Sonia Cyrus Patel Email & Phone Number

Toronto, On, Ca

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

As part of the climate change team, I work on both climate change adaptation and mitigation policy projects spanning across different sectors and governance levels. Some of the key projects I have supported include: - Developing India’s Meta-Registry for climate mitigation actions- Developing a state GHG inventory and MRV system- Developing a district roadmap to achieve carbon neutrality goal- Formulating a Climate Smart Agriculture policy for India- Updation of 2 Sub-National Action Plans on Climate Change- Assessing ecosystem services generated by afforestation activities in the Himalayas - Formulating mountain community level disaster preparedness and response plans- Formulating 2 Sub-National Water policiesIORA Ecological Solutions Pvt. Ltd. is an environmental advisory group with expertise in natural resource conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation.

New Delhi

During my stint in DA, I managed a high value project, which is part of a larger international initiave by the Green Economy Coalition. This project aims to build a civil society movement which pushes India towards a green and fair economy. As project mananger, my responsibilities included designing, implementing and overall monitoring of the project. In addition, I also interfaced with the international program team located in London and managed the project finances. As part of the implementation team, I collaborated with my collegues to create a green economy knowledge hub. This involved secondary desk research, interviewing key influencers and organising statkeholder consultations with small businesses and CSO's. I further supported the dissemination of this knowledge through the design of a communication plan which included weekly newsletters, regular publications and events and the design of a project website. Development Alternatives (DA), the world's first social enterprise dedicated to sustainable development, is a research and action organisation striving to deliver socially equitable, environmentally sound and economically scalable development outcomes.

London, United Kingdom

During my internship, I chiefly supported a TIMM (Total Impact Measurement and Management) project which aimed to quantify the wider economic benefits of county's healthcare devolution policy. In addition, I lent support to projects in the areas of economic policy, international development and financial services.The Sustainability & Climate Change graduate internship at PwC is a highly competitive programme which provides a first hand experience on how to help clients embed consideration of sustainability matters in their strategies and throughout their organisations; while helping them to make the most of the opportunities for innovation and growth, created by a world economy that’s becoming greener.

London, United Kingdom

As a pro-bono consultant, I provided strategic guidance to an emerging social enterprise in order to improve it's competitiveness. The project involved working with a small team to conduct an in-depth study of the business, analyse it's competitors and potential customers and finally create a new revenue system for the enterprise.First Step Consulting is a non-profit social venture aiming to help ambitious students and recent graduates from diverse backgrounds get prepared for work and to provide organisations in need of business advice with high quality management consulting services on a pro bono basis.

New Delhi Area, India

During my internship with the Environment and Forests Division, I was tasked with reviewing the National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC), India's primary Climate Change policy document. Based on my research findings, I authored an internal report was presented to and appreciated by the Secretary of the Planning Commission.The Planning Commission is an institution in the Government of India, which formulates India's Five-Year Plans, among other functions.

New Delhi Area, India

I have successfully completed a yearlong research-innovation project, entitled “Street Vendors: Service Providers or Traffic Hazards”. This project was generously funded (INR 1 million) by the University Grants Commission—the apex body governing all universities and autonomous education institutions in India. As part of this project, I was actively involved in all its activities including- project planning, conducting field surveys, statistical analysis of the data collected, creating project collateral's (documentary, brochure, website, vendor guide) and report writing and presentations. The key outcome of this project was it's culmination into the development of a comprehensive administrative model, aimed at uplifting the standard of living of the vendors of New Delhi. Valuable inputs from Mr Ajay Maken, then Union Minister, Government of India, gave this model credibility. Research into the needs of this economically marginalised yet important section of society also prompted me to develop a ‘smart cart’. This cart completely reconfigured the design of the existing one by the addition of a roof, shelves, storage space, security features etc all using eco-friendly and weather resistant materials. It has received across the board acclamation from the vendors and is currently in the process of being patented. Its innovation has also been appreciated and featured in three national newspapers.

Master Of Science (Msc), Environmental Economics & Climate Change

Dissertation: "Willingness to Pay for Global Climate Change Adaptation Programmes"- A Contingent Valuation Study in the UK.

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), Economics (Honors)

Education record