Environmental Sustainability
Ridwan
Analyst focused on regional and sectoral pathways to a net-zero economy. Bridging environmental science, policy, and data to support Canada's transition to sustainability.
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About
Environmental analyst
Environmental analyst
and researcher
I hold a Master of Science in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Ottawa, where my research examined the lifecycle transition to sustainable aviation fuels in Canada. My work sits at the intersection of environmental science, policy analysis, and data-driven decision making.
Currently, I work as an Analyst with the Regional and Sectoral Pathways team at The Transition Accelerator, where I help advance Canada's transition to a competitive, net-zero economy. I bring experience in carbon accounting, ESG strategy, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory analysis across multiple sectors.
🌱
Sustainability
Lifecycle assessment, carbon accounting, ESG strategy
📊
Data & Analysis
Environmental performance data, policy research, GHG quantification
📜
Policy
Regulatory impact analysis, climate frameworks, clean fuel regulations
🌎
Engagement
Cross-functional collaboration, Indigenous communities, industry stakeholders
Professional Journey
June 2025 - Present
Analyst, Regional & Sectoral Pathways
The Transition Accelerator
- Support a cross-cutting national and regional approach to enhance competitiveness and clean growth across Canada's diverse provinces and territories.
- Contributed to the development of Growing and Greening Canadian Construction, a landmark report in which nine of Canada's largest general contractors collaborated to analyze operational data from over 600 projects and identify high-impact actions to reduce jobsite emissions.
- Gather and synthesize regional intelligence on priorities, policies, and market changes to inform and shape key initiatives across the organization's focus areas.
- Contribute to the development and maintenance of national and regional decision support tools, ensuring pathway modelling remains accessible, dynamic, and transparent.
- Maintain a broad network of relationships with market stakeholders, sharing insights from across focus areas and collecting intelligence to refine strategic direction.
- Collaborate across teams to provide research support on electrification, net-zero fuels, building decarbonization, and future economy initiatives.
October 2024 - June 2025
Data and Research Specialist
The Transition Accelerator - Contractor
- Collaborated with project teams to parse and structure environmental performance data from high-rise development projects, ensuring consistency and readiness for Python-based analysis, which streamlined sustainability metrics evaluation.
- Developed and managed environmental data projects to evaluate biophysical performance and identify improvement areas, aligning closely with assessment needs in the energy and construction sectors.
- Researched actionable solutions for overcoming industry-specific sustainability barriers, contributing to well-organized, data-driven reports and presentations that provided project stakeholders with clear, implementable recommendations for enhancing sustainability.
May 2024 - August 2024
Sustainable Aeronautics Analyst, CO-OP Student
NAV CANADA
- Assisted with the development, system integration testing, and calculations of a comprehensive carbon accounting tool for Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, ensuring alignment with the GHG Protocol and other corporate sustainability standards.
- Authored the organization's ESG Strategy, ensuring alignment with global frameworks such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), UN Global Compact (UNGC), and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to facilitate the organization's participation in the UN Global Compact, contributing to the FY23 Communication on Progress report.
- Conducted in-depth preliminary research for upcoming climate scenario analyses and risk assessments, using methodologies consistent with IPCC climate scenarios to support strategic decision-making.
- Conducted research on the social impacts of aviation operations, including noise pollution, cost of living, land use, and mobility, to guide the organization's approach to social sustainability and community engagement.
- Performed a detailed gap analysis on current business travel data to enhance the efficiency of data collection and the accuracy of Scope 3 emissions calculations.
September 2023 - June 2024
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Ottawa
- Collaborated with Professor Nathalie Chalifour on research integrating climate science into legal frameworks, focusing on the legitimacy of IPCC climate models to align regulations with the latest climate change data.
- Analyzed legal texts and climate data to develop interdisciplinary approaches that enhance environmental regulations with current climate science insights, supporting sustainability and resilience strategies.
- Contributed editorial support to a published book on climate change and Canadian constitutional law.
March 2023 - October 2023
Fellow
Student Energy
- Led a project assessing the feasibility of implementing microgrids in remote Indigenous communities across Canada, focusing on sustainable energy solutions to enhance energy security and resilience.
- Conducted comprehensive research and analysis of energy needs, existing infrastructure, and environmental impacts, providing actionable recommendations for microgrid deployment.
- Collaborated with Indigenous leaders, energy experts, and stakeholders to ensure that proposed solutions were culturally appropriate, technically viable, and aligned with community priorities.
- Prepared detailed reports and presentations for stakeholders, summarizing findings and recommending strategies for a scalable transition to microgrids.
September 2017 - April 2018
Research Assistant
Carleton University
- Supported Professor Radha Jhappan in her research on Constitutional and Charter politics, playing a key role in analyzing landmark legal cases, including Trinity Western v. Law Society of Upper Canada, and their implications for civil rights and religious freedoms in Canada.
- Assisted Professor Richard Amos with his research on biogeochemical reactions, conducting detailed data collection and analysis to assess the impact on groundwater quality and environmental health.
Education
Academic Background
M.Sc. Environmental Sustainability
University of Ottawa - Institute of Environment
2023 - 2025
- Thesis: Lifecycle Comparison and Pathways for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) - Assessing Scalability and Environmental Impact in Canadian Aviation. Supervised by Dr. Nicholas Rivers with Dr. Nathalie Chalifour as reader.
- Institute of Environment Merit Scholarship recipient (2023).
- Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement (RIAS) on reducing methane emissions from solid waste landfills in Canada.
- Research on the utilization of incineration ash from municipal solid waste, analyzing potential applications, environmental impacts, and sustainable management strategies to support waste-to-energy initiatives.
- Feasibility study of permeable pavement installation on the University of Ottawa campus.
- Collaborative project with World Wildlife Fund Canada focused on restoring sugar maple populations in Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick.
B.Sc. Environmental Science & B.A. Political Science
Carleton University
2013 - 2018
- Dual degree combining scientific and policy foundations for environmental governance and sustainability.
- Dean's List (2015-16) for academic excellence.
- Coursework spanning environmental chemistry, ecology, biogeochemistry, constitutional law, and public policy analysis.
- Research assistant positions supporting faculty in both constitutional politics and environmental science.
Skills & Tools
Technical
Sustainability & Standards
Research & Policy
Credentials
Certifications & Training
Climate Change and Sustainable Investing Specialization
EDHEC Business School - 2024
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialization
UC Davis - 2024
Project Management Specialization
Google - 2023
International Organizations Management
University of Geneva - 2023
Standard First Aid CPR/C & AED
Holmes Safety Training - 2024
English
Fluent
Kurdish
Fluent
French
Intermediate
Connect
Get in Touch
Feel free to reach out for inquiries or to connect.