María Amorín Cabrera
MSc Materials Chemistry, 2021
Chief Executive Officer and Founder at CrustaTec and Indequi
In 2018, María Isabel founded CrustaTec, an award-winning firm that produces biopolymer Chitosan from the shrimp shells waste of the seafood processing industry and applies it to wastewater treatment. CrustaTec is part of Indequi, an R&D (Research and Development) and consulting firm that she established. The highly prestigious American Chemical Society featured CrustaTec as one of the five young chemistry-based firms of 2020 to watch. The MIT Technology Review has listed María Isabel in their Innovators Under 35 MIT Technology Review.
Vijay Bhopal
BSc Geology, 2009
Chief Executive Officer at Inclusive Energy and Co-Founder and Non-Executive Director at Scene Connect
Expert in renewable energy. His career journey in this field started in 2010 in Scotland where he designed and led a range of medium sized wind, hydro and solar projects. He spearheaded Urjaa Samadhan, an Odisha-based social enterprise working with poor users of off-grid solar equipment in India. In recent years his focus turned toward integrated local energy systems and how to utilise Information and Communications Technology (ICTs) in energy provision. He co-founded Scene Connect, a social enterprise that facilitates the spread of locally owned renewable energy across the globe through research, consulting, and development of community projects.
Keith Bohannon
MSc Africa and International Development, 2013
Chief Executive Officer at Plan Vivo Foundation
Chief Executive Officer and Founder of the Plan Vivo Foundation, a registered Scottish charity, set up to develop and oversee the Plan Vivo Standard. The Plan Vivo Standard provides a support framework for smallholders and rural communities, principally in the developing world, to manage their natural resources more sustainably. The supported activities provide climate, livelihood, and ecosystem benefits. Keith is responsible for the development and implementation of the Foundation's strategy and has worked on sustainable livelihood projects across several countries in southern Africa, including South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Namibia.
Prince Chakanyuka
BSc Medicinal and Biological Chemistry, 2020 (MasterCard Foundation Scholar)
Co-Founder and Executive Director at Chashi Foods
Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Prince came to Edinburgh as one of six pioneer Mastercard Foundation Scholars. Alongside his studies at the School of Chemistry, Prince competed in the Enactus entrepreneurship World Cup Competition in California and achieved three Edinburgh Awards. He currently works in supply chain management and was named Consumer and Luxury Rising Star Winner at the 2022 Black British Business Awards. Prince co-founded Chashi Foods, a socially and environmentally responsible enterprise that produces 100% natural dried fruits and vegetables sourced directly from rural farmers in Zimbabwe, focusing on increasing their income and reducing post-harvest losses.
Bharat Chaturvedi
MA Economics and Politics, 2019
Founder of Sanitree, Member of the Governing Body of Bharat Krishak Samaj, and Coordinator for the Indian Youth Congress International
In 2017, Bharat founded Sanitree, an eco-feminist co-operative that aims to tackle period poverty and the stigma surrounding menstruation in a sustainable, collaborative, and ethical way. Sanitree employs local women in Jaipur, India to produce affordable and environmentally friendly sanitary pads that can be reused for up to two years. The co-operative is dedicated to ensuring that women do not miss out on days of education because of menstruation. Bharat works for the Indian Youth Congress International and he is also a member of Bharat Krishak Samaj - Farmers' Forum India that promotes sustainability, inclusion, and farmer prosperity.
Jamie Craze
MA Economics, 2021 and MSc Climate Change Finance and Investment, 2022
Credit Analyst at S&P Global
Jamie is a recent graduate with a strong interest in sustainable finance and the use of entrepreneurship in fighting the climate crisis. Alongside his degrees, he worked as Research Analyst at ESGgen, examining ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) data in the context of SME (Small and Medium Enterprises). As Research Consultant for SCB Group, he constructed an emissions model to evaluate the carbon footprint of cryptocurrencies. Jamie currently works as Credit Analyst at S&P Global. The company’s new Sustainable division provides a centralised source of sustainability intelligence to drive the transition to a low carbon, equitable future.
Gary Davis
BSc Geography, 2022
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Ecometrica
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ecometrica, one of the world’s top sustainability brands, providing global environmental reporting to enable businesses, governments, and society to better understand their environmental impact. Before establishing Ecometrica, Gary worked in consulting, specialising in greenhouse gas emissions assessment, modelling, calculation, monitoring and reporting. He also serves on the board of trustees of Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh-based science centre that raises awareness and promotes education in Earth and Environmental Science.
Martin Ewart
MSc Earth Observation and Geoinformation Management, 2018
Co-Founder and Managing Director at EarthWave
Martin is on a mission to bring Earth observation to regular analysts and data scientists. In 2018, he co-founded Earthwave, a satellite data science start-up that uses remote sensing, data computing, and artificial intelligence to focus on understanding, predicting and preventing the effects of climate change. Earthwave provides services to both the European Space Agency and NASA, enabling analysis of the Earth's Surface. The company has grown to a team of 10 and now is involved with many consortia around the world.
Lingyin Fan
MSc Ecological Economics, 2015
Associate at McKinsey and Company and Co-Founder at Regeneration Labs
After graduating in 2015, Lingyin co-founded Relabs (Regeneration Labs), a Shanghai-based social enterprise committed to planetary health, solving environmental issues through eco-tourism, education, and exercise. She volunteered at the Nature Conservancy and joined Lean In, a company that helps women achieve their ambitions and strives to build inclusive workplaces. In 2018, she was invited by the University of Edinburgh to attend the Planetary Health Annual Meeting and discuss health and environmental issues with experts from top institutions around the world. She currently works for McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm.
Michael Galante
PhD Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, 2016
Secretary-General at ARFM and Director at Climate Forestry
Michael is a professional forester with over 20 years of experience in Asia-Pacific, in the fields of forest management planning, forest certification, timber legality, forest finance and climate change mitigation. He is the founder of the Alliance for Responsible Forest Management (ARFM). ARFM is an independent NGO aiming to accelerate the implementation of responsible forest management across the tropical Africa, Asia, and Latin America by creating a global knowledge management system and appropriate training.
Rachel Graham
MSc Environmental Protection and Management, 1994
Founder and Executive Director at MarAlliance
Conservation scientist focused on conducting community-based science and conservation of large marine wildlife. Rachel is a Founder and Leader of MarAlliance, an international conservation research and outreach NGO with program bases in four countries, including Belize, Honduras, Panama and Cabo Verde. Its mission is to rewild the seas by exploring, enabling and inspiring conservation action for threatened marine wildlife and their habitats with dependent communities. Before launching MarAlliance, Rachel worked for the Wildlife Conservation Society, the U. of York and the United Nations. She is a Pew Marine Fellow and won the Whitley Fund for Nature Gold Award for work with sharks and communities.
Alasdair Harris
BSc Zoology, 2002
Executive Director at Blue Ventures
Alasdair is a marine conservationist working at the interface of ocean protection and climate justice. His organisation Blue Ventures develops locally led approaches to marine conservation that benefit people and nature alike. As well as safeguarding critical blue carbon stores, Blue Ventures’s approach is helping hundreds of thousands of people living in low-income coastal communities to adapt to the climate emergency. Alasdair is a TED fellow and holds a PhD in Marine Ecology and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh.
Kevin Houston
MSc Carbon Management, 2009
Owner and Co-Founder at Carbon Masters
On graduating from Edinburgh, Kevin co-founded Carbon Masters, a carbon management company that assists organisations with carbon reduction through innovative and clean energy solutions. Carbon Masters has offices in Newcastle, and Bangalore in India and works with a wide range of clients on greenhouse gas assessments and carbon management strategy development. In 2014 Carbon Masters India developed and launched Carbonlites, South India's very first compressed biogas and organic fertiliser brands. Carbonlites’ bio-enriched organic fertiliser helps farmers reduce their use of chemical inputs, puts carbon and other nutrients back into the soil, improving fertility and saving carbon emissions.
Livia Jakob
MSc Geographical Information Science, 2018
Co-Founder and Research Scientist at Earthwave
In 2018, Livia co-founded Earthwave, a satellite data science start-up that uses remote sensing, data computing, and artificial intelligence to focus on understanding, predicting and preventing the effects of climate change. Livia has a strong background in Computer Science, Earth Observation and Geographical Information Science, allowing her to bring research and data analysis together with efficient data structures and flexible software solutions. Prior to Earthwave, Livia founded a multiple award-winning NGO, which supports education and sustainability projects in El Salvador.
Unelker Maoga
MSc Environment and Development, 2021
Founder and Director at Konservation, Assistant Energy Advisor at Practical Action Consulting and Former Explorer at National Geographic
Unelker is a conservationist with experience in community development. She is the Founder and Director of Konservation, a local non-profit working with rural communities in southwest Kenya. The organisation works to promote environmental stewardship and sustainable development through clean energy, environmental education, and female empowerment projects. Unelker is a National Geographic Explorer and a WWF African Youth Awards recipient. Apart from Konservation, Unelker also works as the Energy Lead at Practical Action Consulting where she leads business development scanning for clean energy projects, among other responsibilities.
Alireza Abbassi Monjezi
Postdoc Research Associate, 2019
Founder and Director at Waterwhelm
The focus of Alireza’s studies and entrepreneurial journey has been the development of wastewater treatment and seawater desalination systems. In 2018, Alireza founded Waterwhelm, an award-winning company commercialising a ground-breaking self-powered wastewater treatment technology for the production of freshwater, simultaneously producing biodiesel/bio-gasoline on large-scale or electricity on small-scale. He led Waterwhelm to win the 2019 Converge KickStart Challenge among 139 early-stage businesses in Scotland and won the Young Scottish EDGE as the top business founder in Scotland under the age of 30.
Som Narayan
MSc Carbon Management, 2009
Co-Founder at Carbon Masters
Som has been working in the area of climate change for last six years. On graduating from Edinburgh, Som co-founded Carbon Masters, a carbon management company that works with organisations to help them in carbon reduction through innovative clean energy solutions. He has evaluated several low carbon technology solutions that will help Indian companies to reduce their carbon emissions and save costs. Som is currently working with a major Telecom Infrastructure provider to reduce their diesel consumption and carbon footprint from their 500 Telecom towers in India.
James Nikitine
MSc Marine Systems and Policies, 2016
Founder and Executive Director at Blue Cradle
James is an interdisciplinary marine scientist filmmaker, and consultant. He works globally with IUCN, UNESCO, Pew, the French and UK governments, leading many ocean and climate projects. In 2019, he moved to New Zealand as an Edmund Hillary Fellow and settled with his family. In 2020, he founded a marine research and education NGO, the Blue Cradle Foundation working in the Pacific. His research interests are Earth Law, MPAs, and Indigenous knowledge. He is studying a PhD in Science Communications at the University of Otago in New Zealand. He is the Co-Chair of the EU4Ocean Platform.
Olivier Nsengimana
MVetSci Conservation Medicine, 2015
Founder and Executive Director at Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association
Olivier designed a unique conservation project to abolish the illegal trade of the endangered Grey Crowned Cranes in Rwanda and won the Rolex Award for Enterprise which allowed him to start implementing the work. He established Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association in 2015 to protect and restore threatened wildlife and wild places. Since beginning his work, the population of Grey Crowned Cranes in Rwanda has more than doubled. Using a model of community conservation and targeting the problem from all angles, Olivier believes this positive change can be sustained and his team have now expanded this model to other threatened species.
Rashneh Pardiwala
MSc Environmental Protection and Management, 1997 and PhD Ecology, 2001
Founder and Director at the Centre for Environmental Research and Education (CERE)
Rashneh established the Centre for Environmental Research and Education (CERE) to promote environmental sustainability through research and innovation, formal education, government and corporate partnerships and publications. Over the past 20 years, CERE has grown to become a leading environmental organization in India having successfully executed major environmental restoration projects in the fields of urban afforestation, renewable energy, rainwater harvesting and watershed management. CERE has published 28 titles, produced short films, and developed path-breaking online e-courses. CERE is also a pioneer in developing carbon management systems for corporate India.
George Richards
MA Arabic and Persian, 2007
Director at Community Jameel
As the Director of Community Jameel, George has led a major expansion of the organisation's support for climate science, including the Jameel Observatory, a new research centre launched in 2021 in Kenya with the University of Edinburgh, Save the Children, the CGIAR International Livestock Research Institute, the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Community Jameel. The Jameel Observatory harnesses data science to monitor, forecast and unlock anticipatory action in the face of famine and other climate challenges.
Forget Shareka
MSc Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 2021
Graduate Environmental Officer at Dunbia Group, Co-Founder at Chashi Foods and Founder at Through Life Hope Future Association
Forget is working as a graduate Environmental Officer. She is involved in climate innovation and justice issues, promoting building resilience, adaptation, and mitigation in the agribusiness space. She has worked with the UNFCCC, UNGEI, CAMFED, and Global Alliance and she has been a voice for rural farmers, youth in agribusiness, and girls on international platforms. She contributed to the NDCs consultation on Food Systems carried out by Solidaridad Network in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Future Food. She was a COY16 delegate and a COP26 panellist in the blue and green zones. She will attend COP27 in Egypt.
David Shearman
BSc Anatomy, 1959, MBChB Medicine, 1962 and PhD Medicine, 1970
Co-Founder of Doctors for the Environment Australia, Emeritus Professor of Medicine at Adelaide University, and Former Medical School Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh
Emeritus Professor of Medicine at Adelaide University who previously held senior positions at Edinburgh and Yale Universities. David is author of many books relating to climate change, its science, consequences, and solutions. He served on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and has been President of the Conservation Council of South Australia. In 2001, he co-founded Doctors for the Environment Australia. He is author and co-author of several hundred scientific and medical papers and writes frequently for the media. David is the recipient of the Order of Australia Award for his service to medicine and climate change.
Hermione Taylor
BSc Evolutionary Biology, 2007
Co-Founder and Director at Do Nation
In 2010, Hermione co-founded Do Nation, an online platform that brings communities together to galvanise millions of people to adopt healthy, sustainable habits that cause a ripple effect of action and influence. Through Do Nation, she has helped hundreds of organisations, including the Scottish Parliament, PwC, and NHS, to mobilise their employee communities on climate action. In 2010, in collaboration with the UNEP, TED, Accenture, and others, Hermione helped to launch Count Us In, a global movement aiming to engage a billion people in meaningful climate action.
Alan Wilson
BVMS Veterinary Medicine, 1963 and PhD Science and Engineering, 1968
Vet and Founder at Ecolodges Indonesia
After graduating from Edinburgh with a degree in Veterinary Medicine, Alan worked in veterinary practice, research, education and animal disease prevention in Africa, Australia, and Indonesia. Alan has worked in Indonesia for 36 years. He was instrumental in the establishment of Ecolodges Indonesia, a company that only employs local people as a conservation measure aimed to strengthen and empower their commitment to the environment as an employment source.
Iain Woodhouse
BSc Physics, 1989
Professor of Applied Earth Observation at the University of Edinburgh, Chair at the Earth Observation Advisory Committee, Co-Founder at Earth Blox and Interim Chief Executive Officer at Carbomap
Iain works as Professor of Applied Earth Observation at the University of Edinburgh. In 2019, he co-founded Earth Blox, a start-up that provides code-free, cloud-based mapping software which simplifies access to planetary-scale satellite analysis without the need for specialist expertise or software. Its users include the United Nations Environment Programme and numerous universities conducting planetary-scale analyses. Earth Blox was winner of the 2020 Converge and Scottish EDGE16 Awards. Iain is also an Interim CEO of Carbomap, a start-up that applies state-of-the-art science to the problem of measuring and mapping the world's forest carbon.
Read more from our 75
Meet the alumni who are working to inform, to challenge and to educate. From policy and advocacy, to activism and agenda setting, our Awareness category is filled with individuals who push beyond echo chambers and who work with and through others to achieve lasting impact.
Meet our academics, our researchers, our consultants and our place makers. Individuals who make sense of the complex and help us consider our alternatives. Our Understanding category contains individuals who will take us where we need to go.
By sharing these fragments of a much bigger picture we hope to inspire and hopefully motivate. There is no single solution but millions of different ones which, when pieced together, give us hope for a better future.
So, let's start with 75 and we can take it from there. If you know of any University of Edinburgh alumni who should feature in a future version of Climate 75, please email alumni@ed.ac.uk and tell us about how they are making a difference.