The Basics
Name Xana Villa García
Job title Senior Analyst
Practice area/functional area Climate Nature and Resources Team
Lives Between Gijón, Spain and Medellín, Colombia
Qualifications BSc Environmental Studies – Florida International University, MSc Coastal Zone Management – Bournemouth University.
How long have you worked for 3Keel now?
I will have been an employee of 3Keel for five years, but I have been collaborating on projects since 2014/15.
What are the biggest changes you’ve noticed in the organisation since you joined?
The most obvious change is growth, not only in employee numbers, but also in scope of projects and practice areas, allowing us to impact a varied group of clients. 3Keel now provides expertise in a wide range of environmental issues and is a leader in the sector.
Has your role changed? If so, how? If you are still doing the same role, what has changed most for you since you joined, in terms of the clients you’re working with, the team you’re in, the work you are doing?
I have been a Senior Analyst for more than 15 years! The work I do, mainly carbon footprinting, has become more standardised and less creative as methods and databases have developed over the years. Clients have become more knowledgeable and conversations are more about reduction strategies instead of simply measuring impacts. There is now a larger pool of people at 3Keel from which expertise can be drawn for different projects and this has allowed the development tools and expertise in-house.
Tell me about one of the projects you’re currently working on?
Personally, the project I am learning the most in is a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) where we are comparing the impact between natural-gas and electric powered cremations at two sites in the UK. In this project, we will be modelling flue gas emissions from cremating an average deceased in an MDF coffin by understanding the chemical make-up of both the coffin and the deceased and which gases are emitted through combustion. Results, will hopefully inform less impacting end of life options.
What do you like most about working for 3Keel?
I like other 3Keel staff the most. They are an amazing group of people with many outstanding qualities. There are also great employee policies in place and open channels of communication with management and others.
Who or what inspired you to work in sustainability?
I have always been interested in the natural world and how our species modifies and interacts with the environment, likely inspired by a Spanish TV show from the eighties called “El Hombre y La Tierra”.
When you’re not working, what do you like to do?
When not working, I enjoy going to see films, reading, studying (I am doing an extension course on Palaeolithic art at the moment), hiking, biking, swimming, cooking and eating, growing plants, travelling, being with friends and family, not very unusual or interesting.