If I Knew Then: James Sterling

James Sterling is the communications and engagement manager for Bristol City Leap – a £1bn energy partnership between Bristol City Council and Ameresco.

He’s worked on sustainability projects including European Green Capital and the Bristol Community Energy Fund, but now focuses on city-scale decarbonisation and social justice through City Leap.

With a background in communications and passion for sustainability, James has been working to keep Bristol on track to be one of the UK’s first carbon neutral cities.

He is also a trustee for a local arts and engagement charity, a mentor and volunteers weekly for a mental health charity.

How did you start out in your career?

“I’ve always had an interest in the power of storytelling to facilitate positive change in society. I studied English Language, which was really fascinating but, in truth, I’m not an academic at heart, so ended up teaching myself web design and worked for a number of charities and public sector organisations helping to enhance their online presence.

“After a few years, I landed a job at Bristol City Council, where I contributed to the European Green Capital communications campaigns and several other sustainability projects. This sparked a genuine passion for environmental action and really opened my eyes to the opportunities to deliver social justice at the same time.

“From there I got promoted to lead on communications for all the projects within the council’s energy department, the most recent being Bristol City Leap which I’ve worked on since 2018, before moving across to the new organisation when it launched in January this year.

“I grew up in south Bristol and didn’t have the best start for a number of reasons, so career-wise it’s been a long road for me, but I genuinely feel like I now have one of the best jobs in the world, engaging with communities, businesses and partners to share opportunities for creating a fairer and more sustainable Bristol.”

If you knew then what you knew now, what mistakes would you have avoided? 

“I came from an incredibly supportive background. My mum was always my biggest champion and a staunch believer in protecting wildlife and our natural world, so that’s always been hard coded into my belief system, but we were never taught that much about climate change when I was a kid. The science was there, but it didn’t make it onto the TV or into our classrooms – except for Captain Planet!

“I wish I’d known more so that I could have pursued causes and careers to tackle the climate crisis earlier in my life. I wonder where the world would be if we’d all had a bit more exposure to and understanding of the issues back then.”

What advice would you give yourself when starting out? 

“Like so many young people, I always suffered from a pinch of imposter syndrome – not thinking you are good enough or that I don’t have the skills or knowledge to do a good job. It’s a killer! My advice would be to believe in yourself and know the contribution that you can make. Accept your shortcomings and use them as an opportunity for growth. And if you are unsure, reach out to other people for support or affirmation.”

If you knew then what you know now, would you still be sitting there?

“Oh, for sure. I’ll always have a passion for Bristol. It’s part of my DNA and I’m excited for the work that we’re doing to play our part in creating a better society while decarbonising our city.”

What do you know now that you didn’t know then?

“Work is so much easier when you believe in the cause that you’re supporting. I say to people starting out to try to find the ‘trifecta job’. That’s something that you’re good at, something that will enhance society and, most importantly, something that you love. That’s the full package!”

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received so far?

“One piece of advice that has stayed with me is that happiness comes when what you think, what you say and what you do are fully aligned. It’s about being your true self in every situation, and I always try to reflect on that in both my work and personal life.”

Bristol City Leap is a £1bn energy partnership between Bristol City Council and Ameresco – photo: Bristol City Leap

What is your business highlight? 

“It has to be launching Bristol City Leap this year. Myself and countless colleagues worked incredibly hard on the project for so many years and it’s such a brilliant thing to see it up and running, starting to deliver projects and a broad range of social value for my home city.

“We’ve really created something special here – £1bn worth of investment into decarbonisation projects but also the opportunities to really drive the just transition forward by creating thousands of new jobs, investing in community-led energy projects, and supporting young people into green jobs through apprenticeships.

“I’m proud of this one. It’s a project that now has international recognition and will genuinely be a blueprint for city-scale decarbonisation across the UK.”

What is your business low point? 

“Many of our projects shut down temporarily during the pandemic, so I volunteered to work on public information about Bristol’s response to Covid-19. It was the right thing to do and important work, but I hadn’t really anticipated the impact that working on it day-to-day, during lockdown would have on me. Yeah, pretty serious burnout, unlike any I’d ever experienced.”

What keeps you awake? 

“Unsurprisingly, the climate crisis! It’s one of, if not the biggest challenge that we face globally and we know that cities like Bristol are where the battle for our planet will be won or lost.

“This means significant mobilisation across all sectors and groups is needed to turn the tide and reduce the most devastating impacts on our natural world, while ensuring that people are protected and supported through the inevitable changes that will come from decarbonising our daily lives.

“It’s heavy stuff, but what gives me hope for the future is the collective action that businesses and communities are taking. We’re an amazing city and I know from conversations with other parts of the country that we’re continuing to inspire similar action. This is how we’ll win.”

What’s changed from when you started out? 

“Diversity in the sector has improved a lot. As a person of colour, I was really surprised when first starting out in energy and sustainability, and not just in terms of ethnicity, but also gender balance. Things really have improved so much since then, particularly from a gender perspective, but we still have a mountain to climb to ensure that all communities are represented and given a voice in this sector. That’s one of the reasons why I mentor in my spare time.”

What’s still on your to-do list?  

“My to-do list is pretty lengthy. One thing I would love to do is visit New Zealand. I’ve done a lot of travelling in the past but I try to minimise air travel now and it’s a long boat ride!”

What’s next for you in business and personally?

“We are delivering a great scheme called Bright Green Homes, which is offering free solar panels, heat pumps and insulation to low-income homes across the South West currently. It’s an amazing scheme which will make an enormous difference to the people that need the most support during the cost-of-living crisis, lifting people out of fuel poverty, something that I’m passionate about.

“The next big thing is the Bristol City Leap Community Energy Fund. This is a £1.5m pot of funding available for community organisations, charities, faith groups, etc. to enable them to deliver their own energy projects cutting carbon and supporting groups to reduce their running costs.”

Main photo: Bristol City Leap 

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