Ashley Jones, Communications Specialist at GHG Protocol, sat down with Inhee Chung, Corporate Vice President at Samsung Electronics and member of Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s Independent Standards Board to learn more about how her interdisciplinary background influences her work, her love for racket sports, and her advice for those looking to break into the sustainability and ESG career field.

Outside of your professional credentials, how would you describe yourself? 

I think my professional journey somewhat reflects my personal interests and passion. The sustainability sector, which I have been part of for over 20 years, is in many ways about trying to understand the big picture as well as exploring the details, connecting the dots and looking at different aspects of the same problem while identifying common grounds. I like to see whether there are any synergies and forge partnerships and collaboration to see if there are common goals that we can achieve together. That’s what really excites me.

I've also lived and worked outside of Korea. I spent quite a bit of my early school years in the UK, and later school years in Korea. I think this experience has helped me to be familiar with both “eastern” and “western” perspectives, which has played as a strength for a variety of paths professionally, but also personally. The fact that I take joy in trying to understand different aspects is very much thanks to that experience at an early age of being outside of my culture and comfort zone and trying to understand the differences.

Outside of work, I like to take long walks especially in nature and play racket sports like tennis or squash. I think I generally like playing sports with balls, and I recall playing netball at school in the UK, which I enjoyed very much.

What originally drew you to your career specialty? 

When I was exploring areas for study at university, I came across media coverage and articles on the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, and that event triggered my interest in the global environment. So, I chose to study environmental science and engineering.

During my university days, I was quite interested in getting to the root cause of the problem, the root cause of global environmental issues. That's why for my master's degree I focused more on resource economics to understand the externalities of economic activities and policies that can potentially address them. Global climate change discussions were also picking up with the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol and I started building my career in environment and climate issues linked to economic activities and development.

It also was very much in line with my interest in looking at the forests as well as the trees – understanding the bigger picture while paying attention to the details that make up the bigger picture. What direction should we take? What are the underlying problems, and how can we resolve them? How do we work together to resolve global and complex challenges? These questions are what really got me interested in the topic of the environment, climate and sustainability issues.

What inspired you to apply for GHG Protocol’s Independent Standards Board? 

I was aware of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol since its inception, and I've been using it throughout my career. Recently GHG Protocol became the standard for climate related disclosures under the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which gives significant importance to the GHG Protocol as the standard for greenhouse gas accounting globally.  When GHG Protocol announced the launch of its revision process, I wanted to contribute to the development of the updated Protocol by sharing my experience from both public and private sectors and especially from a “user” perspective. 

Despite late night ISB calls, it’s been enlightening and rewarding to interact with other ISB members and being part of a larger team to shape the next generation of the GHG Protocol.

How do you view your role on the Independent Standards Board? 

I think I bring some unique perspectives. During my UN Environment Program (UNEP) days, I was engaged in global standard setting and guideline development in a multistakeholder context, so I’m quite familiar with how that process works. I’ve also worked in the private sector and on the corporate side as a “user” of these standards and guidelines, which brings a whole new perspective.  Moreover, it is also important to keep in mind the geographical and cultural differences so that the global standard is not biased to a particular region or culture.  So, I see my role as someone who can shed light on these different perspectives, especially as a “user.” Sometimes these perspectives can be at odds, but it’s necessary to consider all of them so that the next version of the GHG Protocol is relevant and feasible for all global users.

In sum, I would like to bridge any gaps that might be there between the user and the developer of the Protocol.

What changes in greenhouse gas accounting have you seen over the course of your career? 

With the increase of climate-related disclosure requirements, the use of the GHG Protocol has become the global norm for accounting for greenhouse gases. As previously mentioned, I've been aware of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol since its inception, and I've used it throughout my career. Initially it was catered to a smaller user group working in the climate and sustainability field. But now, the uptake has grown significantly, including those in the accounting and financial sectors, as it has become a global accounting method. Given its elevated importance in understanding and managing climate change impacts throughout the value chain, the Protocol needs to be a practical framework, and not overly academic, while maintaining its technical rigor.

What have you read/listened to/watched recently that taught you something new? 

I'm currently hearing a lot about AI, and being in the tech sector helps. AI is bringing on so many changes. From an industry perspective, there's a lot of talk about AI using a lot of electricity and energy. We need to think about a decarbonization pathway in the age of AI. At the same time, I'm sure that AI can also contribute to the sustainability agenda. There appears to be some different competing and conflicting aspects to AI – and of course there's the ethics and governance side as well, which is another issue. I’ve currently been delving into the AI discussion and the array of tools available. I’ve picked up a couple, more on the research side, to learn a bit more – how to prompt, how to ask good questions to get good results.

I also really like reading biographies which take you into the lives and thoughts of great historical figures and personalities. That's been my thing since an early age, and recently, I've read Hit Refresh by the Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella who highlights the value of empathy in leading organizations and building relationships, both within the company and with external stakeholders.  Given how Microsoft turned its business around under Nadella’s leadership, I was keen to learn and emulate his management style.

How does your interdisciplinary academic background in science, engineering, environmental economics and policy inform your work in the GHG accounting ecosystem? 

The greenhouse gas accounting system is somewhat detailed and complex. There are different system boundaries to consider as well as overlaps.  I think my interdisciplinary experience helps me to unpack the complexities while approaching the accounting exercise from an integrated and holistic perspective. 

Climate change has effects on biodiversity and other environmental and even social issues. I’ve used the “forest and trees” analogy before, but my professional, as well as my academic interdisciplinary background has really helped me to look at the trees, which is the greenhouse gas accounting, as well as the forest, which is the other systems that interact with greenhouse gas measurements. My interdisciplinary training and perspectives have allowed me to see how to manage based on the measurements you’ve done and recognize synergies or tradeoffs with other aspects of environmental sustainability, such as biodiversity or resource circularity. 

How has your professional experience with a global sustainability consulting firm (ERM- Environmental Resources Management), a multinational chemical company (LG Chem), and international organizations such as the UN Environment Program (UNEP) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) informed your perspective on climate action and sustainability issues? 

Having experienced different professional settings, I find myself engaging in conflicting thoughts at times on a topic which may appear to be quite straight forward for some. It's about looking at the same issue, but from various perspectives. At the same time, I feel I can better understand the differences and apply that understanding to bridge the gap and look for a common goal that unites different stakeholders to move forward together.

Also, being in consulting was a very interesting and helpful part of my career because in a very short period of time I got to experience a lot of different industries and their sustainability challenges and opportunities. My concrete on-the-ground consulting experience has also been instrumental in my international industrial policy and development work at UNEP and GGGI. 

It's one thing knowing a topic theoretically, but it's quite another really having experienced some of these issues directly that need to be reflected into policy.

What advice do you have for people just starting out who also want to pursue a career in climate and sustainability?

First and foremost, it’s important to have clarity on the “why.” Why a career in climate and sustainability?  Having a solid “why” will help weather any challenges and uncertainties you may experience during the sustainability career journey, as you are bound to encounter a few of such moments.  In this field, I think it's important that you experience different aspects of the climate and sustainability activities early on. Consulting is a good starting point because you experience a lot in a very short period of time. Then you can move into something more specific, like renewable energy industries or international development and policy work because you’ve experienced the more granular aspects of these issues.

For those interested in working within a company, it’s good to be purpose-driven, but you also have to be practical. If you’re too mission driven and your goals are too lofty, then it won’t get implemented. You have to be able to convince people whose main objective is to make profit. You have to think practically and come to a middle ground while laying out the foundation for the company to advance its sustainability journey gradually. If you shoot for the stars on day one, you’ll scare away many people who really need to work on these issues. Striking that balance is very important in this field in the corporate context, especially with the complex geopolitical aspects that we’re experiencing now.

Then again, maintaining that passion and “why” alive at all times is key to a fulfilling and meaningful career in climate and sustainability field, so keep that flame burning in your heart!