From Circuit Boards to Carbon Footprints

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My Sustainable Encounter with Rakesh Roshan Sharma

by Albert Schiller

The Compass of Compliance

The prevailing narrative in a rapidly evolving field like sustainability often suggests a deliberate, passionate calling. Yet, for Rakesh Sharma, an electronics engineer, his entry into this critical domain was a matter of circumstance, not initial intent. His early career demanded meticulous attention to component compliance. These were the often-unseen regulations, the precise taggings and labels, necessary for electronic products to enter global markets. This work, seemingly technical, implicitly connected him to environmental considerations. It highlights a recurring pattern: meaningful shifts often begin in the periphery, in the quiet adherence to standards, long before their broader significance is recognized. Was this early exposure to regulatory frameworks a hidden curriculum, preparing him for an unforeseen future?

Unwitting Environmental Architect

Sharma's journey continued to unfold without a pre-set environmental agenda. A new project unexpectedly immersed him in directives like Reach and RoHS, concerning hazardous chemicals in components that could "impact human and other living creatures". His task involved rectifying components containing these prohibited substances. This dive into chemistry was a domain "not part of my education", yet he embraced it. He began to discern the intricate interplay between micro-level component choices and macro-level environmental impact. This period reveals a crucial lesson: specialized technical skills, even those developed for unrelated industries, can become unexpectedly vital in emergent fields. His accidental expertise in environmental compliance for electronics became an unwitting prelude to a larger role in planetary health.

The Global Re-evaluation

The year 2019, intensifying with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, proved to be a global crucible of re-evaluation. Before this time, Sharma was "completely unaware of the sustainability and the carbon emission things". However, the pandemic forced a collective pause, allowing new perspectives to emerge. "Sustainability," he observed, quickly became a pervasive "buzzword". It permeated discussions across all sectors, from his familiar electronics to transportation. Critically, this global conversation sparked a personal realization: he had unknowingly completed "half of the portion… in my past career". This ignited self-awareness was the true catalyst. It reframed his seemingly disparate technical expertise within this rapidly expanding and vital field.

Specialized Skills, New Frontiers

Presented with multiple career options, Sharma consciously chose sustainability. His existing background in environmental compliance for electronics provided a clear, almost bespoke advantage. He recognized the ambition driving major corporations like Microsoft and Google to set aggressive carbon reduction and water neutrality targets for 2030. Mid-scale companies' increasing adoption of sustainability and eco-design principles affirmed the field's immense potential. This evolving landscape confirmed that his technical acumen, sharpened in the realm of components, could directly contribute to a critical global imperative. His journey exemplifies how highly specialized knowledge, when strategically re-evaluated and applied, can unlock new, impactful professional pathways in emerging fields, demonstrating the remarkable adaptability of technical skills in a dynamic world.

So what can we take from his approach?