Enzo works for a governmental agency. He has a social science background. Enzo has worked for over ten years as a sustainability professional and is approaching forty.
“The fastest way to obtain transition would be to regulate massively. Since we do not do that, we need to innovate our way to better solutions”
“I have always had an interest in important issues. First it was peace and war and all that. But then I realized that the environment is most important.” I ask Enzo what he means by that. Most important? “To work with,” Enzo replies. “A lot of people have worked with aid and peace for decades. It is being dealt with. Environment on the other hand… our generation is the first that has started to work systematically with environmental issues.”
Today, Enzo works with something he definitely believes is an important issue. He distributes financial support to new technologies and solutions that are needed in a low emission society. And we are talking loads of money. An amount which is increasing every year. It feels very meaningful for him to be in such a powerful decision-making position. “The fastest way to obtain the necessary societal transition would of course be to regulate massively. But as long as we do not do that, we need to innovate our way to better solutions.” Earlier, Enzo had more faith in society’s ability to change. But he has experiences that it is extremely hard to change people’s attitudes. “Promoting new technology, on the other hand, works.”
Enzo has worked in public administration during his entire career, within different roles covering both local and international environmental strategy work. It is within hos current job that he feels like he has had the most potential for impact. “I work hands-on on a whole other level than I have before.” The large budget facilitates of course. But Enzo is also critical. “In this country it is a lot easier to spend money than to regulate our way out of stupid things. It is an expression of the inability to create a common national climate strategy. The traditional industry is the elephant in the room. It has such an extremely powerful position that there is no culture for cooperation.”
It is obvious that Enzo is frustrated about the political room for manoeuvre in the country he is living in. When I ask him in which role or workplace a sustainability professional can have the most impact, he says that one does not get very far with politics anymore. “The financial sector is where one has the most impact potential nowadays. Sustainability professionals can obtain a lot in roles where they work with investments for banks, corporations or funds.” In addition, Enzo mentions that, because of the country being as small as it is, people have the opportunity to set an agenda and being heard in many different roles. Examples of roles are researchers or representatives for NGOs.
What about roles where sustainability professionals have limited impact? Enzo’s lack of faith in society’s ability to change has led him to the conclusion that activism is a waste of time. “You sacrifice an awful lot personally, but for what?” Enzo follows the same rationale when it comes to choices he does in his personal life. “If I stop flying and eating meat completely it has large consequences for me, but a very limited effect on global warming. I try to do as much good as possible for the climate in my job. I do not want to be working on my spare time as well.”
Is there no chance that systemic change can happen? Enzo thinks there is potential in creating new business models in industry. But that there are limits to how far that alone can take us. “There is nothing in the fossil dependent industry that shows a change of course.” Even though Enzo is pessimistic about the power of politics, he still believes that it is important that sustainability professional work within public administration, on both local and national level, to create room for opportunity.
I ask Enzo whether he is hopeful about the future. “There is hope, but it is starting to get very slim,” he replies. “We do too little, the development is going in the wrong direction. Still, we always have the opportunity to make things less bad. We owe it to our children to try as hard as we can.”
Meaningful sustainability jobs 