By Peter Petropoulos, MBA, Booth School of Business, University of Chicago, 2010 EDF Climate Corp Fellow at Pepsi Co, Member of Net Impact
Kermit’s famous lament on the difficulty of being green rings a little less true for me today.
As a 2010 Climate Corps fellow for PepsiCo, I just completed EDF’s intense energy efficiency boot camp. As I sit at LaGuardia listening to random announcements over the airport loudspeaker and watching the hustle and bustle go by, I can’t help but think about the 50 other Climate Corps fellows participating in EDF’s program this summer.
The Climate Corps class of 2010 will be hosted by some of the world’s most influential companies this summer, all charged with uncovering energy efficiency opportunities that could increase companies’ bottom line while also reducing their carbon footprint.
I was already very excited about my summer project before arriving in NYC, but the Climate Corps training illuminated an important value-add of EDF’s program: the amazing network I just made. Over the last several days, I met the most dynamic group of go-getters, all attending top business schools around the country who share my passion for achieving sustainability without sacrificing profits. In the past, I have felt isolated as an environmentalist among my business school peers. I know now that there are many others that share my worldview. Climate Corps will help me and my fellow future business leaders to tackle one of today’s most pressing issues.
When I begin to knock on doors and investigate energy efficiency opportunities at PepsiCo, I will feel confident knowing that I am not alone in my effort and the rest of the Climate Corps network is there to help.
P.S. My flight just got canceled. Maybe my airline could use a well-trained MBA hand with efficiency…