Four big questions with Natalia Pietruszewska

In this new series of interviews for our Hitachi Possible campaign, we go behind the scenes with Natalia Pietruszewska from Hitachi Energy's Power + Graduate Program.

She is both an engineer and an economist with a degree in Industrial Engineering, Corporate Finance and Corporate Strategy and a Master's degree in Economics for Smart Cities and Climate Policy. As part of her Master's degree in Paris she was invited to be an observer at COP27. Natalia is also the Chair of the EMEA Committee for Voice of Youth, a cross-business unit and cross-regional employee-led initiative focused on the development and implementation of grassroots sustainability initiatives.

What does sustainability mean to you?

For me, it's all about a holistic approach that comprises economic growth, the wellbeing of society, and the environment and its preservation. But it goes beyond that - our ambition is to fundamentally reshape the interaction between the people and the planet and make the social and biodiversity ecosystems more vibrant and resilient.

From a personal point of view, I have a huge interest in smart cities, having studied this for my Master's, so I was thrilled to see Hitachi Energy sign an agreement with ENOWA and Saudi Electricity Company to design and develop the first phase of our visionary NEOM region transmission system. We will provide three HVDC links with a total power capacity of 9 gigawatts (GW) and there's going to be no roads, cars or emissions - it's a real glimpse into the future.

It's all about balance. On the one hand, we have all the social sustainability and environmental sustainability trends, but at the same time we need to consider statistics such as population growth - smart cities simply have to accommodate that. It's going to be fascinating to be a part of where we go next.

You were invited to be an observer at COP27 - how was that and how do you feel about agreements reached at COP28?

My experience at COP27 was very eye opening. There was a clear focus on solidifying collaborations and establishing transparency and frameworks with specific KPIs, but one thing that really struck me was the social side of climate change. During the conference I had the opportunity to meet many indigenous people from communities heavily impacted by climate change and better understand how it affects their daily lives. We're all invested in this, and it's positive to see tangible commitments around new frameworks, especially when it comes to renewable energy having been made at COP28.

We also need to build on things like loss and damage and encourage people to acknowledge that this goes beyond emissions, it's also about biodiversity and local communities. What gives me hope here is that from an education point of view, more and more people are specialising in environmental sciences, sustainability and CSR - this has got to be good news for the future because if we're better educated, then we're better placed to create policies, frameworks and partnerships that are going to make a difference.

How does it feel to be helping to accelerate the energy transition?

It's extremely rewarding and it's more than just a job - it's a purpose and a commitment, but it brings with it a big sense of responsibility. And so it should. If you know that what you do directly impacts the trajectory of people's local communities and the wider planet and environment, it is so motivating.

Today, we have the opportunity to actually shape the future for the generations to come and that's really powerful. At Hitachi we can see the tangible impact of our solutions, whether it's grid optimisation, the development of new business models or the introduction of renewable energy projects. This range of solutions demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and for me it's so empowering to help try and set an example for industry, communities and individuals. We're on an incredible journey but we'll only get to our destination if we work together.