Joseph Hodson

In September 2023 I started my role as Sustainability Advisor with ISS, a facilities management provider, which means as a company we provide services which maintain and improve a company’s properties. This involves key services such as cleaning, engineering, catering and more. Alongside these we also provide consultation on sustainable operations and business. This role has been interesting and rewarding as we provide varied sustainability solutions on a wide range of large private and public contracts. These solutions can include carbon accounting, climate risk assessments, ESG reporting, flood risk assessments, energy portfolio modelling, zero waste management, decarbonisation assessments, and more.

The postgraduate programme I undertook was pivotal in my being offered this role. Through the interview process I relied on a wealth of knowledge I had gained from my time at university from specific modules and coursework which I have then gone on to use in my day-to-day work. One key aspect is in delivering Climate Change Risk Assessments for clients which draws on skills acquired in the programme, including scenario modelling using RCP pathways, assessing flood risk, and utilising GIS tools to map impacts across the client’s estate.

An aspect of my time at Loughborough which was both very enjoyable and has greatly benefitted me, is understanding the principles which underpin national energy modelling. These principles from the Economic Modelling and Policy for Sustainable Development module have been critical in deploying decarbonisation assessments for clients and providing the business case for electrification and renewable energy generation. 

Another key aspect is the in-depth understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals provided by the programme, which has built the foundations informing many of the frameworks for the corporate sustainability reporting we deliver such as the GRI and CSRD.  I have also found that many of the soft skills developed at university, especially presenting, report writing and teamworking skills have been essential in navigating the world of corporate sustainability.

For someone looking to undertake this programme, it would be most beneficial to know that it offers a wide range of skills in each of the modules, which you can choose to build upon during your dissertation. The knowledge built from the research required for a dissertation can strongly guide your career prospects.

For example, my dissertation was on the Framework for Energy Resilience in the Pacific Islands, and I was hired as a Sustainability Advisor with a specialism in carbon and energy, with career prospects of becoming the Carbon and Energy Subject lead. Extra-curricular activity is also super beneficial.

My volunteering for a sustainability charity also contributed greatly to be career prospects. A postgraduate programme has very different ups and downs to an undergraduate one, and can bring unforeseen challenges, to which all I can say is that the lecturers were all very supportive and your hard work will pay off.