Giving a Voice to All Climate Solutions

Nicolette Santos

When I started working at the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) as a policy intern in the spring of 2019, I had no professional experience in the climate or clean energy space. A sophomore at George Washington University, I only had one internship under my belt and had just declared my environmental studies major. One could say that I wasn’t the most qualified candidate for the job. Despite my lack of experience in the environment and energy space, the EESI policy team recognized my strong passion for climate advocacy and gave me an opportunity—my true “one foot through the door” moment—that has since shaped my career path.

During my time at EESI, I was tasked with conducting policy research, writing articles about new events or studies, and following legislation that was being introduced in Congress. One of my fondest memories of EESI was running around Capitol Hill, distributing fact sheets to legislative aides and helping organize Congressional briefings to educate staffers about the critical need to address climate change.

While I learned a lot about climate and energy policy, the biggest lesson I learned during my time at EESI is that no climate issue or solution is too small when it comes to tackling the climate crisis. This lesson was most prevalent when it came to my work around climate adaptation. Often overshadowed by mitigation goals and policies, climate adaptation is just as important when it comes to creating a society that is both habitable and equitable. This includes creating a society that can function under dire climate change-induced situations, such as more severe and frequent extreme weather events, which are already taking place across the country today. While there is general agreement around the need for climate adaptation policies, these solutions are often an afterthought in policy packages or underfunded to the point where they have limited impact on our communities.

By working at EESI, I was not only able to learn about climate adaptation but was also able to give a voice to the solutions that were not getting the attention that they deserved. It was this goal—giving a voice to overlooked, but often vital, solutions— that I took with me and continue to abide by in my current role.

Today, I am a Communications Associate with David Gardiner and Associates (DGA), a climate and clean energy consulting firm located in Arlington, Virginia. As a Communications Associate, I am responsible for leading the firm’s strategic communications efforts for our clients, including nonprofits Americans for a Clean Energy Grid and the Combined Heat and Power Alliance, as well as the Renewable Thermal Collaborative, an organization focusing on how to scale renewable heating and cooling solutions.

At DGA, our work focuses on clean energy technologies that are often overlooked by the general public and media. Similar to climate adaptation, clean energy technologies like combined heat and power for efficiency or expanded transmission lines are often considered “unsexy” and do not appear first on lists of climate mitigation talking points. However, what the past couple of years have shown us is that the climate crisis requires a “yes, and….” approach. While new technologies or solutions will certainly play a role in solving the climate crisis, we must not forget that there are existing policies and practices that have been overlooked or under-utilized for decades but that will play a critical role if we are to achieve a decarbonized economy. And giving a voice to such technologies and solutions is a practice that I will continue to take with me for the rest of my career.

Author: Nicolette Santos