UNBeknownst Podcast Episode 5: Natalie Weigum on the World Bank and the challenges of working in climate change
Author: UNB Alumni
Posted on Oct 21, 2021
UNBeknownst Episode 5
Natalie Weigum: The World Bank and the challenges of working in climate change
Natalie Weigum (BSc’10) is currently living in Washington, DC working as a climate change specialist at the World Bank, where she helps integrate climate change into the World Bank's development lending. She grew up in Fredericton, where she completed her bachelor of science with a double major in physics and chemistry at the University of New Brunswick. Prior to moving to DC, she completed her PhD in atmospheric physics at the University of Oxford and worked in London, UK as a Policy Advisor for the UK Government's Department of Energy and Climate Change. Natalie enjoys living in DC with her fiancé and two cats, and finds time to visit Fredericton as much as she can! In her spare time, she enjoys photography, travel, and exploring the great outdoors.
In this episode:
- Pivoting out of academia into policy work and experiencing its more tangible day to day impacts
- Overcoming an internal crisis of working on the energy side for implementing the shale gas industry
- Working on transformative climate change projects to help countries adapt to climate change especially in the developing world
- The challenges and rewards of pushing the World Bank’s green lending and convincing stakeholders that climate change is important
- Natalie’s optimisms about the future of climate change and how we as individuals and consumers can reduce admissions
- Advice for trusting the process and not being afraid of change in your career
Links and resources:
Natalie’s LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalieweigum/
UNB Fredericton Faculty of Science: https://www.unb.ca/fredericton/science/
Thanks to:
Our alumni host, Ian Smith
Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden
Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance, Manulife, and MBNA Mastercard
To listen to UNBeknownst and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to be alerted to new episodes, visit our website.