Q: Tell us your background and when you first became interested in energy?
A: I grew up on a small farm in the rural Scottish Borders, where I developed a love for the outdoors. At school, geography was always my favourite subject – helped by the fact it offered the best field trips! When I left school, I didn’t have a clear career plan, but my passion for geography led me to complete a BSc in Geography at the University of Edinburgh.

One of the great advantages of a geography degree is its breadth: I studied everything from tropical rainforests, rivers, volcanoes and glaciology to urban development, economics, sociology and statistics. However, it was the climate change science modules – and understanding its impact on natural systems – that truly inspired me. That’s when I realised I wanted to build a career focused on tackling climate change, particularly in the areas of energy and sustainability. This has led me on a career path through solar PV, building energy efficiency and now to net zero consultancy.

Q: How did you first hear about the Energy Institute and what motivated you to join? 
A: While looking to build on my professional qualifications, I found many courses would either be very technical or would be the other direction and only focus on the project management side. When a colleague recommended the Energy Institute, the Energy Management Professional Level 2 course offered exactly what I needed – a balance of technical energy knowledge and the softer skills around business case development and project management.

I think the most valuable part of the Level 2 course was getting exposure to a full range of building energy management topics and being able to pick the modules that best suited my interests and development priorities. As I don’t work in a plant room every day, the course allowed me to get exposure to elements of building energy management that would be difficult to access in my day job.

I’m now progressing to the Level 3 Advanced Energy Manager course to deepen my expertise further.

I really like the clear pathway that the energy management courses have. Once I complete my Level 3 course, the ambition would be to keep developing my skillset and progress from an AMEI towards a MEI and become a Chartered Energy Manager. This would support my career progression as I look to development the skillsets I need at the Carbon Trust, but also to provide confidence for my clients to demonstrate my competencies and industry recognised experience.

Q: Tell us about your current job and industry, and how your work is contributing towards a just transition to net zero? 
A: In my current role, I focus on supporting the UK public sector in achieving its net zero ambitions. I work with a diverse range of clients – from government departments and local authorities to the NHS and higher education institutions.

My key responsibilities include managing projects for carbon footprint reporting, developing net zero strategies and creating detailed action plans. Many of the organisations I work with have strong ambitions but limited resources, so helping them prioritise effectively is critical.

Many public sector organisations face tight financial budgets and competing priorities. It is important for us to develop something with them that is ambitious but also feasible. We need to appreciate the resource, financial and technical constraints they have and then work with them to identify the areas to focus on and which actions will have the biggest impact on their emissions. We can then prioritise some areas and lay the groundwork to develop other areas in the future, whilst maintaining ambition and momentum towards their net zero goals.

Q: How has being an AMEI benefitted you in your career?
A: Being an AMEI has been hugely beneficial. It demonstrates to clients that I have the knowledge and experience to support them, and it gives me access to the Energy Institute’s excellent resources.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are strictly those of the author only and are not necessarily given or endorsed by or on behalf of the Energy Institute.

If you’re keen to follow in Anthony’s footsteps, click here to find more about how to become an Associate Member of the Energy Institute (AMEI).