Well, I finally started work this week after a full month (actually 5 weeks) of waiting for my work permit to be approved by the Düsseldorf City office. I'm working as an 'environmental manager' at the Corporate Center. I really had no idea what all that entailed until showing up for work on Thursday. I'm still not 100% sure what my position's expectations (KPI's or 'Deliverables', if you want to get buzz-wordy) are at this point, but at least I know some of the things I'll be working on.
It's interesting for me, coming from a regulation-driven, media specific (air pollution) background in the U.S. to arrive in Europe and suddenly be faced with the reality that for better or worse, Climate Change is the number one environmental concern. I'm not going to debate the realities or validity of Climate Change here – I'm just amazed at how stark the difference in attitudes between US industry and Europe are on the issue. I've got a *lot* of catching up to do on the topic and am already learning an immense amount. I've spent years dealing with permitting, regulatory monitoring, chasing down Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs), and working with pollution control equipment, but GreenHouse Gas (GHG) reduction is a whole new world for me and I've got to "drink the Kool-Aid" so-to-speak and jump in to the deep end. As another reporting year has drawn to a close for my employer, the Carbon Disclosure Project is a high priority. We're also ramping up to draft a group-wide Climate and Environmental Protection Policy… and a corporate Biodiversity Policy. Lots to learn, lots to learn… But it's an exciting time to be working in this field, to be sure. It's also extremely exciting to be working for a company that is truly focused on advancing technology and being proactive at the forefront of environmental protection, rather than one based on reactionary policy of 'staying out of trouble.' Obviously, for the sake of my employment and employer, I'll keep specifics out of these posts, but as I learn more and come across interesting tidbits, I'll post them up.
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