Energy for a Career Transition

Source: Michael Holland | · LINKEDIN · | November 16, 2023

16 months ago, after nearly two decades (and six countries) in diplomacy I returned to school to pursue a Master of Science in sustainable energy development at the University of Calgary. In part, this was a return to my earth sciences background and brief career as a hydrographic surveyor (where I had worked on the first generation of offshore wind in the UK). But it was also a recognition that during the period of my diplomatic apprenticeship, anthropogenic climate change had ceased to be a topic of debate and become the UK's number one foreign policy priority (described by some as a climate emergency). The #SEDV master’s program tapped into and further fuelled my passion for a solutions-based approach to climate action and the energy transition. While I may have underestimated the sheer hard work involved in completing a master’s degree, my graduation earlier today was an opportunity to reflect on the skills I have acquired in this short period. The most important of these was energy literacy. As we seek to influence and shift public opinion on the energy transition and hold political leaders to account, I believe the ability to navigate what can at times be a complex and confusing field is vitally important.

While we have all been schooled (probably in a pub) on the merits of renewable technologies, heat pumps, and electric cars by “experts” with a deep understanding of life cycle analysis, it seems there is still a huge need for accessible information about the merits of electrification and the energy transition. Misinformation is rife and uncertainty and confusion are exploited for political gain.