Bekenstein Climate Leaders
Colby Richardson ’25 MEM
Goal: Reducing corporate supply chain emissions
Vermont is the third-most forested state of the U.S. mainland, with approximately 4.5 million acres of forestland covering nearly 80% of its territory. After witnessing the destructive effects of mining activity on the state’s forests, Colby Richardson’ 25 MEM, who grew up in the rural town of Thetford, was inspired to study environmental policy in college.
Richardson spent several years working in environmental consulting and at an online renewable energy marketplace. He came to YSE with the goal of deepening his quantitative skills to build a business case for sustainability, and last summer he interned at The Coca-Cola Company, where he focused on the company’s sustainability strategy. After graduating, Richardson would like to continue working to reduce supply chain emissions.
As a child, Colby Richardson ’25 MEM hiked, biked, and sledded down hills in the 1,000 acres of forest across the street from his home in Thetford, Vermont. He also enjoyed swimming in the nearby Ompompanoosuc River. When the river turned orange from improperly capped copper mines, it opened Richardson’s eyes to environmental degradation.
He pursued environmental studies in college, earning a bachelor’s degree in environmental policy from Union College. After graduating, he worked at ERG, an environmental consulting firm, and then at EnergySage, the largest online renewable energy marketplace in North America, where he managed business relations with renewable energy installers.
At YSE, Richardson has deepened his quantitative skill set to augment his previous experience in marketing and communications. He has learned how to factor project risk into business decisions and better analyze and understand project profitability. He said classes such as Renewable Energy Project Finance, taught by Daniel Gross, ’92, MEM/ ’98 MBA, a lecturer at YSE who leads Amazon’s decarbonization fund, have been especially valuable to him.
Last summer, Richardson interned at The Coca-Cola Co., working with its global policy and sustainability team on the company’s water and deforestation strategy.
“Working for a company like that is pretty eye-opening,” Richardson said. “On that scale, one small change can make a huge difference.”
After graduation, he would like to continue working to reduce supply chain emissions in the corporate sector.
“There is a lot of opportunity there because that’s the hardest category to reduce — convincing companies to adopt sustainability initiatives that may or may not hurt their bottom line,” Richardson said. “I think it is super challenging, but that’s what makes it interesting.”
