Kit Batten, Ph.D.
Climate change &
sustainability innovator
I founded Kit Batten Consulting after 15 years of working in the government, private sector, non-profit organizations, and academia to advance climate change and sustainability policy. I began my career as a Ph.D. ecologist with a personal mission of promoting effective science-based policy, and I pursued this goal directly in Washington, DC for over a decade in roles as a political appointee, legislative staffer, and NGO program director. After I left DC, I continued to bridge science and policy in leadership roles in academia and the private sector. Scientific research, commitment to equity, and understanding political landscapes underpin all of my work.
I am committed to supporting communities and organizations in the U.S. and around the globe so that they are able to thrive in the face of a changing climate. Societal change across all sectors and continents is required to embrace a new normal and the challenges and opportunities arising from a changing climate.
In my experience, integrating climate change and sustainability principles into an organization’s mission has universally made the organization stronger and more successful. I help identify opportunities to build the climate resilience and sustainability of communities, customers, employees, operations, and infrastructure as well as accelerate effective and lasting investment in low carbon solutions. I channel my expertise in speaking the language of different work cultures to engage with clients to co-create strategic plans, policies, programs, public-private partnerships, and communications materials designed to achieve climate change, sustainability, and equity goals.
I also am a Professor of Practice at Arizona State University’s School of Sustainability, teaching climate science and policy. In addition, I serve on the board of Unite Oregon, a non-profit organization led by people of color, immigrants and refugees, rural communities, and people experiencing poverty that is dedicated to working across Oregon to build a unified intercultural movement for justice.