Tobias Kruse,
BSc Environmental Policy with Economics
I was working for Tata Capital in Mumbai and Bangalore on a pilot project to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprint for Tata Capital’s corporate offices.
At first, I had to make myself familiar with where in Tata Capital’s office most energy is being consumed. Secondly, I had to find out how energy consumption and the carbon footprint can be reduced for their offices. Subsequently, I contacted numerous different Bangalore-based providers, that were specialized in the respective technologies. I contacted solar PV-providers, LED lighting experts, AC-companies, green roof/wall gardeners and experts for smart computer software, which reduces energy consumption from desktop computers. Tata Capital did however not only want to do a ‘green initiative’, but also wanted a profitable investment and was particularly interested in the ROIs of the respective projects. Thus, this project went beyond a normal CSR activity.
My degree in BSc Environmental Policy with Economics has been helpful for having a good background knowledge about the complexity of climate change and its linkage with development-related issues.
I believe this internship was an excellent preparation for a career in consultancy since I had to meet different providers for ‘green’ products, had to evaluate, which one provided the best ROI for the company and eventually present my results to the management team.
I also believe that this internship was a good preparation for a career in research since I had to conduct my independent research in a different cultural environment about possible sustainability interventions and locate the various providers. Finally, I compiled a report for the management team, which explained the importance of climate change mitigation for India and compiled various suggestions to reduce Tata Capital’s energy consumption and carbon footprint.