Voices from the Field: Hassan Siddiqui

1. What sparked your interest in using business principles to help solve sustainability challenges?

I came to realize that sustainability challenges are, in fact, fundamentally business challenges. Issues such as resource efficiency, supply chain resilience, and emissions reduction all directly impact performance and competitiveness. I was drawn to work where I could make an impact, and corporate sustainability offers a way to drive change at scale by influencing how entire industries operate and adopt a Net Zero path.

What excites me most is that this field is not static; it’s evolving rapidly with new science, policies, and technologies, which require constant relearning and adaptation. That dynamic makes it both intellectually challenging and deeply rewarding.

2. In your opinion, what aspect of climate science most urgently demands a new approach to business strategy?

Scope 3 emissions (or emissions from the supply chain) are generally the largest source of emissions for most companies, frequently accounting for more than 80% of emissions for most sectors. Understanding, measuring, and managing emissions that are part of the broader value chain is a unique challenge that many businesses have not yet tackled head-on, requiring organizations to think beyond their four walls.

Companies now need to not only think of their operations, but what impact their product has on the environment, while also accounting for what their product design necessitates from their suppliers (and associated environmental impacts of that). Is your product specification requiring extra waste or processing that could be minimized? These are the types of things companies need to think through now and will become more pressing as consumers demand emissions transparency across the value chain (i.e., carbon labeling, carbon taxes, etc.).

3. What career opportunities do you see for professionals with training in both business and climate science? How is demand for these professionals evolving in your industry?

There is definitely a need for professionals who can bridge the technical and financial sides of sustainability. A lot has already been done in climate science (not to say that there isn’t more to be done!), but now, organizations need to be able to sell the sustainability story as a business improvement story. The link to value needs to be made clear, or making any sustainability changes will be an uphill battle.

While there may seem to be headwinds at the moment, most organizations are pushing forward with their climate agenda. I expect the need for smart, sustainability-minded businesspeople will be greater in the future, especially as we get closer to 2030, a pivotal year for the Net Zero transition.

4. What advice would you give to someone considering the Master in Business, Climate, and Sustainability program?

Go into the program with a mindset that sustainability is not just a moral imperative, but a value-creation opportunity. Build both your fluency in climate science and your ability to translate that knowledge into business strategy and operational change.

The graduates who will stand out are those who can connect rigorous technical knowledge with practical business decision-making. Use the program to develop that dual capability and to build a network of peers equally committed to driving impact.

Hassan Siddiqui is a project leader in Boston Consulting Group’s (BCG) Philadelphia office. He is an expert in BCG’s climate and sustainability practice area, with a focus on enabling organizations in their Net Zero journey. He has supported both public and private sector clients on Scope 3 decarbonization, sustainable operations, and carbon accounting.

Prior to BCG, Hassan worked in various manufacturing and product management roles at BASF. He holds an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and a BSE in chemical and biomolecular engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.