Chris Dedo: Arming employees to spur climate policy and action

Chris Dedo: Arming employees to spur climate policy and action

Columbia Climate School inaugural students will don blue caps and gowns for graduation school day this week. But while classes may be over, students will undertake a variety of exciting internships this summer before officially graduating in August.

Christopher Dedo, a student at the Climate School Climate and Society Program, will intern at ClimateVoice, where he will create playbooks for employees to pressure their employers to advocate for climate policy. In the Q&A below, he tells us more about this work and how the private sector can contribute to climate efforts.

Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got interested in studying climate?

Before the Climate and Society program, my background was in urban, environmental and transportation planning. I originally chose to major in urban planning because I like maps, but I’m getting more and more into it. Growing up in Los Angeles, the wealth gap was stark in my neighborhood—even when I was in middle school, I wasn’t content with it.

During my undergraduate studies, studying and observing different urban environments exposed me to larger climate issues and how they relate to land use and public health characteristics. In one of my studio classes, I analyzed air quality issues and associated negative public health impacts in a Los Angeles neighborhood surrounded by industrial areas and freeways. This makes me more eager to better understand climate impacts from a social perspective. Having a solid understanding of climate action planning in cities made me want to learn more about climate science and its global context and considerations.

Where are you interning this summer and what does the job entail?

This summer, I will be interning at ClimateVoice, a recently launched nonprofit whose goal is to use the corporate influence of climate-positive companies to help in critical climate policy battles. Their larger goal is to drive companies towards sustainable business practices and to be leaders in the fight for climate policy. Through 2022, ClimateVoice will focus on companies that can contribute to advancing key national policies related to climate action, such as building electrification, the 100% Clean Energy Directive, and transportation policy. These policies will help drive climate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and further help reduce the greater environmental burden.

I was drawn to this post because I felt it could have a tangible impact through short- and long-term emissions reductions, and potentially spur greater climate advocacy and policy efforts.

Key projects I will be working on include conducting research and updating the 2022 Climate Voices Policy Guidelines with a focus on state-level policies, and developing a starter kit for employee advocacy and climate policy to help recruit employee advocates through the Work on Climate Slack community. I It will also help design and publish a staff handbook that will provide resources, case studies and a framework for climate policy advocacy. My final focus is helping engage employees by actively engaging and monitoring Slack communities, such as “Climate Jobs” and “My Climate Journey.”

How does the Climate and Society program help you prepare for this role?

My previous work experience was in the public and not-for-profit sectors, so I wanted to gain a better understanding of climate work in the private sector through this project. There is clearly a huge gap in creating more sustainable and fairer business practices. I took an elective last semester that introduced me to the relationship between companies, society and the natural environment. Additionally, the Climate and Society program allows us to adapt to different environments, and in our applied courses we heard from several people working in the private sector. These experiences have helped me begin to imagine the role that climate and society alumni can play in private sector and private sector adjoining positions.

What do you hope to learn from your internship?

I’m most interested in how this position can help me gain a better grasp of the types of discussions that take place within private companies and within different organizations. This will be very valuable to me as I will be able to better understand how organizations can effectively support climate policy and advocacy, and where they currently fall short. Businesses have a stronghold on emissions and have strong influence over governments and are therefore critical to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Greenwashing is a very relevant issue that hinders efforts to achieve national and global climate goals. I have to recognize these realities while still pushing for more climate engagement within these companies. This internship allowed me to better understand the players in this field and how advocacy and policy can be most effective.

How does this internship relate to your career goals? What do you hope to do after graduation?

Professionally, I want to contribute directly to reducing emissions and addressing the climate crisis, while also finding ways to advocate and support resources for communities that are disproportionately affected by climate impacts locally and globally. These are very complex and dense topics, but I would like to gain a better understanding of how my skills and adaptability can contribute to effective action and policy in these areas. I’m still not sure what that looks like, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that I probably don’t have a unique career path. I find as much solace in this climate emergency as we need people with backgrounds in climate science in every sector and discipline. I can adapt to a wide range of environments, but still need to make sure that the work I do has a clear result and purpose. I need to make sure I somehow help reduce climate impact and mobilize justice.