The Nature Positive team was delighted to host Tanzim Anwar for an eight-week paid placement in July and August 2024 as part of Oxford University’s internship programme. Towards the end of his internship, we asked Tanzim a few questions about his experience working in our team.
What have you enjoyed most about your internship with Nature Positive?
The amount and variety of things that I’ve learnt. Since what sustainability entails is different for each organisation, project work was often specific to the client and meant that you could gain a good understanding of the company’s or sector’s operations, not limited to sustainability. This meant that I had to grapple with new ideas when completing work, still sustainability related, which made almost every task I was given even more interesting.
I enjoyed the variety of tasks I was given. For example, some work was very spreadsheet heavy while other work was very research-focused and meant looking at studies in depth, or learning more about how a particular industry or field works.
I also appreciated having a thorough walk-through of the project lifecycle, and being included in client meetings so that I could better my understanding of the sector. I was fortunate to be part of a team that was always willing to answer any queries I had about a piece of legislation, protocol or other and went above and beyond to ensure I fully grasped the concept.
Overall, my favorite part of the internship was being involved in a large variety of tasks and learning lots in the process!
What are some key things you have learned during your time with us?
I’ve learnt quite a lot about industry during my time at Nature Positive but have also learnt and developed many skills. I built on my Excel and report writing skills. I’ve also developed the skill of processing large amounts of information and condensing it to keep relevant information while maintaining depth and clarity. I’ve improved on adopting the right tone depending on the audience and nature of what I’m writing or saying.
I also learnt a lot about guidance and legislation used when dealing with particular companies or projects. For example, I gained a good understanding of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol standards, the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures. I also learned how to calculate an organisation’s annual carbon footprint which inherently meant becoming familiar with guidance on calculating emissions and how to apply it to a particular client.
Has your time working with Nature Positive changed your perspective on what you might want to do in the future?
I’ve gained a good insight into consultancy, as well as sustainability. I didn’t appreciate all the learning opportunities that consultancy provides, and knowing this will help shape my career and my approach to considering different fields within and outside of the consultancy sector.
Thank you, Tanzim, for everything you have done during your placement and good luck with the rest of your university course!