A GRADUATE has netted a top prize for her work exploring the future of carbon credit certification. 

Cranfield University’s Rachael Walker was given CarbonStore’s Top Student Award after achieving the highest mark on her ‘Evaluating Environmental Sustainability’ module. 

Rachael, originally from New Zealand, became the second winner of the honour, which came with £250 and a specially-carved wooden trophy. 

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The sustainability consultant at Accenture UK said: “The Evaluating Environmental Sustainability course provided a strong foundation in LCA principles that I have already been able to apply in a practical context to my work as a sustainability consultant. I was surprised and delighted to win the CarbonStore prize, especially as the course was taught remotely which meant overcoming challenges in collaborating on our practical assessment.

"My plan for the future is to continue in sustainability consulting as there is a wide range of interesting projects to work on, great opportunities for learning, and the potential to make positive change.”

The award was presented by Alex MacKinnon, carbon project manager at CarbonStore, to Rachael at the School of Water, Energy and Environment (SWEE) prize-giving ceremony at Cranfield University.

Alex MacKinnon said: “I am delighted to award Rachael Walker as the top performing student on the Evaluating Environmental Sustainability module and wish her a long and successful career as a sustainability consultant. 

“The industry needs many more people like Rachael to tackle the climate crisis and CarbonStore is excited to encourage and reward them.”

Nick Girkin, course director for the Environmental Management for Business MSc at Cranfield University, said: “I’m delighted to see Rachael succeed throughout the course and receive this well-deserved award in recognition of her hard work.”

CarbonStore works with businesses looking to reach net zero through nature-based solutions.