February 2023

The work that I am embarking on in climate action can be brought into focus by the following concept map, which answers the questions of where, why, and what.

The work that I am intending to do in the climate action space is underpinned by my values. These values, or motivations, for working in climate action are three-fold and are explained by the following: 

1. A commitment to my children. My children are too young to understand climate change in any fulsome sense at the moment. When they come to realize the full impacts of climate change, I’d like to be able to tell them that I worked hard on contributing to solutions and will continue to do so as long as I can. I also want to model a commitment to finding solutions to climate change that my children can follow, in their own way and under their own terms.
2. A desire to work on interesting problems with interesting people. Climate change is an endlessly complex and interesting problem. A career working on climate change will necessarily be dynamic and evolving. The field also attracts an array of interesting and dedicated people with whom I am excited to collaborate with. When there are wins in the climate space, I want to share in celebrating the wins with others; when there are losses, I want to help shoulder those losses. 
3. A desire to work on one of the most pressing issues of our time. I hesitate to frame climate change as the most pressing issue of our time, because I think that the degree to which an issue is pressing depends on who we are and where we are positioned in society. However, there is no arguing that climate change is an incredibly pressing issue. The problem demands our attention and it feels important for me to heed those demands.

I intend to work on climate change at a local or regional scale. I have lived in the Kootenay region since I was ten years old and feel an intimate connection with the area and a desire to see the region thrive in spite of a changing climate. I enjoy seeing the outputs of my work in action and I enjoy collaborating and building networks with others in my local context. Having said that, I think it is important to share work across wider geographic networks, as many solutions can be implemented in different regions with only minor changes intended to serve local realities.

I intend to work on climate change from an organizational support role. I have experience in finance and competency in operations that will help me to support organizations that work on climate change. I am a systems thinker that can help organizations optimize their impact by developing and streamlining processes and procedures. While my work may not be project-based, my knowledge of climate change and climate solutions (developed through my education, work history, and personal learning) will help me to understand the organizations I work for, tailor my work to that context, and be part of leadership discussions and decisions.