Meet Jonelle Maltay, Class of 2024 Climate and Society
Columbia Climate School is pleased to welcome 100 new students Climate and Society Master’s Program this fall. STEM-designated projects train students to understand and respond to the social and environmental impacts of climate change and climate variability. The new cohort of students comes from a variety of professional and academic backgrounds, representing citizens of 24 countries.
State of the Earth features the interview and some of these new students. Below, we interview Jonelle Maltay, a professional in environmental and social risk management with a passion for sustainable development and human rights.
Tell us about your background and how you got into the climate field.
About ten years ago, I started my journey into the world of sustainable development. I took my first class on finance and sustainable development at the University of Amsterdam and I was instantly hooked on the concept of using finance to do good. I always knew I wanted to work in finance, but my real passion was the environment and human rights. My first internship was on responsible supply chain management, with a focus on EU multinationals, which made me realize that our personal carbon footprint is actually only a small piece of the puzzle that businesses actually control. When my first postgraduate job offer in climate finance came up, I was able to zoom out from there and see the bigger global picture.
I co-authored a report for the Netherlands Foreign Office on how public-private partnerships can be used in the private sector to finance climate adaptation initiatives in developing countries. I think this is a pivotal moment in my understanding of climate mitigation and adaptation and the real risks that countries and their citizens face from socio-environmental impacts. I loved the program and the research surrounding it so much that I considered a career in climate, but I ended up in impact investing.
What attracted you to the Climate and Society Program? What do you hope to gain from this program?
After a few years in impact investing, I came across the Climate and Society project and felt like it was a second chance to continue the work I started in the climate space, but now with an academic base of STEM projects using science Sustaining Climate Investing business case. At the time of my application, I had just left a long-term position in impact investing and was undergoing a career transition into the start-up world with a focus on private equity in frontier African markets. One of the SDGs prioritized by this new role is SDG 13 on climate change, which is inextricably linked to SDG 7 on access to clean and affordable energy. In some markets, access to energy, let alone clean and renewable energy, is not realistic. Worse, developing countries are often excluded from conversations about climate change despite being directly affected by it. I’m also intrigued by the new craze for all things carbon, whether it’s offsetting, capturing and storing, or integrating. Carbon management combined with solar energy, electricity and biofuels is the way of the future. As such, I see the program’s core courses and wide range of electives as gateways to new dimensions of thinking.
Which courses are you most looking forward to?
The core courses I am most looking forward to are “Climate Variability and Dynamics of Climate Change” and “Climate Adaptation”. There are also electives like Clean Energy Economics Financing because those are the areas that are most relevant to my professional background and I really want to develop my academic expertise in those areas as well. Also, as I mentioned before, I am passionate about the environment and human rights, so I am very much looking forward to other electives such as “Climate Justice” and “Reversing the Biodiversity Crisis.”
What role do you see your future playing in addressing the climate crisis?
This is very similar to my past and present role of understanding funding mechanisms for environmental, social and climate initiatives. I look forward to mastering the climate science and making a stronger business case for climate investing as a way to hedge against future climate risk.
what are you doing this summer
In addition to working full-time on environmental and social risk management at JP Morgan, I also serve on Human Rights First’s Emerging Leaders Advisory Council. My goal this summer is to support the fundraiser and expand the reach of Human Rights First to young people who also want to do more for the human rights movement.
Do you have anything to add?
I wish I had known this program existed sooner because it’s not just a climate research program; it’s a climate research program. It’s also the study of environmental, social, legal, financial and economic aspects that you won’t find anywhere else. I already feel like a part of the Columbia family because the Climate School admissions team goes above and beyond in recruiting, onboarding, and welcoming potential candidates. I’m really looking forward to the start of fall.
