Although his family comes from a small agricultural community in southern Florida, Jarrod Sims was born and raised in New York City. This contrast shapes Sims’ curiosity about his surroundings. His background in environmental geosciences has allowed him to explore a range of areas from soil testing to company sustainability before finding his appeal. Now, after working as a sustainability analyst in the New York City Mayor’s Office and enrolled in a graduate student at Columbia Climate School, Sims is honing his skills to address one of the biggest challenges of our time: Ensuring equity through data-informed climate energy transition policy. “I’ve always liked to take things apart to understand how they work,” Sims said. “The policy is like this – it’s not about tearing down the system, it’s about small tweaks that have some ripples and have wide impact.”
We talked with Sims about his path into climate work, his experience in the climate and social programs of the Columbia Climate School and his vision for the future. Learn more about Sims’ journey in the Q&A below.
Tell us how you find your way into the climate space.
I have always been attracted to science, especially ecological and environmental systems. During my undergraduate years, I explored many different topics to try to find a major that suits me. In an advanced capstone course related to Elizabeth Thomas’ climate mitigation, I tried accounting and psychology once. This is the first time the University of Buffalo offers courses on climate change, especially climate change. We work with the Western New York Sustainable Business Roundtable, a alliance of companies interested in accepting sustainability programs. Students met with employees and operations staff and developed plans for these companies to reduce emissions in ways that make sense for them. This is my first exposure to mitigation and developing policy type frameworks to reduce company emissions and save on operating costs.
After graduation, I conducted soil testing, remedial work, and environmental consultation in the lab before landing at the New York City Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget. I joined them when they launched the Environmental Sustainability and Resilience Working Group, where I analyzed the City’s policy greenhouse gas emissions. This role cemented my passion for climate policy and made me realize that I wanted to focus on systemic change.
I am very interested in solving problems, especially in solving the challenges of the city. I like to analyze existing systems to identify changes that can move us towards a more sustainable and healthier community. For example, the transition from a diesel bus to an electric vehicle can help reduce nearby asthma hospitalizations. Such small changes may have a real impact on people’s lives.
“I like to take things apart – whether it’s a social system, an energy grid or a policy framework – and figure out how to make them better. Life is a big puzzle and I want to help solve it.”
Why did you decide to apply for a climate and social program?
I always knew I wanted to go back to my master’s degree, but I wasn’t sure what to study in the field. When I explore different plans, its name is its authenticity, and its focus is on climate and society. It does emphasize the human aspect, the curriculum is centered on climate justice, and how policies that really improve people’s lives are evaluated and implemented. This is my main attraction to apply for a climate school.
Another factor is the importance of the cohort, which I was mentioned to me when I was studying the school. My cohort includes people from different backgrounds and experiences, which is eye-opening in understanding how many different climate issues intersect with various fields. The program has also been sold as intensive and interdisciplinary, and so far it has lived up to that. I wanted a wealth of experience that would allow me to cross-register for courses and explore different aspects of climate policy. The schedule of the year also makes sense to me.
Which courses are the most memorable and why?
During my first semester at climate school, two classes had the biggest impact on me. First is the energy regulation course I took at law school with Michael Gerrard. I’ve never taken a law class before. Understanding the legal landscape is crucial – whether it is climate litigation, environmental justice laws, or regulatory barriers to policy making. This course provides me with tools to analyze what works, what barriers exist, and how the legal framework drives change.
Sheila Foster’s theory of climate justice and policy was another influential course from last semester. In the office of the mayor of New York City, I worked hard on the city’s climate budget, and a major issue was how environmental justice works. This course provides a framework for understanding the intersection of policy, justice and climate. How do we ensure that the energy transition does not worsen inequality? How do we ensure that policies do not abandon communities? This course, along with the legal perspective, gave me a new perspective to consider these challenges and what should be considered when drafting or evaluating policies.
This spring, I look forward to adopting regional climate science and predicting climate services. This is a course in risk analysis and uses climate data to study regional and local climate change. I find the climate resilience aspect of this course interesting. Climate information policy with advanced data analysis is a best practice and is necessary.
What is your future role in solving the climate crisis?
I see myself playing the role of a research analyst with a focus on energy transitions. We have experienced the Industrial Revolution before, and many other social transformations, but how do we transition this time No repetition of past mistakes? When we turn to renewable energy, how do we ensure that low-income communities don’t abandon them again? How do we decarbonize without making the community worse? This is definitely a difficult topic, but these are the questions I hope to answer. In a space where I can formulate policies, there is also some research on how we can improve people’s quality of life through equity lenses, which is ideal for me.
At first, I planned to go straight back to the workforce, but the plan raised more questions than answers. Now, I’m considering a pre-mix program or a PhD. Deeply study these issues. My goal is to conduct not only theoretical research—actions are needed to inform policies and benefit the community directly. I don’t want my job to sit on the shelf. I hope it leads to tangible, measurable changes. I am particularly interested in the impact of electrification in urban energy systems and in highly dense cities such as New York. I find myself asking a question like this: How will this affect low-income households if we switch completely to electric? What are the unexpected consequences?
What else do you want to add?
Ultimately, I’m just a data nerd who wants to use my skills to climate justice. I like to take things apart – whether it’s a social system, an energy grid, or a policy framework – and figure out how to make them better. Life is a big puzzle and I want to help solve it.
