Meet Cheyne!

Name: Cheyne Hamm

Job Title: Sustainability and Climate Change Officer

Background: I am originally from California. I did my Bachelor’s at UC Berkeley and moved to Scotland to do a Master’s in Environmental Politics at the University of Edinburgh. I’ve loved staying in Scotland so I’ve been here ever since!

My previous role was as a Climate Change Officer at Shetland Islands Council, where I worked on a great team and learned a lot about working in a local authority.

I became passionate about climate change while studying abroad in Germany. This was the height of the Fridays for Future movement, and there was momentum for real change. Being surrounded by educated and motivated people galvanised me to start driving climate action for my career.

When did you join the council? I started this post at ELC in February 2024.

What does your job involve? I will lead and advise on sustainable policy and activity in the council. I report to Scottish Government on East Lothian’s emissions and to Council on the Climate Change Strategy. I will also be delivering Carbon Literacy training to colleagues and getting involved in projects around the organisation as we make everything we do more sustainable.

The exciting work I have over the next year is to write the Council’s new Climate Change Strategy, which will run from 2025-2030. This is a really important time for climate action because Scotland has a target to reduce its emissions by 75% compared to 1990 levels by 2030.

I will be attending the East Lothian Green Futures Festival later this month to deliver a workshop on climate change adaptation in East Lothian 

What do you like most about your job? There is a great deal of enthusiasm for climate action in the council and across East Lothian. Everyone I’ve met is open to sustainable ways of working and proactive in engaging with me on it. Community groups are also very capable and motivated, which encourages me to work on projects that they can co-design and benefit from. It is uplifting to have so many interesting projects and creative people around!

What do you enjoy out of the office? I am an avid musician and like to record my own tunes. I also follow football and Formula 1 on weekends, and when I have a bit of holiday time I like to travel around Scotland by rail.