Hello Brussels: My First Week at Sustainability Consult

My first day

I had never been to Brussels before last week.  So some of my friends quietly questioned my decision to move here and join the Team at Sustainability Consult.  I began work on Monday.  Did I know what I was getting myself into?  Would Brussels and the role match my expectations?

As a media and marketing liaison at the Centre for Alternative Technology, I had been living in sunny mid-Wales.  Machynlleth is a remote corner of the world but also a mecca for environmentalists and renewable engineers.  There I enjoyed promoting sustainable lifestyles to policymakers, students and the general public at a socially conscious NGO.

My first week at Sustainability Consult quickly dispelled the few doubts I had about relocating.  I joined the Team as part of the EU’s Leonardo Sustainable Mobility Programme.  Because of my background in digital media, I have been contributing to Sustainability Consult’s social media.  I have also been updating the consultancy’s comprehensive press list and suggesting upcoming events to attend.  The office is professional but friendly and the Team have been more than welcoming.

Green Drinks Brussels offered me a fantastic opportunity to network with like-minded professionals.  The evening was spent discussing what’s going on in European circles and the environmental sector.  Taking place in the relaxed yet smart Aloft Brussels Schuman, interns and senior staff alike were free to mingle.  I would recommend it to any ‘greenies’ in Brussels, especially if you have just arrived!

Brussels in the Winter

Brussels is such an eclectic city that I started exploring it as soon as possible.  My first Sunday in the city was spent strolling around the Grand Place, the Royal Park and Saint Gilles.  Walking has always been a favourite past-time of mine.  There might be a shortage of mountains here but there is plenty of stunning art nouveau architecture to take in while pacing the avenues. 

The past week has been so jam-packed with new experiences that I’ve barely had a chance to catch up with the other new Leonardo interns in Brussels. If their week has been anything like mine, I know they will have a lot of great stuff to share.

The Grand Place

Fun and games at Green Drinks Brussels

Blog by Richard Delahay, Communications Assistant at Sustainability Consult