Kate Brandt wins recognition from Fortune magazine for her work on sustainability.
From a young age, I’ve felt a reverence for nature and have dedicated my life to making sure we do everything we can to protect it for future generations.
Kate Brandt
A Gates Cambridge Scholar has been named one of Fortune Magazine’s 40 Under 40 for the year 2021.
Kate Brandt, Chief Sustainability Officer at Google and the first Federal Chief Sustainability Office in the Obama administration, was listed in Fortune magazine’s prestigious annual list of people to watch out for.
Brandt [2007], who did an MPhil in International Relations, told Fortune: “I was raised in Northern California amongst the tide pools and redwood trees. From a young age, I’ve felt a reverence for nature and have dedicated my life to making sure we do everything we can to protect it for future generations.”
Brandt’s mission has led her to several federal government climate-focused and environmental leadership roles in the Department of Energy, Department of Defence, and the White House. As President Obama’s first federal chief sustainability officer in 2015, she was tasked with overseeing the actions of “the single largest user of energy in the world,” she says.
Her current role at Google involves her directing and coordinating sustainability efforts across the tech giant’s data centres, real estate, supply chain and product teams.
The company, which first achieved carbon neutrality in 2007, has set a goal to be carbon-free in all of its operations by 2030. Brandt states: “As a new mother, my commitment to this work has only grown.”
