Q. Could you please share a brief introduction about yourself?
I’m Haruka Nagamura, a fourth-year student at the Faculty of Business Administration. I’m currently in a seminar about business strategy, and to be honest, I’ve been avoiding my graduation thesis, but now I can’t put it off any longer, so I’m starting to feel the pressure. After I graduate, I’ll be working in the overseas business department at a manufacturing company. At Green Carbon, I’m fully responsible for domestic business, but I’ve also spent a year studying in Arizona, USA, during high school, and another year in a small town in Finland during university. I love being close to nature, whether it’s through backpacking or working on a dairy farm.
Q. What inspired you to join Green Carbon?
Since I grew up around nature, I’ve always wanted to use business to help solve environmental and social issues in a sustainable way. That’s why Green Carbon’s vision really resonated with me from the start.
Honestly, the main reason was, after finishing job hunting, I wanted to get some hands-on experience in a field related to my future career before actually starting work. Even though I’ve become interested in environmental and social issues, I didn’t have any specialized knowledge, and it didn’t seem like I’d be able to jump straight into social business at my future company. So when Green Carbon offered me this opportunity, I was really excited to take on the challenge.
Q. What kind of work are you involved in? Could you also tell me about your roles?
I work with staff in the domestic business department and other interns. Because the business involves everything from creating to selling J-Credits, there is a wide range of tasks that cover both the “upstream” and “downstream” processes.The “upstream” involves approaches and interactions with those who actually create the credits, including producers. On the “downstream” side, I research and propose how the credits created are actually used, and by whom.
Additionally, handling J-Credits involves a variety of tasks, from managing existing initiatives like the extension of rice field drainage (a typical example) to conducting research and setting up pilot projects for new initiatives.
Q. What challenges have you faced so far?
When I first started, every term I heard was new to me who is majoring in Business Administration, and the biggest challenge was navigating the tasks in an unfamiliar environment. Now that some time has passed, I have caught up in terms of understanding the areas handled by Green Carbon. However, the new challenge is that I’ve found myself in a position where I need to explain things to new interns and delegate tasks. Since most of them have either specialized in this field or are very talented even if they haven’t, I always hope to keep improving and adjusting how I communicate with them.
Q. Could you share a message for those who are interested in working at GreenCarbon?
From the beginning, I had the impression that everyone was warm, unique, and interesting, and that impression has not changed even after nearly six months. Recently, the number of students has increased, but in a good way, the atmosphere has remained the same, and I believe it’s a place where you can gain even more diverse inspiration and learning.
I look forward to the day when I can work together with both full-time professionals and student interns!