Prabhat is currently working with WWF – South Africa as a Senior Policy Analyst and is based in Cape Town. At WWF his work focuses on Climate and Energy. He works at the interface of international and national climate policy processes. South Africa is highly dependent on fossil fuels – it also exports a large chunk of its coal to India – and is also a highly unequal society. As part of his work he provides evidence-based inputs into national policy processes for enhancement of climate ambition, engages with wider civil society, shares intelligence and publishes research work in relevant journal articles. In addition he also leads WWF’s regional policy advocacy for a new legally binding global agreement to address plastic pollution.
Q. How has been your journey from IIFM to WWF- South Africa?
My journey from IIFM to the present has been very rewarding. It provided me numerous opportunities to see new places, people and different cultures.
I have had the opportunity to work at Think tanks (TERI; Ecologic Institute, Germany), Research Institutions (Centre for Policy Research (CPR), Delhi), Academia (Linkoping University, Sweden) and consultancy (EcoSecurities) before landing up at WWF. Each change afforded me opportunities to reinvent myself. The most enriching experiences for me were the time spent on Humboldt Fellowship in Germany and my doctoral studies. Both these experiences gave me time to reflect and widen my horizon. I also got to look at climate change from different perspectives and understand the complexity involved in finding our way out of the climate crisis.
Along the way, I would like to believe that I have grown, both professionally and personally. In the spring of 2006, I could not have imagined this journey. IIFM taught me to make the most of the opportunities that come one’s way and not to wait for situations to be perfect but get going towards your goal with the best that you can offer in the moment and that has served me well on this journey.
Q. What are some of the key milestones or learnings in this journey that you would like to share with us?
Key milestones:
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Getting selected for the Humboldt Fellowship: It provided me my first opportunity to live outside India and to experience a different culture. It made me truly aware of the potential that research has and how much importance some cultures pay to research, something we unfortunately don’t value enough in India.
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Getting admission for a PhD in Sweden and then completing it: It is hard to fathom the persistence, tenacity and perseverance needed to finish doctoral studies at the start but the four hard years helps one to discover the sheer depths of one’s resolve. A key learning for me was the realisation that we are stronger than we know.
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However, the biggest learning that I had came a few months after I completed my PhD. It came at the moment when I realised that just because I finished PhD does not mean that the world owes me anything, that I still need to go out there and establish my relevance to the rest of the world, and that the only competitor that mattered was my own self. Somehow one tends to forget these things in the midst of a decade of successful career. If I was asked to give just one advice to the current batch of IIFM students then it is this – do not rest on your laurels, they are your past, what matters is your present because that will determine your fu- ture.
Along the way I also learnt that more than the stress of PhD, it was the caffeine that used to keep me awake at night!
Q. What is the most satisfying part of your current role?
Ability to say and write what I believe in. Also working with people who are driven by the desire to make the world a better place for all.
Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?
Without doubt yes. The foundations of my professional life were laid at IIFM. It exposed me to a number of pressure situations, whether it was back-to-back exams over the entire week or being jobless during the placement week (I eventually did get placed in a good company), IIFM threw challenges that made me adept at handling pressure.
IIFM also gave me a lot of opportunities to overcome the fear of public presentation and the reluctance to speak in English. By throwing numerous tests, assignments and rejections from potential employers, it helped me overcome the fear of failure. Once the fear of failure was out, I could focus on the task at hand without worrying about the result, something which is crucial to handle ups and downs of professional life.
Q. Who (or what) are the biggest influences or drivers in your careers? What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles.
The biggest driver in my career has been the recognition of the potential that a policy shift holds. This is not to undermine the work at the grass-root level or amongst corporates but if one wants to see the change at scale then one has to find means of influencing policy, whether it be through policy advocacy or through business innovation. Once you gather solid evidence, mobilize enough support around the desired position, then things will start shifting, slowly to begin with but the shift does happen.
For those IIFM graduates who either want to work on climate policy or policy space in general, my advice would be to keep your mind and ears open to new ideas, and invest in developing your writing, presentation and critical thinking skills. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of the written word — it has a much greater ability to withstand the test of time than any presentation or debate. If you want to influence policy then you need to compliment your ideas with a strong narrative to make the perfect pitch, impression and impact – the only way to overcome this is to practise writing. Unless the Lion learns to write, the story would always be written by the hunter.
Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days?
Endless debates, discussions and negotiations during the GBMs to resolve some sticking issues were some of the best memories for me. The field trips in and around Bhopal were also memorable. During our month long field visit in Chattisgarh, we saw a Tiger in the wild – the clear sky, bright daylight, the bamboo grove, forest department’s jeep, that pumping of the heart, our excitement when the Tiger got up and time came to a standstill – all of it is still vividly engrossed in my memory.
Q. In hindsight, what was the biggest take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?
Two things that really made a significant contribution in shaping me as an individual were:
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A lot of time spent in actual fieldwork: a month long fieldwork and two Organisational Trainings, gave us enough opportunities to try different things, make mistakes and learn from each other. It was instrumental in helping me open up and handle a new situation or unknown circumstances with a calm head.
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Library: IIFM Library used to have a very rich collection of books on a variety of topics. If I limit myself to climate, the IPCC reports, access to a number of international journals was also ensured, particularly the journal ‘climate policy’. It is ‘THE’ journal for those working on climate policy. I remember taking notes from some journal articles. As it turned out, I ended up actually working with some of those authors in 2007 and actually co-authoring journal articles with some of them in the Climate Policy. It was as if I was closing a circle for me. I am proud that one of these articles made it to the 20 most read articles list of the Journal.
Q. The best buddies / seniors /faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share?
We were a very close group of five from our batch – Aparupa, Jyoti, Madhu, Subhro and myself – who spent a lot of time together. The preparations for the exams used to be epic, with Aparupa making sure that we all had covered the most important parts.
Amongst Seniors, I was fortunate to get guidance and support from Kanishk Negi, Jagjeet Singh Sareen, SomShekhar Bhattacharya and Rakesh Kumar both during and after IIFM. In particular, Jagjeet praji was very helpful in guiding me in the climate policy space. We shared the same faculty advisor and had similar interests in professional space. After IIFM, when I shifted to Berlin for the Humboldt Fellowship in 2010, Nirmalya da helped me settle in an unknown city and also encouraged me to sharpen my questions. He was doing his PhD during that time and I used to visit him at his office. His experience of undergoing doctoral work gave me a glimpse of the mental toughness needed to complete PhD.
Amongst faculty, Prof RK Singh was very influential. I remember his incisive lectures on ‘Garbage Can Model’ and Kingdon’s ‘Multiple Stream Framework’ in relation to Forest Policy and Legislation. Prof Manmohan Yadav was also always up-to-speed on the recent research on his topic and used to give us latest case studies and journal articles to study.
Q.What is your typical day at the office?
My typical working day is desk bound, doing research on climate change, policy making processes and policy advocacy. But I also interact with government officials, particularly on climate but also on finance and plastics. I spend a lot of time writing, discarding, re-writing, deleting, tightening, sharpening and synthesizing text to make it impactful, concise and punchy. In addition, I am often called upon for giving some interviews, making a presentation or chairing some meetings.
I get to interact with colleagues who come from very different backgrounds and cultures to me, which enriches my life and experiences.
Q. What about weekends and time off from work?
P: Since I am based in Cape Town, we used to go for a drive around the Table Mountain or a walk at the Promenade. But since Covid-19, my wife and I end up spending more time at home, doing chores, cooking, reading books or watching Netflix.
Q. Favorite Books, movies, authors?
Here are some of my favourites:
Books:
– Guns, Germs and Steel: For its immense scope and ambition;
– Ego is the Enemy: simple yet incisive insights into dealing with the ego;
– Raag Darbari: insights into Indian village life and the politics thereof;
– Why Nations Fail: institutional analysis of what rots many nations;
– The Invention of Nature: Biography of a forgotten hero;
– Postcapitalism: historical overview of the capitalist system.
Authors:
Amitava Ghosh; Slavoj Zizek; Liu Cixin; Salman Rushdie; Jared Diamond; Pratap Bhanu Mehta; Barbara Kingsolver
Podcast:
Open source with Christopher Lyden; Philosophize this!; Puliyabaazi; The Energy Gang; Charcha; The World Next Week;
Movies:
No Smoking; The Master and the Commander; The Matrix; Okja
Q. IIFM is driven by alumni’s passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students?
I am ready to make myself available for a mentoring program, discussion with the students who want to work in the climate change or policy space and/or are interested in pursuing higher education.
Q. What do you think is different at IIFM now vs when you studied there? What do you think is a positive change and what is not?
Unfortunately, I have not been able to engage much with IIFM in the last few years and therefore I won’t be able to respond to this question. Like old friends IIFM and I have drifted apart. I know that the IIFM would be there if I needed it and I hope that IIFM knows that I would be there if it needs me but we both need to revive this relationship. Until such time, a certain distance that has grown between IIFM and Alumni is one thing that I see as something concerning.
Q. Any suggestions on who from our alumni you want to get profiled/interviewed here?
Indian job market is predominantly a man’s world and it would be important to highlight our female alumni who have made their mark in workplaces that are structured against them. In particular, I would like the following alumni to be profiled here:
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– a) Ashish Aggarwal (PFM 2000)
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– b) Alark Saxena (PFM 2003)
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– c) Jagjeet S Sareen (PFM 2005)
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– d) Neha Pahuja (PFM 2008 batch)