Lauren Chin

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Tell us a bit about your current role and responsibilities

As I have recently started this role, I am focusing on learning and expanding my sustainability skill set that I began developing at the University of Edinburgh. I currently work on assessing and prioritizing climate-related financial risks and opportunities, calculating organisational carbon footprints, and verifying climate claims.

After graduating, I took some time to research sustainable finance at the University of Edinburgh before looking for jobs in industry. The MSc gave me a great starting point to explore different careers and I was able to find a firm that wholeheartedly has climate as its key focus, which leveraged everything that I learned both in classes and through research. In between starting my current position and finishing my research, I also found time to travel back to Asia for the first time since COVID to see my family and enjoy some amazing food, explore the American national parks, and attend some beautiful weddings for some lovely couples!

What is the most enjoyable part of your role?

I enjoy working on financial risks and opportunities related to climate change, as I feel that it is a compelling angle from which to approach corporations that are considering a net zero transition. I also love the people I work with and the fact that we are always discussing something new and interesting about climate change and the sustainability sector - it feels like I’m soaking up so much interesting information like a sponge!

What part of your role do you find the most challenging?

As with any new role, I feel like I’m “drinking from the fire hose” sometimes and there is a lot of information to absorb. I’ve found it very useful to write everything down and organise my thoughts after each meeting or at the end of the day to allow myself to fully understand everything. (Thanks for the tip, Dad).

Do you have any advice for students looking for employment in your field?

I previously worked as a consultant so I did find that experience helpful for my interviews – however, the best piece of advice I’ve taken away from this process would be to reach out to any contacts for introductions if you are interested in what they do or where they work. It’s a great way to learn more about a company and role, or even just to stay in touch for the future! The people you’ve met at university or through your programmes are always doing something interesting, so don’t be afraid to reach out to them.

Tell us a bit about your background and why you chose Edinburgh

Edinburgh offers a diverse array of sustainability programmes which appealed to me as someone who had no previous experience in the industry. I enjoyed that all the classes spent a bit of time making sure that everyone had the same base knowledge of climate change to guarantee that we got the most we could out of all the lectures which were more technically focused. I worked at the Centre for Business, Climate Change, and Sustainability (B-CCaS) as an impact coordinator which looped me into the COP26 flurry of activities. I will never forget spearheading a project for the NYT Climate Hub and speaking on stage during the conference. I made some fantastic friends there and even got to interview Katharine Hayhoe someone I’ve admired for a long time!

What was the highlight of your studies?

The wonderful people I met and learned from, both teachers and peers alike.

Do you have any advice for current students?

Don’t feel like you have to do everything on your own - reach out to people in your programme, teachers, friends from outside of school, family, anyone and everyone! You can do this :)