Rebecca Bowcock’s route into sustainability didn’t follow a straight line, and that’s precisely what makes it powerful. A Human Geography graduate from the University of Salford (class of 2018), Rebecca left university with practical skills, a network of contacts and a conviction that sustainability should be both strategic and achievable.
Today she’s a Senior Carbon Consultant at SLR, leading work on net-zero strategies, corporate carbon accounting and large-scale supplier engagement for sectors that move global emissions.
Her story shows how curiosity, short-term placements and a willingness to try different roles can turn student learning into a career that matters, for businesses, communities and the climate.
A Degree Rooted in Real-World Understanding
Rebecca’s Human Geography degree gave her a strong foundation in sustainability from the start. Modules exploring climate change, environmental management, and sustainable urban development introduced her to the social and political drivers behind environmental issues.
“We didn’t just learn about sustainability as a concept, we explored how it works in practice, the course encouraged us to think about how people interact with the environment and how policy shapes those relationships.”
Her final-year dissertation reflected that applied approach. She focused on food waste, exploring how current guidance to reduce food waste was not transferable to single person households.
The project deepened her interest in circular economy thinking and resource efficiency, areas that now play a key role in her work helping organisations measure and reduce their carbon footprints.
Learning by doing: the placements that mattered
Rebecca didn’t begin her post-university journey inside a boardroom. She started small and practical: a three-month placement with City of Trees, carrying out field surveys to measure trees’ ecosystem services, work that fed into local policy. That hands-on start gave her a taste for applied sustainability.
Back at the University of Salford, a short-term graduate role as an Environmental Sustainability Communications and Engagement Assistant introduced Rebecca to public speaking and stakeholder engagement. That role, she says, was pivotal to build her confidence and helped her start networking with people already working in the sector.
“Those placements taught me the value of getting involved early. I wouldn’t trade those summers for anything; they set me up for interviews and real work.”
From there she moved into the Business Growth Hub (resource efficiency & green tech), supporting small and medium enterprises to access government-funded support. The role combined project coordination with practical advice and later led Rebecca into an ERDF grant’s role where she evaluated carbon savings and the return on investment for green technologies.
These early and diverse experiences taught Rebecca an important lesson, while theory builds understanding, employers are ultimately looking for proof that you can put it into practice. Her advice to students is clear and grounded: make the most of your summers. Take on placements, internships, or volunteering roles that demonstrate your ability to apply your skills and make an impact.
From boots-on-the-ground to strategy and scale
Rebecca’s career progressed into roles where she began to combine technical skills with strategy. As an Environmental Business Advisor, she carried out site visits, produced action reports and recommended resource-saving measures that delivered both carbon reductions and cost savings for businesses.
Now at SLR, her focus is on corporate carbon accounting and net-zero planning. But she still draws on the hands-on experience she gained earlier; the energy surveys, the site visits, the conversations with small business owners because, she explains, strategy without operational understanding doesn’t work.
Her recent crowning project demonstrates that combination of scale and detail. Rebecca project-managed the PSCI decarbonisation event, a two-day programme designed for pharma suppliers. The event reached almost 1,400 people from around 850 companies, ranging from suppliers just beginning their decarbonisation journey to well-established leaders paving the way. Sessions ranged from greenhouse gas accounting to low-carbon heat options, with an opportunity to hear from over 40 leading pharmaceutical companies.
“It was intense, five months of work with multiple stakeholders. However, the output has phenomenal impact. For a sector responsible for around 5% of global emissions, that kind of reach matters.”
“This is the first concept we learnt at University and thus underpins everything I do today. Sustainability rests on three interconnected pillars; environmental, social, and economic. Ensuring ecological balance, human well-being, and long-term prosperity. This principle underpins how I approach my work.”
Small habits, big influence
Rebecca’s commitment to sustainability goes well beyond her professional work, it’s reflected in her everyday choices. For examples, she cycles almost everywhere, is vegetarian and doesn’t buy many clothes.
While studying at Salford, Rebecca found time to volunteer with Fareshare, a food redistribution organisation tackling food waste and food poverty. That experience, she says, deepened her understanding of sustainability as something that’s both environmental and social.
“Volunteering with Fairshare showed me the human side of sustainability, it wasn’t just about carbon or energy, it was about fairness, access, and community”.
Her volunteering has included getting involved with community organisations such as Groundwork and local sustainability networking events like People, Planet, Pint.
“There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t think about a choice, where I buy things, how I travel. It’s part of who I am now.”
She also wants to make cycling easier and more normal for women, a cause she’d like to develop into a charity in future, reflecting her belief that environmental action and social empowerment go hand in hand.
Practical advice for students and employers
Looking back on her journey, Rebecca believes that building a career in sustainability isn’t about finding a perfect route, it’s about being proactive, staying curious, and learning through experience.
“You learn the most when you’re actually out there doing it, that’s where you build confidence and start to understand what really drives change.”
Her experience offers valuable lessons for students, educators, and employers alike – showing how each plays a role in shaping a more sustainable future.
- For students: Rebecca encourages future graduates to take placements seriously and seize every opportunity to gain practical experience. Even short-term roles or volunteer projects can build essential skills, strengthen networks, and open unexpected doors.
- For universities: she believes that higher education should continue to integrate practical elements into sustainability teaching, from modules on carbon accounting and net-zero planning to real-world project collaborations. This kind of hands-on learning helps students graduate ready to apply sustainability in any sector.
- For employers: Rebecca’s advice is to start small but stay consistent. Sustainability and decarbonisation aren’t goals we can achieve in isolation. By collaborating across your industry and openly sharing both pitfalls and best practices, Industries and sectors can accelerate progress and decarbonize faster together.
“It’s about connecting ambition with action,” she says. “When students, universities, and businesses each take responsibility for their part, that’s when real progress happens.”
Full circle: the value of a mixed path
Looking back, Rebecca is clear that her nonlinear path was an advantage. Working across charities, government-funded programmes, and consultancy gave her a broad skillset and a practical mindset. She’s proof that you don’t need to land a single “perfect” graduate job to build a meaningful sustainability career, you need curiosity, persistence, and hands-on experience.
At Salford, the combination of academic grounding and practical opportunities helped Rebecca move from student to senior consultant. Her career is a reminder that sustainability work is varied, can be well-paid, and is grounded in day-to-day problem solving; exactly the kind of work the next generation of graduates will be hired to do.
Written by Saadan Hussain, MSc Sustainability student and Student Education for Sustainable Development Champion.