Evelien Lambooij

Joining the summer program ‘Business and Climate Change’ as a young professional has given me new knowledge and insights that are invaluable in my work. 

I currently work as business developer in the Voluntary Carbon Market. Together with companies and NGOs in developing and emerging markets, I develop and manage projects that reduce CO2 emissions, therefore enabling them to access to this market and have an additional income stream to improve their business case. Thanks to my previous experience working with renewable energy companies when I was living in Rwanda, I had a clear understanding of the interest of such companies (mainly small and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs) to access this carbon financing, but also the challenges they face in meeting the requirements and finding their ‘way to the money’. The goal in my work is to make this carbon market more accessible to SMEs and at the same time to create projects that contribute to climate mitigation, health benefits and gender equality. 

A major reason for me to join the summer program was therefore to get a better understanding of climate finance and the ways this type of finance is organized. Which mechanisms are there? What is the view on carbon finance? Who are the big players? Besides that, I have always been extremely interested in geopolitics, so I was curious to learn more about the changing shift in the world when it comes to the energy transition, and I can definitely say that the course as a whole exceeded my expectations. For example, I learned the ins and outs of green bonds and export finance, and I learned how to make a financial model for power projects. 

Besides the content being interesting and insightful, we also had a great variety of professors and guest lecturers. As I am working especially with smaller companies, it was interesting to learn from lecturers working in corporates and multinationals. It was good to notice the similarities, but also the differences, faced by larger companies. Now I am able to apply that knowledge in my field of work. I would like to offer my special thanks to Professor Jean-Michel Gauthier, as he is an exceptional teacher - I dare to say the most interesting professor I ever encountered.

Although the majority attending were current university students, I would definitely recommend this course to young professionals in the early stages of their careers as we are able to directly translate the knowledge taught in class to the world we work in. It does not matter if you work in finance, mining, product development, or with an NGO, young professionals add a unique layer to the overall course.
 
Of course, I was reminded that the current path we are taking in combating climate change is a painfully slow one. There is so much more that needs to be done. In my opinion, climate change or climate finance courses should be integrated in all university programs, since this topic is not one you can discuss in isolation. 

For more information on the Summer Program Business & Climate Change