Anne joined EFI as a research analyst in 2018, playing a key role in studies on carbon-reducing initiatives in California and New York. She leads EFI’s Sustainability project, which intends to make all our operations net-zero carbon by 2021.
When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A neurosurgeon. Look how far we’ve come.
What was your most rewarding experiences prior to your work at EFI?
In 2016, I did research in Ghana on the environmental and health impacts of electronic waste disposal. In Accra, there is a 70-acre plot of land that was intended to be a youth center that over time has become an e-waste repository filled with broken electronics, mostly from European countries. E-waste recycling has become an informal economic opportunity for many impoverished youths, who collect and sell scrap metal from the discarded electronics. Scrap workers then burn plastics and wire coatings to access the metal underneath, which presents major environmental and health issues. Researching this topic led me to pursue my Master’s at Columbia University, where I studied the intersections of sustainability, climate, and energy prior.
What’s the best thing about working at EFI?
I love how nimble the organization is. There are so many opportunities to explore a particular technology or sector within the energy and climate space. It’s very intellectually enriching.
What are your the proudest of since working at EFI?
I’m proud to have been selected for the Atlantic Council’s 2020–2021 Women Leaders in Energy Fellowship, which provides professional development opportunities to cultivate leadership potential, learn from the experiences of senior leaders in the sector, and more broadly elevate the voices of female experts in the energy and climate space. Since women are historically under-represented in the energy sector, this is an incredible opportunity to learn from other women leaders and through professional development training.
What gives you hope for the future?
I have hope because there are so many people focused on climate and energy challenges right now. People with the financial capital, the intellectual capital, and political will, as well as the next generation of climate leaders are all coming together to influence change at the subnational level and within the private sector. This movement and pressure for action is impossible to ignore.
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