Tag Archives: GreenConsultant

Student Case Study: South Devon Care

Name of Student:  Kari Webb

Degree Subject: BSC Biological Sciences with Prof Placement

Type of Internship: Green Consultants Scheme

Company Name: South Devon Care

Job Title: Green Consultant

Description Of Company: We are a local company offering a range of care services through our high-quality care homes in beautiful South Devon. Our aim is to improve the lives of the people we care about.

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

My main responsibility was looking at the company’s energy efficiency and suggesting potential improvements they could make to save energy using the Carbon Footprint’s Energy Efficiency Test. I highlighted the need for better staff engagement and proposed a few strategies including an online quiz that calculates an individual’s carbon footprint. Additionally I looked into the feasibility of installing solar panels at each of their sites using a solar energy calculator.

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?

I produced a 3-page report with sections on energy efficiency, staff engagement and solar panel feasibility including graphs and tables I generated on excel to visualise the results from the multiple online tools I utilised.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

Learning to work independently and taking sole responsibility for fulfilling a project to a client’s specification.

What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges?

The manager was very busy, and difficult to communicate with because of the requirement to work online due to COVID-19. His instructions weren’t clear, and it took a long time to get information from him.

To overcome these challenges, I would collate all the question I had throughout the day into a single email so that I wasn’t sending lots of little emails throughout the day limiting the amount of time the client had to take out of their day to respond to me. In addition, whilst waiting for their response I would conduct work that didn’t require the information e.g. researching staff engagement techniques.

Skills Learnt: 

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Organisation
  • Decision Making
  • Researching
  • Time and Workload Management

Attributes Developed:

  • Initiative
  • Perseverance
  • Professionalism
  • Confidence
  • Motivation

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector?

If you have a flexible and creative mind, a passion for sustainability and the environment, and want to be involved in developing strategies which have real impact on the way a business conducts itself you’re gunna love it.

Also my top tip is to get involved in as many activities and experiences as you can it is only by trialing new things that we find out what we are truly passionate about : )

Student Case Study: Optix solutions

Name of Student:  Olivia Arden

Degree Subject: BSC Biological Sciences

Type of Internship: Green Consultants Scheme

Company Name: Optix solutions

Job Title: Green Consultant

Description Of Company: We’re a strategic Digital Marketing and Web Development Agency based in Exeter, Devon. We specialise in website design and development, digital strategy and digital marketing. We run a digital marketing training sessions through our Optix Academy.

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

I began the internship getting to understand the ethos of the company and the sustainability strategies they currently employ through meetings with a range of employees.  Following this, my main duty was to write a sustainability report analysing the effectiveness of current strategies and recommending further steps that Optix could take to improve their environmental impact.

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?

Sustainability report including recommendations on employee engagement, energy providers, bank providers and social sustainability.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

Knowing that the recommendations I gave in the report will be used to improve the environmental credentials of one of the top marketing companies in England.

What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges?

Timing to write report – took a lot longer than anticipated however, the company were very understanding and adapted to the change in timings.

Skills Learnt: 

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Organisation
  • Decision Making
  • Researching
  • Communication

Attributes Developed:

  • Initiative
  • Perseverance
  • Professionalism
  • Confidence
  • Motivation

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector?

“I would highly recommend Green Consultants as a means to understand what is involved in sustainability consulting. In particular, working with Optix Solutions has shown to me the responsibility that digital companies have in making a positive sustainable impact, since their role in the environmental sector is often overlooked.”

Student Case Study: Court House Care Home

Name of Student:  Lauren Freer

Degree Subject: BA Geography

Type of Internship: Green Consultants Scheme

Company Name: Court House Care Home

Job Title: Green Consultant

Description Of Company: HC-One is a care home group. HC-One’s mission is to be the first choice care home for Residents and Colleagues in each of the communities we serve. We hope to achieve this mission through providing the kindest possible care to Residents. Founded in 2011, our objective is to make a real difference to the lives of older men and women in communities throughout the UK. With over 300 care homes, we’re proud to provide positive, personalised care and support to more than fourteen thousand Residents who live in our homes, encompassing memory care, nursing, residential and specialist care. At HC-One, we’re pleased to work with, train and develop more than twenty thousand caring Colleagues who deliver round-the-clock care and support.

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

My key duty and responsibility were looking at their clinical waste and other waste such as their recycling.

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?

I produced and wrote a brief on my findings and spoke about the loose ends I had found. I also provided a list of adaptations the business could take on board to improve their sustainability.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

I learnt a lot about waste and how important it is to distinguish different types as this can impact the sustainability level of a business. I also thought putting together the brief was an achievement as it consolidated all of the work from the week.

What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges?

I found calculating the carbon footprint too difficult and needed to speak to professionals who helped me.

Skills Learnt: 

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Organisation
  • Decision Making
  • Researching
  • Time and Workload Management

Attributes Developed:

  • Initiative
  • Perseverance
  • Professionalism
  • Confidence
  • Motivation

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector?

“I would definitely recommend applying for a job role similar to the one I undertook as I was able to gain a glimpse into a professional atmosphere. It was interesting to see how the professionals dealt with tasks and how they made decisions based on their business’s goals and aspirations. The job provided valuable experience that I will definitely take forward into future jobs.”

Student Case Study: ClearLead Consulting

Name of Student:  Josh Marshall

Degree Subject: MSC Global Sustainability Solutions

Type of Internship: Green Consultants Scheme

Company Name: ClearLead Consulting

Job Title: Green Consultant

Description Of Company: ClearLead Consulting is an international energy and sustainability consulting company founded in 2012, with offices in Canada, the UK, and Ireland.  ClearLead takes pride in giving our clients straight, practical advice and support, with a commitment to conduct work that is useful and makes a difference to clients.

ClearLead specialises in helping commercial, industrial and public sector clients reduce their energy costs, operate more sustainably and comply with complex environmental regulation, both in the UK and internationally.  They aims to lead by example and are therefore working to become carbon neutral as a company.

ClearLead’s services in the sustainability and energy field include corporate sustainability and carbon neutrality/net zero strategies and assessments; Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) audits; energy audits and surveys; energy metering and monitoring systems; renewable feasibility studies and appraisals; resource efficiency (water and waste) programmes; carbon footprinting; training and behavioural change management programmes.

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

Izzy was my mentor and she gave me a long list of actions an example of this was – data entry. She also wanted me to work out how much carbon they are saving clients – extracted data.

From day to day I would help with scoping of clients emissions under the GHGP and ISO 14001, which mainly looked at key sources of emissions and whether they could be reduced in anyway. I did a number of small independent research projects over the course of the 3 weeks, the particularly exciting ones involved assessing the safety of mixing natural gas and hydrogen to emit less CO2 on combustion, looking at sound pollution for a new housing development and researching ways Clearlead themselves can reduce their carbon footprint.

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?

I had a massive variation of the outputs I delivered. One thing I did was create a GIS visualisation to make public more engaged with activity for a client who wanted to blend natural gas with hydrogen.

The were a number of emissions scoping projects that were delivered directly to clients, mainly in the form of a PP presentation. This included small word documents on a given research topic that the client had asked for.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

Presenting to directors on project work and the directors took my work to the clients and won the bid. Clearlead offered me a job which was amazing. This was for a new client who was looking to reduce emissions but the business model was complex. This created problems is establishing scope boundaries and determining which emissions were directly a result of the clints industrial operations and which were as a result of 3rd party operations.

What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges?

More contact time with business – go to office more.

Skills Learnt: 

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Organisation
  • Decision Making
  • Researching
  • Time and Work Load Management

Attributes Developed:

  • Initiative
  • Perseverance
  • Professionalism
  • Confidence
  • Motivation

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector?

“My advice would be to engage as much as possible with recruiters and organisations in the industry. Experience is key to your development, but more importantly it’s a way for you to learn what you enjoy about the sector and what you’re good at. The same can be said for what you don’t like about working life. Start to build up a picture of your ideal job and think about the small things that make a difference like work-life balance, purpose and working environment. All of them have a huge impact on the enjoyment you’ll get from your career.”

Student Case Study: SITU

Name of Student:  Olivia McDonald

Degree Subject: BSc Geography

Type of Internship: Green Consultants Scheme

Company Name: SITU

Job Title: Green Consultant

Description Of Company: Our range of serviced apartments in Exeter have been handpicked for corporate and leisure travellers. Across our range of Exeter accommodation, guests can enjoy the luxury of fully functioning kitchens, comfortable beds and spacious rooms in their own home-away-from-home. Our Exeter apartments options are located close to the city centre too, convenient for whatever your trip entails, whether it be for business or leisure.

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

The main focus of my work was exploring and proposing ways to improve the sustainability side of the company. With SITU already having taken several steps to improve its environmental impact, this required me to think beyond basic suggestions. Some of my tasks therefore involved researching what other serviced accommodation providers were doing, completing an aspects and impacts register, exploring carbon offsetting options for the company and clients, and creating a sustainability questionnaire for suppliers.

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?

I was asked to complete and present several outputs, each being specific to a different task. These included a breakdown of twelve carbon offsetting projects, with included the project details, benefits and costs. Additionally, I had to complete an aspects and impacts register and write a presentation about sustainability for other workers. I also kept a document with suggestions for ways to improve the office’s environmental footprint, office item alternatives and sustainable gift options for clients.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

When I began my internship, I was somewhat thrown in at the deep end and given a long list of tasks (all of which I was asked if I was happy to tackle, and I was). However, many of the tasks I had no previous experience doing which meant that I learnt a huge amount as I went along. As I completed each task, I felt a great sense of accomplishment. My proudest moment was the company saying that they would love to have me back again in the future!

What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges?

I honestly cannot think of anything that did not go well; the whole experience was wonderful! I was particularly grateful to be able to work every other day over two weeks, this turned out to be a really good working pattern.

Skills Learnt: 

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Organisation
  • Decision Making
  • Researching
  • Time and Work Load Management

Attributes Developed:

  • Confidence
  • Initiative
  • Perseverance
  • Professionalism
  • Motivation

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector?

“I could not recommend this enough! It is thanks to the Green Consultant Scheme that I was able to gain insight into the world of sustainability consulting, and as a result I am now certain that this is something I would love to pursue in the future.”

Student Case Study: Axminster Heritage Centre

Name of Student:  Alice Walters

Degree Subject: BA English with Study Abroad

Type of Internship: Green Consultants Scheme

Company Name: Axminster Heritage Centre

Job Title: Green Consultant

Description Of Company: Axminster Heritage Centre has a vision to delight and entertain visitors through interactive and innovative displays. We hope to exceed expectations by creating both an online and a ‘hands on’ experience that young and old can touch and interact with. In addition, we have a unique collection of original Axminster carpets artefacts and aim to tell the story, from fleece to floor, of this world famous ‘brand’ name in an enjoyable and educational way.

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

I worked for Axminster Heritage Centre every Thursday for five weeks – two of those days at the centre itself. Over the course of my internship, I assessed how well Axminster Heritage Centre was performing from a sustainability perspective. I then wrote a detailed report that gave recommendations about how they could improve their environmental credentials in the future. I found this to be both highly rewarding and an enjoyable experience.

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?

Within my formal report, I included background information about sustainability within the museum sector, information on waste management and energy usage, assessments of partner organisations, and case studies of best practice. When researching other museums in Devon, I noticed that none of them had an environmental policy published on their website. I brought this to the attention of my employer, and suggested that this represented an exciting opportunity for Axminster Heritage Centre to be the first Devon-based museum to prioritise environmental sustainability in this way. I also wrote an Executive Summary that summarised my full report for the benefit of the museum’s trustees.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

Writing my report: it was 6000 words long, well-researched, and highly detailed.

What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges?

My employer asked me to recommend some ways in which the museum could invest its money sustainably, but this was something that I had no prior knowledge about. I overcame this by completing some research, and ensuring that it was at least mentioned in my report so that it would be flagged up to the trustees.

Skills Learnt: 

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Organisation
  • Problem Solving
  • Researching
  • Time and Work Load Management

Attributes Developed:

  • Personal Awareness
  • Cultural Awareness
  • Logical thinking
  • Creative thinking
  • Motivation

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector?

“This role combined arts and culture with environmental sustainability, and this truly reinforced the importance of taking a holistic approach to protecting the environment – it’s not just one sector’s responsibility to operate sustainably, but everyone’s! I’d recommend a similar role to anyone who is interested in both sectors, and wants to know how they might intersect.”

Student Case Study: Northcott Theatre

Name of Student:  Alice Thornton-Kemsley

Degree Subject: BA Geography

Type of Internship:  Green Consultants Scheme

Company Name: Northcott Theatre

Job Title: Green Consultant

Description Of Company: Exeter Northcott Theatre is a flourishing mid-scale regional theatre offering high quality performance and participation programmes engaging c.100,000 people per annum. We are based on the Exeter University campus and have been in existence since 1967. The Exeter Northcott Theatre Archive is housed in the University of Exeter Special Collections to ensure its preservation and enable access for research and learning. The Archive comprises of operational and production records spanning the period from its opening in 1967 to its refurbishment in 2007 and is a valuable piece of South West theatre history, showcasing the theatre as a training ground for writers, makers and performers of note.

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

My key duties and responsibilities were to assess current sustainability measures in place and then to suggest any further changes which could be made in the theatre to improve the sustainability in both the short and long term future.

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?

After my initial meeting with the client – where we discussed current sustainability measures and potential changes, I wrote up a detailed report – including other examples and images – which was then sent to the client. There was also the option of a follow up meeting at a later date if required.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

My biggest achievement on my internship was developing a good client rapport. Due to COVID-19 after a number of emails beforehand, we had an initial meeting on site, where I had a tour of the facilities and discussed options. This set up an open conversation about the logistic and feasibility of changes.  I was working alone, from home, meaning I had to be organised and independent.

What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges?

With such an open aim of improving sustainability practices I struggled to choose which output to hand back to the client. I decided a document would be most comprehensive which I then confirmed with the client.

Skills Learnt: 

  • Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Persuasion
  • Organisation
  • Time and Work Load Management

Attributes Developed:

  • Initiative
  • Perseverance
  • Creative thinking
  • Independence
  • Work Ethic

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector?

“This experience has been truly rewarding and has taught me so much. Even if I do not end up going into the sector, I have gained a wide range of skills which I know will go on to help me in other work environments. Working for a client has been such a key aspect of this project, and I have seen the importance of client rapport, independent research and organisation.”

Student Case Study: SageTech

Name of Student:  Hannah Woodward

Degree Subject: BA Geography

Type of Internship: Green Consultants Scheme

Company Name: SageTech Medical Equipment Ltd.

Job Title: Green Consultant

Description Of Company: SageTech is a medical equipment company that has developed a comprehensive way to capture, extract and purify volatile anaesthetic gases to PhEur monograph standard.

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

The key aim of this internship was to improve SageTech’s corporate social responsibility (CSR). I looked into gaining B Corporate certification for SageTech and also investigated its engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals. Due to SageTech being a relatively small company without extensive policies in place, the corresponding questionnaires insinuated that the company was only 17% aligned with the SDGs; since SageTech’s technology is designed to reduce the NHS’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, I deemed this to be an inappropriate representation of the business. After further discussions with the client, the chosen method for improving SageTech’s CSR was to investigate the possibility of joining a carbon credit scheme. I looked at numerous options, including the UK government’s new cap and trade scheme that was implemented this year post-Brexit. However, ongoing communication with the client led to the decision that I would work on creating a methodology that would be required for SageTech to join the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), a voluntary carbon credit scheme.

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?

I created a presentation for my client that outlined what information would be required from SageTech in order to join the VCS. I generated this after looking at previous accepted templates from other companies that joined the scheme. This presentation and all my sources were sent over to my client, who passed it on to the relevant team to begin putting the information together in the required format.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

Helping a company like SageTech improve its reach was a significant achievement in my internship. SageTech’s technology is revolutionary for organisations like the NHS, which emits extensive of volumes of anaesthetic gas annually. If more hospitals install the technology to tackle this, encouraged by schemes such as the VCS, GHG emissions could be reduced significantly. The ability to join a carbon credit scheme would promote the technology on an even greater scale, encouraging investment and the potential for implementation internationally.

What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges?

It was challenging to not be able to access SageTech’s offices, as it limited contact with the client. However, through multiple Zoom calls and email correspondence, I was able to overcome this due to how helpful my contact at SageTech was. Finding a sustainability solution for an inherently environmental company in the first place was a challenge and required me to think outside of the box from my Green Consultant training. Coupled with communication with the client, an appropriate solution was found, and the project was a success.

Skills Learnt: 

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Organisation
  • Decision Making
  • Researching
  • Time and Work Load Management

Attributes Developed:

  • Initiative
  • Perseverance
  • Professionalism
  • Confidence
  • Motivation

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector?

“It is always best to be confident and to not be afraid to ask questions, as it ensures that you are on the same page as the client when it comes to producing a piece of work or conducting research for them. Communication is key as it inherently establishes confidence in both parties. Suggesting your own ideas will demonstrate your ability to show initiative too, so it is important to back your own thoughts rather than being scared of being wrong!”

Student Case Study: RAMM

Name of Student:  Matt Inwood

Degree Subject: BA Geography

Type of Internship: Green Consultants Scheme

Company Name: RAMM

Job Title: Green Consultant

Description Of Company: RAMM will enhance people’s quality of life. It’s a place of discovery which encourages everyone to be curious. RAMM uses its local and global collections to connect people to the world and inspires them to shape a better future.

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

My key duty was to focus on the energy efficiency assessment.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

My biggest achievement was understanding the different challenges of the museum especially that it is a listed building and what comes with that.

What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges?

One of main challenges was technical understanding. – basic understanding of why insulation is important, for example – passivhouse.

Skills Learnt: 

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Organisation
  • Decision Making
  • Researching
  • Time and Work Load Management

Attributes Developed:

  • Initiative
  • Perseverance
  • Professionalism
  • Confidence
  • Motivation

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector?

“If you are willing to put the extra time and effort into this program, you will benefit immensely from the opportunities and experiences that it provides whilst also learning many new skills associated with consulting.”

Student Case Study: Cosmic

Name of Student:  Savannah Knatchbull

Degree Subject: BA English

Type of Internship:  Green Consultants Scheme

Company Name: Cosmic

Job Title: Green Consultant

Description Of Company: Cosmic provide an innovative range of services and support to help people identify their Digital need and to progress with their ambitions. Cosmic is a social enterprise offering digital skills training and services to a wide range of organisations, communities and individuals.

What were your key duties and responsibilities during your internship?

My key duties and responsibilities were making sure to complete the set of tasks given to me by Cosmic and research into how their digital practices and behaviours effect the environment. This included looking at if their hosting provider was actually green or just green washing, calculating how much carbon is produced by sending and email, and then putting all of my findings into the context of Cosmic’s daily business practices.

What outputs and outcomes did you deliver for your employer?

As a result of this research I created a master document with all of my research, including how I got to my conclusions and the sources I used. I then made a table with all of the key figures that I calculated during my internship so that they stood out and were easy to compare to one another. Finally, I created some infographics and posters containing the most important figures and facts that I found during my research that could then be distributed to the other members of staff within the company so that they could begin to reduce their digital footprints.

What was your biggest achievement on your internship?

I think the biggest achievement of my internship was being praised for taking the initiative to produce a usable output, such as the infographics, which could then be used by Cosmic to start putting my research into practice much faster.

What did not go so well on your internship? How did you overcome any challenges?

It was a shame not to go into an office environment which is hard during corona virus. This could have meant that self motivating was extremely important as I mostly had independent work which meant I had to remain on track with my progress and research which I think I did well and was able to develop.

Skills Learnt: 

  • Ability to Work Under Pressure
  • Organisation
  • Decision Making
  • Researching
  • Time and Work Load Management

Attributes Developed:

  • Initiative
  • Perseverance
  • Professionalism
  • Confidence
  • Motivation

Your message to other students considering a similar job role, organisation or sector?

“For other students wanting to explore a similar job role, organisation or sector I would say that this kind of experience made me realise there’s so many different aspects of the sustainability sector which pretty much anyone could find an interest in. This internship felt particularly rewarding for me as I felt like I was doing something I’m passionate about while also doing work that could genuinely help the environment down the line if my research was implemented into Cosmic’s digital practices. And for that feeling alone I feel like exploring a job or this sector is great for anyone interested in the environment and sustainability.”