Krista Halttunen
Role: PhD student, Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London
Subject area: Environmental policy and the low-carbon energy transition
Nationality: Finnish
I started off as a physicist, but now work in an area combining science with policy and business. Before starting my PhD, I worked for a few years as a consultant and a civil servant. I am studying the future possible pathways that the global oil industry may take when we meet the climate goals of the Paris Agreement.
Education
GCSE (or equivalent): National curriculum in Finland, where students do not drop any subjects at this level but study the whole range (e.g. mathematics, natural sciences, languages, social science, arts)
A-level (or equivalent): International Baccalaurate – High level subjects: Finnish A1, Mathematics, Physics, Economics; Standard level subjects: English A2, French B
Degrees
• Master’s (MPhysPhil) in Physics and Philosophy, University of Oxford
• MSc in Environmental Technology, Imperial College London
Detail about Emma
My research
I develop scenarios that show what the future might look like for the global oil industry if we meet the climate change goals set out in the Paris Agreement and limit global warming to 1.5–2 degrees. The findings will help governments, companies and investors prepare for the future and hopefully prepare them to take more ambitious action to limit climate change.
My inspiration
I am worried about the climate emergency so I want to help make the world a better place and develop skills that I can use to do even more in the future.
Who is your STEM hero?
Emmy Noether, mathematics and physics, known for Noether’s Theorem – a brilliant mathematician who made incredible contributions while having to fight for her right to teach and research at a time when women were not generally accepted into academia.
Most significant discovery/invention?
It’s hard to pick just one, as scientific discoveries tend to build on the ones that came before them! But being able to show how climate change is caused by human activity is a very significant one.
Career options after study
- Academic at a university
- Advisor at government
- Sustainability/energy transition expert at an energy company
- Energy expert at a non-governmental organisation
My hobbies
Improvisation theatre, singing, yoga, reading, snowboarding.