Decatur graduate works with UN to tackle climate change

Published 10:00 am Saturday, April 23, 2016

On Earth Day, April 22, presidents, prime ministers, secretaries of state and other representatives from more than 150 countries met in New York to sign the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Among them was Federal Way native Cassie Flynn.

Flynn, a 1998 Decatur High School graduate, is a climate change adviser with the United Nations Development Programme. She lives today in New York City but travels to consult with governments around the world, generally on islands and in the least-developed countries that are some of the most affected by rising ocean waters and extreme storms brought on by climate change. Her current role is advising officials on implementing the requirements coming out of today’s summit, and she’s also provided guidance on topics like finance, capacity building, adaptation and technology.

Flynn was also in Paris for the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference late last year, playing a key role in helping negotiate the ground-breaking climate change agreement that the dignitaries are signing today. During that conference, she provided support to countries in their negotiations. The final agreement represented a consensus of the representatives of the 196 participants and is a highlight of Flynn’s career.

That career, she said, was nurtured in the public schools of Federal Way.

“I really knew what sang to me,” said Flynn, the daughter of Greg and Nancy Flynn, two public school teachers who still reside in Federal Way and encouraged their daughter to follow her interests.

In high school, when she knew she wanted to pursue international relations, Decatur’s principal, Jerry Millett, suggested she look into Bowdoin College in Maine. Flynn earned undergraduate degrees in International Relations and Environmental Studies there, then headed to Yale University where she earned a master’s in Environmental Management with a focus on international environmental law and policy.

Prior to joining the U.N., Flynn worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Clean Diesel Campaign to reduce emissions from diesel engines in school buses, ports and construction equipment. With the U.S. State Department, Flynn spent time in Fiji where she analyzed the viability of developing a biofuels industry as a part of the country’s response to the impacts of climate change and shifting trade rules.

In the private sector, Flynn has helped companies develop strategies to address climate change, advising them on energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction targets and identifying opportunities for short- and long-term business gains. She also advised companies on how U.S. climate legislation would affect a company’s operations.

Flynn has been a guest speaker at Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Fordham Law School, Rutgers, and various international and national conferences and events like South by Southwest. The author of two books, Flynn also recently rolled out a video series called Climate Winners that shows how people can use their daily choices — from the makeup they use to the food they eat — to fight climate change. Those videos can be viewed at www.climatewinners.com.

For more information on Flynn, visit cassieflynn.com.