Varun's Election Platform
For the President of the Environmental Committee
About Me
I am a second-year MINT Candidate specialising in Environment and Sustainability. Since September 2022, I have served on the Environmental Committee's Board as the liaison for the Target Initiative on Sustainability. This initiative, composed of 12 members from students, faculty, and staff, is dedicated to mitigating the environmental impact of the Geneva Graduate Institute's facilities, focusing on food, energy, waste, recycling, travel, mobility, and Information Technology (IT).
Professionally, I work as a Sustainability Innovation and Strategy consultant at rePurpose Global, a world-leading platform addressing plastic pollution. In this role, I represent our venture at multistakeholder forums, including negotiations for the UN Plastics Treaty involving 185+ member states.
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Beyond my professional work, I am deeply committed to sustainability in my daily life, making eco-conscious choices by following a vegetarian diet, sustainable clothing, and transportation, often opting for my bicycle for reduced environmental impact.
The Four Pillars of my Platform
Ambition
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Align the EC's vision and mission with the broader objectives of the Graduate Institute Student Association (GISA), Target Initiative on Sustainability, and IHEID
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Develop clear strategies and roadmaps for each team of the EC
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Foster greater organisation and professionalism within the committee
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Establish ambitious yet pragmatic sustainability targets for IHEID's100th anniversary
Awareness
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Organise more frequent workshops and field trips to raise awareness about environmental issues and best practices among the student community
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Conduct stimulating, career-oriented networking events with academics and professionals working in the domain of environment and sustainability
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Facilitate access to best-in-class mediums for raising awareness in collaboration with the Centre for International Environmental Studies (CIES) and the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Library
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Ensure regular dissemination of news, updates and trends in the global environmental policy through the monthly newsletter
Action
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Facilitate a regular cadence for engagement between members of the committee
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Attempt to engage with key actors in the global environmental domain to cultivate a promising network for students' career opportunities
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Stimulate disciplinary and interdisciplinary academic discourses, including, but not restricted to thesis shares and research seminars
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Targeted and purposeful events that feed into the long-term objectives, such as conducting waste diagnostics, garage sales, bike repair workshops, kitchen gardening workshops etc.
Accountability
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Facilitate a mechanism for crowd-sourcing ideas for events to synergise the community's expectations with the committee's actions
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Incorporate feedback mechanisms for continuous improvement of the working of the committee
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Ensure cohesiveness in the committee through informal hangouts and team-building activities
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“The environment is where we all meet; where all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share"
- Lady Bird Johnson
