Analyst returns to roots

Given Ben Abraham was the former head boy and proxime accessit of Logan Park High School, he never spent much time in the principal’s office.

Yesterday was a novelty for the returning 28-year-old.

"Thankfully, I didn’t get to spend too much time in here, but I’ve always wanted to check it out. If anything, this has provided a good opportunity," he said.

He was officially there to speak to pupils about his career as a global climate change analyst, and inspire others to follow in his footsteps.

Dr Abraham is a former Rhodes Scholar who did a master’s in global governance and diplomacy, and then a PhD in public policy (focusing on global climate change) at Oxford University.

Since then, he has worked as a climate change and environmental consultant in North America, South America and Asia.

"I’ve always cared a lot about the environment, and I think as I have progressed through my education and learnt more about issues facing the world, I’ve really connected with the challenge of climate change.

"It connects fundamentally with not just the environment, but people’s lives."

Now he works for the New Zealand Climate Change Commission as a forestry and agriculture analyst.

"There are people doing the analysis to understand what are the climate change mitigation opportunities and education opportunities in different sectors of our economy.

"We have to piece those together and advise the Government on how it can pull all these different levers across society to get us towards our [climate change] goals."

Dr Abraham was pleased about how dedicated the next generation of school pupils was about tackling the challenges posed by climate change.

"I don’t think they need much inspiration. Judging by the questions they were asking, I think they’re already pretty switched on and fired up."