Can you give a brief summary of your career to date, and the journey that brought you here to us at the University of Edinburgh Business School?
I did philosophy as an undergraduate, which I enjoyed, but it meant I didn’t have a strong idea about a career after graduating. I did a few different jobs that I wasn’t particularly suited to, and then went back to university to do an MSc in Environmental Sustainability. I did an internship at the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management (ECCM) and discovered my interest in carbon (or greenhouse gas (GHG)) accounting. I left ECCM with a number of colleagues and set up a company called Ecometrica, and I worked there for 5 years. I then saw an opportunity to join the Business School as a senior research fellow, and do my PhD (in carbon accounting). I’ve now been at the Business School for 10 years.
If you had to give your ‘elevator pitch’ and explain in layman terms what your research and/or teaching focuses on, how would you answer?
I look at how to develop better methods for carbon accounting. My teaching is also generally on different forms of carbon accounting. I generally try to teach practical skills in how to ‘do’ carbon accounting, but also teach how important it is to think critically whether carbon accounting methods do what they claim to do, and whether any of it actually helps to reduce emissions.
With regard to your work, is there anything exciting in the pipelines that you are working on?
I’m involved in the development of several international standards for GHG accounting at the moment. One on the land sector and GHG removals, and another on emissions from electricity consumption. There is no end of bad accounting being developed by governments and companies – so things are always busy.
What do you enjoy most about your teaching and/or research? What challenges and excites you across both?
The best things about teaching are meeting the cohorts of interesting, motivated, and enthusiastic students who are excited to be in Edinburgh, and keen to do something about climate change, and also seeing what they go on to do afterwards. The best thing about research is the academic freedom to study whatever you think is important and interesting. The most challenging thing with both teaching and research is keeping up with the constant developments in this field.
What do you enjoy most about working at UEBS?
Academic freedom.
What advice would you give to your younger self, about to leave home and embark upon further education?
Enjoy it!
What one book, piece of music and beloved item would you take with you to a Desert Island?
Nothing – I think it’d be nice to go full hermit!
If you could invite anyone over for dinner (past/present) who would it be and why?
Maybe Bob Dylan, though I suspect he’d be miserable company. But I’d be able to say I had dinner with Bob Dylan.
If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
Anywhere on the west coast of Scotland – from Arisaig northwards – because of the combination of hills and sea.
UEBS Research - Matthew Brander
Mathew Brander discusses his research on greenhouse gas accounting and its positive impact in addressing climate change.
Senior Lecturer in Carbon Accounting