As the Waste and HSE Consultant for Dana Petroleum, I find myself at the centre of one of the great dilemmas of the 21st century. In a world hungry for energy and manufactured goods, there are increasing climate change concerns that demand lower emissions and a solution to waste management.We have had to come to terms with how poorly managed waste is contaminating the world’s oceans, clogging drains and causing flooding, transmitting disease, increasing respiratory problems from burning, and affecting economic development. Greenhouse gasses from waste are a key contributor to climate change. I have been fortunate enough to have been associated with Dana Petroleum and the Decommissioning Industry via my roles as Director for the PESGB and a DLG Delegate for Decom North Sea and therefore am able to see first-hand that the Energy and Waste sectors have risen to the occasion in many instances, via innovative decarbonisation strategies, adaption to new realities and seizing emerging opportunities. It’s not an overnight shift, but certainly in my experience, we are pragmatic and thorough, addressing valid concerns without economic devastation. Despite the rigorously regulated environment, I have found opportunities to develop business, improve processes and extract value from the various waste streams under my control. As we face the future, our efforts in all these endeavours must continue and grow in all areas of our personal and business lives. Exciting for my profession is the ongoing quest to find opportunities to use waste as a resource- the core of the circular economy, and having considerable potential to reduce environmental pressures within a compliant framework. I look forward to being part of this trajectory, as someone who has had the privilege to lead, study and volunteer at organisations at the forefront of finding and implementing viable responses to these universal concerns.