‘We all have an obligation to collaborate to be more sustainable’

Maria Connolly is head of future energy and real estate and executive board member responsible for sustainability at UK law firm TLT.

Under Maria’s sponsorship, the firm has set an ambitious target to be a carbon neutral organisation by 2025.

She reflects on her career journey, people who have inspired her and why sustainability must be at the heart of Bristol’s agenda.

Can you describe the career journey that has led you to where you are today?

I joined TLT as a trainee, and was lucky enough to work on some of the UK’s first renewable energy projects such as advising ethical bank Triodos on funding wind farms.

This early exposure combined with my passion for sustainability led me to recognise the potential for TLT in this area, sparking a 25-year career dedicated to future energy that has followed the evolution of the sector from wind and solar into bioenergy, tidal and more recently pathfinder projects for energy storage, multi-technology projects and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.

Maria Connelly worked on renewable energy projects for Triodos bank before using her expertise to increase sustainability investment at TLT – photo: TLT

In addition to leading TLT’s national real estate practice and future energy sector team, I, in conjunction with our senior sustainability manager and sustainability strategy group, am ensuring we have a clear roadmap in place to achieve net zero and are meeting ambitious targets.

Tell us about one (or more) of the people who inspired you along the way.

With so many inspirational people in the future energy and sustainability arena, it’s difficult to choose just one. There are trailblazers such as Dale Vince who have been at the forefront of the sustainability and energy revolution.

And then you have individuals such as Monika Paplaczyk of Thrive Renewables and Rachel Hayes of Regen who founded the national Women in Renewable Energy Network, whose careers highlight the critical contribution that women can make to the sector.

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Are there any memorable challenges you have faced along the way?

The future energy and sustainability sectors are fast paced so businesses have to be adaptable. The end of the Feed-in Tariff and Renewable Obligation Certificate for wind and solar energy left a massive question mark over the future of renewable generation.

However, the sector responded by looking for alternative routes to market and subsidy-free solar and wind generation, alongside the introduction of newer technologies such as energy storage and EV charging infrastructure. This is where TLT’s ability to provide pathfinder legal solutions has come into play – we’ve been able to work with our clients to break down the barriers to entry.

What is the most important thing for you to focus on in business?

TLT has an ambitious growth strategy to 2025, which will deliver a progressive workplace agenda with market leading sustainability. Equality, diversity, inclusion and wellness all remain central to our plans and are another core pillar of the strategy.

Finding pathways for Electric Vehicle (EV’s) charging infrastructure has been a big part of Maria Connelly’s work recently – photo: TLT

In my role, driving forward the firm’s sustainability strategy and developing initiatives that link sustainability and mental health and wellbeing together are top of the agenda. As part of this, it’s been important to ensure that our employees are part of the journey, so we’ve created sustainability forums in all of our offices to give our employees a voice.

If you had one piece of advice to offer people aspiring to your role, what would it be?

The energy market is a fast-paced sector that’s innovating all the time. I think you need to get to understand the sector and its drivers, who the key players are, where the market is going, and to have a real passion for future energy and sustainability.

Getting a work placement and asking lots of questions will give you a good platform to build on. Look for opportunities to join sector bodies and any associated mentoring groups – they can provide you with the tools to further your career.

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In our recent trainee intake interviews, the candidates that stood out were those who knew which area of the market they wanted to work in and asked really insightful questions about our practice in that area and the firm’s wider sustainability strategy.

If you could change one thing about your sector, or Bristol as a whole, what would it be?

There is a real skills shortage across future energy and sustainability at all levels and in all areas. I think there needs to be further conversations between businesses, colleges and schools about how you break down barriers to entry and make careers in this sector more attractive to future employees. This needs to happen now if the UK is to meet its net zero target.

CEO Jan Tore Endresen with the Big Issue e-bike – photo: Betty Woolerton

Bristol as a whole already has some great sustainability initiatives – such as the introduction of the new e-bikes – however with the cost of living and energy bills on the rise, there is a need for businesses and communities to collaborate and work together to address some of these issues.

Community energy and EV charging schemes are increasing but are often held back by a lack of funding or expertise – that is why that collaboration piece is so essential, and why we’re supporting this through our partnership with Action Net Zero for example.

What are your aspirations for the future (personally and for Bristol)?

I think the outlook is positive, but we need to act now and accelerate change to meet the UK’s net zero target. There needs to be further investment in new technologies such as green hydrogen and long-term energy storage. Sustainable businesses also need to be able to easily access green finance products to accelerate their growth.

Larger organisations that already have a strategy in place need to share their journeys so that they can help inspire and support others. Sometimes the hardest thing is knowing where, when and how to start, and we all have an obligation to collaborate to be more sustainable.

Main photo: TLT

Read more: ‘We are keen to develop new initiatives to improve financial resistance across Bristol’

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