Integrating Environmental Policy And Business Careers - Andrew hutson

Erik: What have been the most surprising overlaps between business and environmental policy in your career? Andrew: I think one of the most surprising things for me is that this is even happening at all [laughs]. I mean we’ve kind of gone through cycles in the US in the early seventies we went through the first wave of environmentalism and then in the late 80s, early 90s we went through another wave of environmentalism, and then about five years ago another wave started and I think this time it’s sticking because we don’t have the luxury of it just being a fad now, now it’s a trend. You know, we’re bumping against planetary boundaries with respect to climate, with respect to the nitrogen cycle, with respect to biodiversity and the condition of the oceans and I think that people are waking up to that quite a bit, that we don’t have the luxury of saying ‘this is something that’s a niche’ any more. This is core to the way that a business is going to survive, that our culture society is going to continue. I didn’t expect that to happen. When I was doing my studies when I geared how I was sort of tailoring my level expertise I was really just curious about what I was learning. The job I have now didn’t really exist when I started my studies but it sort of magically happened. I was in the right place at the right time, with the right skill sets so I kind of lucked out. My timing was really good. Had I been four years earlier, I would have been too early if I was two years later… not the field is full but I wouldn’t have been uniquely positioned as I am right now and the things that I’m able to do. So, a window was opened at the tight time for me and I jumped through it.