Working at Cervest as a climate analyst

My name is Laura, and I am working at Cervest as a Climate Analyst from my home in Sweden. Alongside this, I am also preparing for the SASB FSA Level 2 exam which Cervest is kindly funding.

Here, I have found both passion and purpose by helping people and organizations discover their climate-related risks. However, my journey was not always smooth sailing.

My journey to Cervest began in Academia. After 10 years of studying, researching, and building a career in quantum physics, I felt disconnected from the world. I wanted to help solve the problems people and the planet face, but I didn’t know what to do. So, I tried a few things out!

I was a scientific editor for a year. Then, I researched public education in Brazil with an anthropologist. I also did an MSc in Administration. Finally, while studying waste management practices in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas, I discovered sustainability. There, I realized I could find both passion and purpose – I had found my niche.

I later moved to Iceland and worked with carbon accounting and sustainability reporting. I wanted to understand how sustainability could impact a company’s performance, and I wanted to be good at it. So, in August 2020, I signed up for the Foundation of Sustainability Accounting (FSA) Level 1 exam by the Sustainability Accounting Standard Board (SASB).

I sat the exam and passed in May 2021! I felt exhilarated, it was a milestone in my new career. At the same time, I was approached by Cervest and encouraged to apply for the role of Climate Analyst. I had finally found a natural fit.

Here, I am part of the policy team where I can shine and hone my expertise. Cervest provides Climate Intelligence insights to help enterprises and governments anticipate and act on the climate risk affecting their assets – which includes everything from manufacturing plants to power stations, factories to five-star hotels.

I like the fast-moving environment and responsibility. As a Climate Analyst, I stay on top of the policy debate on disclosure and standardization and work with scientists and engineers to develop the Climate Intelligence platform.

It’s an effervescent space! There are always new reports from governments, industry, and standards setters about adoption and good practices for disclosing climate-related financial information.

Cervest encourages us to never stop learning. As part of the employee benefits package, you can claim up to £1000 each year to expand your knowledge through training, books, and wider development activities. So, in June, I decided to sign up for the FSA Level 2, and Cervest kindly covered the cost.

I wanted to continue learning about the impact of climate-related and sustainability factors on different aspects of a business. Level 2 is much more practical-based, so I expect to gain hands-on, applicable skills in return for the investment.

There are people from all walks of life at Cervest; many too have an academic background. It is thrilling to work with such a great pool of talent! Here, I am not only nurturing my passion for sustainability and climate, but I am growing and expanding my skills. It is great to be part of team Cervest!

If you’d like to join our growing team, check out our current vacancies here.