Highlights From Interview With Clea Kolster: Partner and Head of Science at Lowercarbon Capital

In January, I had the pleasure of speaking to Dr. Clea Kolster, Partner and Head of Science at Lowercarbon Capital. Clea was the first woman I had the opportunity to interview, so I was very excited to grasp her perspective on women’s roles in her field and her own experiences. 

Clea began the interview by explaining her work at Lowercarbon, which includes working at carbon removal with a group of people who are both ambitious and extraordinary at their jobs. 

Growing up, Clea moved around a lot, spending time in France, the UK, and the US. When she was 16, she learned about the UN Conference of the Parties, hosted by Denmark, one of her nationalities, where she realized the importance of climate change, especially on the less fortunate and more vulnerable. This led her to study chemical engineering. Clea knew she wanted to make an impact, and she received her PhD.

Clea expresses that when she joined Lowercarbon, it was a smaller team with just herself, the founders, and associates. Now, they’re a larger group that has become a fully developed fund with more investors, an operations team, where they work on decarbonization, carbon removal and “buying more time”. 

Clea’s advice for women and girls pursuing STEM is to “please do,” and to “trust your instinct.” She notes that the STEM field has come a long way in becoming more diverse, and she encourages anyone interested to enter the field. In terms of advice for people getting their careers started, Clea states: “Climate jobs are going to be every single job.” She claims that seeking out climate jobs early is wise, since they will become even more prevalent.

I had a wonderful time interviewing Clea, and I was able to broaden my perspective on climate issues. Clea is very talented and provided great advice, so check out our interview on the Envirotool website for more. Thank you again, Clea!