Erik works as a researcher, in both a research institute and a university. Engineer by education. He has worked as a sustainability professional for fifteen years and is in his early forties.
“If my work was concentrated on climate, it would be demotivating. But the core benefits in my field of research are social sustainability and resource efficiency”
“My first job, as a regular engineer, was so boring,” Erik recalls. The job was well paid, but Erik needed to get something more out of all those hours he was going to spend at a workplace in the coming forty years. In the search for a more meaningful future, he decided to go for sustainability, as he had had a very interesting sustainability project during his bachelors.
Erik went for a research career. He has become well established within a certain research area, and is both employed at a research institute and a university. He enjoys being a researcher, but is not certain about the impact of his work all the time. “We do a lot of things that people never get to see. It is hard to communicate the research.” Erik has become much more conscious about the communication aspect over the years. At the same time, he thinks it cannot only be up to the researchers themselves. “Researchers need help from communicators. The quality of the research dissemination is very dependent on communication skills, and researchers themselves are not so good.” Another inefficiency that he experiences in the research field is prestige. “In certain research fields, there are only a few institutions and professors that are listened to. They do not let anyone else in. I used to be in such fields, which was frustrating, but now I found my own niche.”
Erik likes having two workplaces. “It is very motivating to be involved in academic discussions through a university position. In addition, I have the opportunity to expand my research group with PhDs and postdocs. The disadvantage is that the university is very bureaucratic. At the research institute, I can work with what I want as long as I obtain the funding.” The rest of Erik’s group at the research institute is much involved in consultancy work commissioned by industry. Such as environmental product declarations. Erik is critical about the sustainability impact potential of environmental product declarations. “It pays good. But it is very much a tick box task. The companies have to report emissions. I don’t think there is much thought behind why they are doing it.” Erik likes working in a more interactive way with companies and public authorities. “Some do life cycle assessments the way the customer wants. I don’t do that. I ask them questions. If the result is just handed over it is just a number.”
Are there roles or workplaces where Erik thinks sustainability professionals can have especially much impact? “Policy makers or some kind of decision maker,” Erik answers. “They can set the stage for what is important or not. And if they have a research background, they can understand the research field and use that.” Erik does not think enough decision makers have a research background. But he himself would not like to be in such a role. “I like doing my thing and not being in the spotlight. Researchers get criticized all the time but not to the same extent.” And what about roles or workplaces with limited sustainability impact? Erik is skeptical of sustainability roles in industry. He knows some sustainability managers in companies. “Some companies are driven by sustainability but for some big ones it is just for show. You do a lot of work and it is not being used. Profit is the main company interest. At least that is my impression.”
To get more attention for his research field, Erik is present at many conferences. Which means that avoiding flying is difficult. It feels ambiguous to him. “Last year I was all over the place,” he recalls. At the same time, he does not think that what he does makes much difference. He does not have a lot of hope in the future. “The system has to change. That is where it needs to happen. But I don’t have much faith in humanity. People are electing all these bad people, reversing everything.” I ask Erik how he still finds motivation for his work. “If my work would be concentrated on climate, it would be demotivating. But the core benefits in my field of research are social sustainability and resource efficiency. I really like what I am doing. Most of the time.”
Meaningful sustainability jobs 