Hello all. I am James, a new Carbon Projects Officer at co2balance in the Taunton office. I started working here three weeks ago, and so far it has been very enjoyable and I am learning a lot about the Gold Standard and carbon financing. Thank you to the whole team, in the UK, Uganda and Kenya, who have all been very welcoming.
In late 2017 I finished my MSc in environmental management at the University of the West of England, where I focused on water and sanitation in developing countries and worked closely with the International Water Security Network. For my thesis I conducted primary social research in Kisoro, Uganda. This was the first field trial outside the UK of “Pee-power”, a Gates Foundation funded system that creates electricity from organic matter in urine, which we installed in an all girls boarding school. As well as conducting surveys and focus groups with the students, I worked with the Diocese’s WatSan department to survey ferro-cement rainwater harvesting tanks. After this I worked on an elephant reintroduction project in northern Thailand, where I took volunteers on treks to collect data on elephants that previously worked in logging or tourist camps.
Prior to this I studied law for my undergraduate and worked in the finance industry in foreign exchange and operational risk. However, my love for field work and international development inspired me to change my career. Since then I have worked on conservation and community projects in India, Uganda, England and Thailand.
Outside of work I enjoy trail running, football, trekking and climbing. In September 2018 I am competing in my first ultra-marathon on Ben Nevis, Scotland.
I am really excited to be part of the team at co2balance, and look forward to developing carbon offsetting projects that benefit the lives of local communities, the local environment and the global climate.
Here I am with some friends having climbed Mount Muhabura in Kisoro, Uganda.