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Fuel Change Challenge
Leia Pol, Ross-shire Engineering
New solutions to net zero
22 year old Leia Pol is a Biology and Sustainable Development Graduate working with the Environmental and Sustainability team at Ross-Shire Engineering (RSE).
Originally from Blairgowrie, and having studied at St Andrews University, she was delighted to secure a job making use of her qualifications with RSE, and now lives in Muir of Ord.
Tell us about your current role? What’s the best thing about your job?
My current role is Sustainability Graduate within the Quality Health Safety and Environment department at RSE. The role focuses primarily on driving our net zero target of 2030 across the business from our operations, through to our products and services. The best thing about the job is the engagement across the business and with clients; sustainability should be embedded at all levels which means I get exposure to lots of departments.
Describe what RSE does, why is sustainability and net zero important to it?
RSE is a specialist engineering company delivering a comprehensive service from design, through to fabrication, installation, commissioning, and handover. We operate primarily in the water treatment sector, however, also within oil and gas, clean energy, and industrial sectors. We specialise in offsite modular construction which provides carbon reduction as well as reducing health and safety risk and improved quality assurance.
Our work within the water treatment sector provides clean water to millions of people across the UK. The UK water sector has committed to net zero targets between 2030-2040. To help achieve this, RSE has an innovations team which researches and develops new solutions to traditional water treatment technologies.
RSE has set an operational net zero target of 2030, which primarily focuses on reducing our scope 1 and 2 emissions through a reduced reliance on fossil fuels within our fleet and operations.
Where has your interest in sustainability come from?
At university I had initially enrolled onto a marine biology course, however, when I took sustainable development in my first year this sparked my interest.
Since being at RSE I have truly understood the importance of sustainable development. At university, it was very theoretical but I believe it is the everyday practical decisions which we all make that will make the difference.Leia Pol, sustainability graduate, Ross-shire Engineering
Highlands and Islands Challenge
Leia is one of the team in the summer cohort of the Highlands and Islands Fuel Change Challenge. Around 60 young people aged 16-25 are tackling real life sustainability challenges set by local industry.
She is part of an all RSE team - the other members are Project Engineer Jordan Miller; Quantity Surveyor Roslyn Mathieson; Mechanical Engineer Ross Urquhart; and Chemical Engineer Jamie Melling. Collaboration is easy as they all work in Inverness. Leia says that being from different departments has been a bonus, as their backgrounds and experiences have helped when developing their ideas.
What is your challenge topic? Why did the team decide to go with that?
Our challenge is the 'Rest' topic with our question focused around environmentally positive and affordable housing developments for young people. We believed this topic related best to our roles at RSE, which will help us to develop our solution.
What have you learned so far as part of it?
It increases your knowledge and improves your ability to think differently about approaches to the sustainability challenge which can be taken into your day job.
A shared understanding of sustainability and a shared passion for enabling change across the industry will benefit all of us as part of the RSE team. We can all use the knowledge gained within our day to day jobs. Especially as the next generation of leaders, this opportunity to work together and improve leadership/cooperation skills will really help in future career endeavours.
It is a great way to encourage collaboration and give employees the opportunity to take ownership of something that is theirs.
Skills learnt researching and presenting their findings have developed a team, from different disciplines, who are very capable of collaborating and delivering a project without management input, enabling them to demonstrate their skills and knowledge.Stephen Webb, Sustainability Manager, Ross-shire Engineering
The future
"I think sustainability is one of the fastest growing sectors across the world, it is becoming increasingly important for many organisations.
Sustainability is a selling point for business, without a commitment towards positive environmental practices, businesses will struggle to outcompete others. This creates a huge employment opportunity across the sector.
The Highlands and Islands are a renewable energy hotspot, and to take full advantage of this we need the next generation to be upskilled in the growing green economy."
Leia Pol
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