much easier to work hard on what interests you!
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