Think tank offering public policy consulting
My main task consisted in helping to write a report on water and climate diplomacy. The report was commissioned by the German Federal Foreign Office (German equivalent to the U.S. State Department) as part of the Climate Diplomacy Program. Together with three other colleagues from adelphi, I conducted research for this report and wrote up the results in a policy document. I was able to contribute my knowledge on water governance, climate change adaptation, and cooperation in transboundary water basins. I helped distribute the report during the 2016 World Water Week in Stockholm. The Climate Diplomacy Program at adelphi is also developing an interactive online tool with case studies on environment and climate change-related conflict and cooperation all over the world. I contributed to several water-related case studies.
The project I worked on investigated how EMAS, a premium management instrument developed by the European Commission for companies and other organizations to evaluate, report, and improve their environmental performance, is currently supported across the Member States, especially in terms of regulatory relief. The project identified the most relevant EMAS and EMS incentive policies in the selected Member States and analyzed their effectiveness, impact, and replicability.
A significant lasting impression from my trip was that while it is natural to feel anxious or afraid of big changes or challenges, I should put myself out there more often and take risks. Going to Berlin, a city I had never been to before, and working in an environmental consultancy, something I had also never done before, was an extremely rewarding experience and contributed a lot to my personal growth.