It was 9pm on a Friday, and our project team had turned in the deliverables for a major financial institution to set decarbonization goals for its commercial lending portfolio. In mere three months, we had calculated baseline financed emissions, evaluated climate scenarios, and documented GHG emissions reduction targets to model the transition of energy-intensive sectors to a low-carbon economy. With the Chief Sustainability Officer, the results of our analysis were championed around the organization. Even though I felt tremendous accomplishment in the work we had delivered, certain aspects of the project eluded me. What was the scientific basis for the climate scenarios we had identified, and would our deliverables convince business leaders to accelerate decarbonization efforts? After several years of working in an industry that rewards the fast delivery of solutions, I would cherish the opportunity to learn about climate change from well-rounded perspectives I have not been exposed to during my day-to-day work. The MPP degree will provide time for deeper exploration of all the aspects I have yet to understand regarding an inherently global and multifaceted issue. In addition, an interdisciplinary focus of the MPP will strengthen my ability to design, advocate and implement environmental policies that apply not only to a single institution but to entire industries. Working in EY’s consulting practice over the past four years, I’ve realized that the delivery of analysis does not necessitate its implementation by a client. Without regulatory oversight, even the most thorough report on how a financial institution can help accelerate the energy transition by investing in renewables does not require that institution to take action. By moving into a legislative role, I could promote sustainable business practices at a much greater scope and scale than during my previous work at EY. Rather than advising one client on their transition to becoming more sustainable, I would actively design and reinforce laws that incentivize entire industries to accelerate their net-zero pathways. As legislation on climate change is reviewed and contested over the next decade, I want to serve as a policymaker that can help strengthen countries’ existing climate frameworks and policies using the quantitative skills acquired in a policy-oriented degree. The MPP curriculum at the Harvard Kennedy School will facilitate this transition and allow me to become a successful regulator of sustainable business that can apply behavioral analysis, quantitative methods, and economic theory toward effective policymaking. A core curriculum dedicated to these foundational areas would complement the quantitative skillset I developed during the last four years at EY. With a focus on policy assessment, my work has taught me to evaluate the social and economic impact of tax policy changes and financial products using econometric and statistical analysis. However, the results of these evaluations have been primarily used by clients to advocate for policy change. An MPP would reinforce my quantitative competencies and prepare me to lead the development, advocacy, and implementation of public policies incorporating statistical analysis and economic perspectives. Today, the effects of climate change are impossible to overlook as news coverage of the flooding in Pakistan fills the evening news. Even though I had felt consternation regarding how my career would positively impact decarbonization efforts, I now feel motivated to pursue a career that can have an indelible impact on the regulatory side of climate legislation. An MPP degree will equip me with the skills needed to pursue a role where I can enact change through my professional work.

Through my graduate school education, I aspire to become a policy analyst hat can incentivize entire industries to accelerate decarbonization efforts and reduce the negative impact of climate change - help me get there.