Lauren, Environmental Policy

Coming from Canada, Lauren Roy has graduated in Environmental Policy. She is Project Lead in the Ecosystems Unit at the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) in Montreal, Canada. 

What is your role and main responsibilities? 

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) facilitates North American collaboration on environmental issues. As Project Lead, I am part of a team coordinating several conservation projects on topics ranging from marine litter awareness campaigns to grasslands preservation. After studying Environmental Policy at PSIA, I worked as a special assistant to a Member of Parliament in Canada. Working in politics provided an incredible opportunity to see policy-making in action, and to learn more about a broad range of important issues. 

How did you secure this role? 

Working in politics allows you to delve deep into a variety of different topics, and exposes you to organizations and agencies doing interesting work that you might not otherwise hear about. It was through my role as a special assistant that I first learned about the work of the CEC. When an opportunity to work at the CEC became available, I jumped at the chance to work on environmental issues that were close to home but also involved international cooperation.

What is the most fascinating and/or surprising aspect at your role?

I really like having the opportunity to work on several topics at the same time, and I get a glimpse of the environmental priorities and actions across three different countries.

How did your PSIA experience help you with the role? 

PSIA provided an excellent foundation of practical knowledge, and the value of what I learned at PSIA was compounded exponentially by applying it and working on the ground.

What advice would you give to others? 

For anyone planning to work on policy in the future, I can’t understate the value of spending time working in politics and interacting regularly with citizens. The perspective it provides – by learning what is important to people and what policies really work in practice – is invaluable.

• About the Commission for Environmental Cooperation
• About the Master in Environmental Policy