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Australia’s Trinidadian star:Sustainability expert Dr Cle-Anne Gabriel:


“Carbon literacy just means fundamental knowledge. This is the basic knowledge you need in order to really understand what we mean when we talk about climate change, carbon offsets, carbon pricing, all stuff net zero. Some people, I have to say, at first are a bit apprehensive and even find it a little bit insulting because the word literacy can be can seen as a little bit demeaning to people. Especially for senior executives who are at the top end of their careers to have to be offered a course in any kind of literacy,” said Gabriel.

The idea for ThinkZero, she explained, came as she stepped away from the purely scientific aspect of her academic focus and instead adopted new perspectives through business school.“I studied sustainability. In high school, I did geography and environmental studies. My bachelor’s degree was in Geography and Environmental Management at UWI (St Augustine). I just kept studying sustainability but from the perspective of different disciplines, so I started off with a science degree in sustainability then I did two masters, one in policy around sustainability and environmental management and one in engineering for sustainability. Then I got a doctorate in the business to know anything to do with sustainable-business models and how businesses are trying to achieve sustainable development goals,” Gabriel told the Business Guardian in a telephone interview.

Her studies saw her leave Trinidad and advance her learning in Canada, Japan, Germany and New Zealand.
“None of the steps I took in my life were actually sort of planned in advance. I just go where life takes me, honestly. I was living in New Zealand at the time. I lived there for five years. I did my PhD in New Zealand. I was doing an academic role when a job came up at the University of Queensland here in Australia,” said the Bishop Anstey High School Port-of-Spain alumna, who grew up in Mayaro.