Four interns who completed Bright Green Business’s longstanding environmentally focussed internship programme during the last year presented their work to a panel of expert judges during the annual ceremony at Queen Margaret University on 20th November 2024. The students and graduates completed paid internships with host organisations, working on projects to promote sustainability.
The finalists included:
Ana Hernandez, Campus Cycling Officer, City of Glasgow College in partnership with Cycling Scotland
Erin Stowell, Climate Adaption Risk Intern, The Scottish Parliament
Karolina Dannberg, Business Strategy Intern, The Leith Collective, in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland
Kelvin Akpojevwe, Sustainability Research Intern, Saltire Patisserie, in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland
A Business Psychology student, Dannberg was instrumental in launching the UK’s first single-use plastic free online marketplace, We Relove, for her internship host organisation The Leith Collective. The judges were particularly impressed with her lasting impact on the host organisation and her ability to push multiple projects forward during her internship, including strategic planning for the organisation’s sustainability strategy. Zero Waste Scotland sponsored her internship with the Leith Collective to help promote the circular economy. Another intern sponsored by ZWS, Kelvin Akpojevwe, received a special commendation from the judges for his work developing partnerships between host organisation Saltire Patisseries and local breweries to make muffins from spent grain created from the brewing process.
The expert judging panel included: Lucy Filby, Head of Net Zero Transition for Agriculture, South of Scotland Enterprise; Mhairi Cochrane, Senior Projects Officer, Edinburgh Climate Change Institute; Kenny Hall, Integrated Employer Engagement Manager, Capital City Partnership; Elena Marburger, Most Enterprising Environmental Intern 2023. While the judges deliberated, attendees had the opportunity to hear from another former Most Enterprising Environmental Intern, Ovie Frederick-Simon, who now works as Senior Sustainability Analyst for SP Energy Networks about his work and the role BGB’s internship programme played in his career journey.
“Every year I am amazed by what the interns are able to accomplish,” said Bright Green Business CEO, Karen Ritchie. “We’re incredibly proud of what impact the internships have, and we encourage any business interested in making sustainability a priority to consider taking on an intern. Within a short amount of time, they make a massive impact on their host organisation.”
Interested businesses can email bright@thebusinesspartnership.org.uk to request a client information packet that includes up-to-date information on the process and costs to take part.
