The Linguist

@CIOL_Linguists INSTITUTE MATTERS Meet our members RECOGNISED BY FORBES FOR HIS WORK ON CARBON NEUTRALITY, WALKER DARKE EXPLAINS WHY HE IS DETERMINED TO CREATE A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR ALL, AND WHY LANGUAGES ARE KEY TO THIS WORK You were recently recognised by Forbes in their 30 Under 30s list. Congratulations! Which projects led to that recognition? Thank you! It was for my work as the lead author of the Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality by 2050 for Europe, North America and Central Asia. This involved working with a team of international energy experts, analysts and diplomats to develop a roadmap for achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, as well as technology briefs as part of the UN Carbon Neutrality Toolkit. Developing a coherent narrative for these big publications, which crosses linguistic and cultural boundaries, is crucial to the uptake from the world's press. So, could you tell us a bit about your background and how you first got interested in languages? My hometown of Wolverhampton played a big part in who I am. I started learning languages at school, but it was not easy. My school didn't offer A-level French so I studied at the local girls' school twice a week. I had to run all the way home if I wanted to pee! I studied music and French at university. The rhythm and tones of piano, trombone and singing really helped me develop my skills for languages. Learning French, as well as conversational Chinese via a six- month British Council scholarship, gave me the edge in the tough competition for the European Commission internship scheme. I was the youngest intern of the annual intake. You now work for the United Nations. Could you tell us a bit about the job and how you got there? After three years at the European Commission (ending with Brexit), I had to go global. I'm now an Economic Affairs Consultant at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Finding your expertise, building connections and, inevitably, doing some unpaid internships can be critical to your success! How do your skills in French and Chinese help in this role? English and French are working languages at the office in Geneva. Although China is not a member of the UNECE it is a strong partner in our work on the UN Framework Classification for Resources – an international scheme for the classification, management and reporting of energy, mineral and raw material resources. I did my Master's in International Relations at Peking University and am now studying for a PhD from Fudan University, China, alongside my work. As borders open and my intensive language courses become more regular, I hope I can improve. You were also a member of the UK Youth Parliament. Would you say that speaking more than one language has shaped your political outlook? Absolutely! Learning languages and travelling really challenge stereotypes and highlight the importance of cross-cultural communication and understanding. Meetings at Youth Parliament and the UN have many similarities: we have so much more that unites us than divides us. What would you like to see change in the political sphere regarding languages and language education? There should be more emphasis on language learning reflecting the people around us – but not only the fashionable languages of the day. Our schools, communities and shared spaces would be so much more cohesive if we knew a few greetings in Polish, Urdu, Punjabi and Yoruba, for example. MAKING A DIFFERENCE Having cut his political teeth as a member of the UK Youth Parliament, Walker Darke MCIL is now an Economic Affairs Consultant at the UN Economic Commission for Europe

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