I am a recent International Relations graduate from Durham University. In the final year of my studies, I took a module titled ‘Climate, Nature and the Global Economy’ where I learned about the critical role of global finance in the net-zero transition. This sparked an interest in me to pursue opportunities in the ESG and impact investing sector.  

Through my studies and having started writing about ESG for a student journal, I became aware of the prevalent issue of greenwashing in the financial sector. It became increasingly obvious to me that traditional ESG measurement of risk to financial returns was not substantial enough to encourage the decarbonisation of portfolios. So, I started writing about the need for impact measurement in the investment industry. Coming across research from another firm in the sustainable finance space, I came to the understanding that making your pension ‘green’ is 21 times more effective in reducing carbon emissions than going veggie, switching energy provider and giving up flying.  

All this newfound knowledge led me here, to Pensions for Purpose, where I have been given a great opportunity to conduct research and help to expand the operations of such a crucial enterprise.