Inès Pajot, an incoming first-year student at the University of California, Berkeley, has described her journey from learning about climate change as a child in Paris to cofounding a student-led climate coalition and pursuing clean energy solutions. Pajot shared her experiences and future plans in a first-person narrative for UC Berkeley News.
Pajot recalled early lessons on climate change during her primary education in Paris and later in London. “I remember learning about climate change in science class — really simple things, like the greenhouse effect. We also attended assemblies where school leaders would summarize all the decisions that had been made that year at the United Nations Climate Change Conferences. So I knew it was a problem, but it wasn’t at the forefront of my mind,” she said.
Her interest deepened during an 8th grade physics class focused on energy generation. She became particularly drawn to astrophysics and nuclear fusion, describing fusion as “a natural process that happens in stars — it’s how the sun turns matter into energy, which is where we get all the radiation we have on Earth.” Pajot began exploring both fossil fuels’ environmental impact and alternative methods of producing energy.
A temporary move to California at age 16 introduced Pajot to The Nueva School in San Mateo, where sustainability was emphasized across campus life. There, she joined with other students to create the High School Clean Energy Investment Coalition. “At The Nueva School, other students and I founded the High School Clean Energy Investment Coalition, an organization made up of students who work with their schools’ endowment boards to invest in renewable energy. It has grown to encompass more than 50 high schools and 11 countries around the world,” she explained.
The coalition equips high school students with resources for sustainable investment research and encourages changes toward renewable energy within educational institutions’ endowments. As Pajot transitions to college, she intends to remain involved as a mentor: “I’ve trained up some amazing high school seniors who I feel are fully capable to continue the project, and I’m excited to try something new in the climate sphere.”
Looking ahead at Berkeley, Pajot aims to contribute toward finding clean energy solutions—especially through nuclear fusion research—while remaining open-minded about her career path. “There are people trying to create nuclear fusion power plants because one fusion reaction generates vast amounts of energy. If it’s realized, it would be a very big solution to climate change,” she said.
“I could see myself using that work to try to build a company. But I don’t want to get ahead of myself; I’m very open to all different life paths. I’m going into it with an open mind,” Pajot concluded.
