Career profile: Meghna Das MIEMA CEnv

1st August 2023


Head of international programmes engagement, Unicef UK; sustainability professional and chartered environmentalist

Why did you become an environment/sustainability professional?

I believe we are a part of nature and not apart from it. My childhood memory of my father’s scrapbook on animals and nature from newspaper/article cuttings is my first recollection of being interested in the environment. As a student, I took part in debates etc on the environment. After graduating in botany (Honours), I did a master’s in environmental biology.

What was your first job in this field?

As senior environmental scientist at Development Alternatives, an NGO in India, I was responsible for coordinating a nationwide programme – CLEAN-India (Community Led Environment Action Network) – to assess the state of the environment, generating awareness, taking action and advocating through policy change for environmental improvement and sustainable development in 78 Indian cities.

How did you get your first role?

I interviewed for it after my master’s at Delhi University. The organisation needed someone who understood the breadth of environmental challenges from waste management to climate change, and could communicate to multiple stakeholders, including government, children and community members.

What does your current role involve?

I lead a team of specialists working on Unicef areas of work, including the environment, climate change, WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene), health, nutrition, education, emergencies and fundraising for partnership development, advocacy and communications. I am also part of a working group to reduce our organisation’s environmental footprint.

How has your role changed/progressed over the past few years?

I joined Unicef UK in 2015 to bring the environmental lens into its social work. Based on my achievements working with policy colleagues and developing private sector partnerships to give millions of children better environmental outcomes, I was seconded to Unicef Geneva and New York to help develop a strategy for engaging private sector partners globally on climate change and the environment, which is now a key priority for Unicef.

What’s the best part of your work?

The scale, reach and impact of Unicef globally and working with UK private sector partners to have a massive impact on Sustainable Development Goals.

What’s the hardest part of your job?

Mainstreaming environment and sustainability in all our work.

What was the last development event you attended?

Training in equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

What did you bring back to your job?

EDI is a vital part of any job and I wrote an article on ‘Why diversity is needed in the environmental profession’ for the Society for the Environment, to spread the word.

What are the most important skills for your job?

Communication, seeing the bigger picture, connecting the dots, breaking down silos and leading inclusive teams.

Where do you see the profession going?

Sustainability being mainstreamed into everyone’s role.

Where would you like to be in five years’ time?

Creating positive impact through thought leadership, influencing, developing partnerships and helping further the aims of sustainable development globally.

What advice would you give to someone entering the profession?

Learn about other areas of work and how sustainability intersects and brings value to everything.

How do you use the IEMA Skills Map?

When applying for my Chartered Environmentalist, I found it so useful in identifying my strengths and gaps.

What three words best describe you?

Strategic, solutionist, nature-lover.

What motivates you?

Learning from nature, spending time in nature and learning about/knowing how everything is interconnected.

What is your personal motto?

Dream big, action it. Dreams do come true!

What’s the greatest risk you have ever taken?

As a working mother, switching sectors and working on diverse topics and areas in different parts of the world.

If you could go back in history, who would you like to meet?

Leonardo da Vinci – I am inspired by him being inspired and learning from nature.

GET IN TOUCH: If you would like to contribute a member profile, contact: [email protected]

Subscribe

Subscribe to IEMA's newsletters to receive timely articles, expert opinions, event announcements, and much more, directly in your inbox.


Transform articles

IEMA ramps up support for green skills on Education Day at COP28

IEMA’s CEO and deputy CEO, Sarah Mukherjee MBE and Martin Baxter, respectively, called for greater support for green skills at several events today on Youth, Children, Education and Skills Day at COP28.

8th December 2023

Read more

A look at the latest edition of Stephen Asbury’s IEMA-endorsed book, Health and Safety, Environment and Quality Audits, and the CPD opportunities it presents

28th November 2023

Read more

Green technologies are driving job growth in the world’s energy sector, but skill shortages are an increasing concern, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned.

15th November 2023

Read more

Over 70 environmental organisations in the UK have signed up to a new campaign committing to make the green jobs workforce more diverse and inclusive.

9th November 2023

Read more

More than 40 organisations and businesses have backed IEMA’s campaign to get green skills and training on the agenda at COP28, including Nestle UK, the British Chambers of Commerce, and OVO Energy.

9th November 2023

Read more

IEMA CEO, Sarah Mukherjee MBE, and director of policy and public affairs, Ben Goodwin, spoke to packed audiences at BusinessGreen’s Net Zero Festival 2023 today.

31st October 2023

Read more

Almost one-quarter of UK companies are increasing the number of green roles within their business, new data from Totaljobs has revealed.

17th October 2023

Read more

Over a quarter of working adults in the UK believe that part of their job is ‘green’, while one in 20 think that all or most of their role relates to green activities.

10th October 2023

Read more

Media enquires

Looking for an expert to speak at an event or comment on an item in the news?

Find an expert

IEMA Cookie Notice

Clicking the ‘Accept all’ button means you are accepting analytics and third-party cookies. Our website uses necessary cookies which are required in order to make our website work. In addition to these, we use analytics and third-party cookies to optimise site functionality and give you the best possible experience. To control which cookies are set, click ‘Settings’. To learn more about cookies, how we use them on our website and how to change your cookie settings please view our cookie policy.

Manage cookie settings

Our use of cookies

You can learn more detailed information in our cookie policy.

Some cookies are essential, but non-essential cookies help us to improve the experience on our site by providing insights into how the site is being used. To maintain privacy management, this relies on cookie identifiers. Resetting or deleting your browser cookies will reset these preferences.

Essential cookies

These are cookies that are required for the operation of our website. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of our website.

Analytics cookies

These cookies allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors to our website and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works.

Advertising cookies

These cookies allow us to tailor advertising to you based on your interests. If you do not accept these cookies, you will still see adverts, but these will be more generic.

Save and close