5 minutes with Haoran Lei

5 minutes with Haoran Lei

"I grew up in a small town in southern China. Just outside the town, was a large metal casting factory. Every time we caught a strange smell, we knew the factory had received a big order."

Meet Haoran Lei, one of our Sustainability Specialists with a passion for turning numbers into meaningful insights. Growing up in southern China, Haoran witnessed firsthand the delicate balance between economic progress and environmental impact. Today, he works closely with clients to drive positive change, combining science-based analysis with a practical approach to sustainability. When he’s not making a difference at work, you’ll find him at the beach or in the forest with his dog Chewie.

 

Why did you choose a career in sustainability?

I grew up in a small town in southern China. Just outside the town, was a large metal casting factory. Every time we caught a strange smell, we knew the factory had received a big order. While the factory posed environmental challenges, it also provided jobs for the local community, allowing my friends’ parents to stay in town rather than move to big cities to support their families. This made me start to think about how we can balance environmental, social, and economic development.

Being part of the sustainability industry gives me the chance to make a real difference and influence clients to do the right thing.

What do you like most about your work?

I enjoy using numbers to quantify the environmental impact of products and working with clients to help them understand how small steps can make a big difference in reducing those impacts.

What are you proud of in your career?

We provide detailed, science-based environmental performance analysis that clients can rely on to become more sustainable. For example, we are currently working with thermal insulation manufacturers to develop EPDs for their products. After seeing the carbon footprint of their products, these manufacturers started considering renewable energy and are now planning to incorporate it into their manufacturing processes. It’s rewarding to know we’re helping to drive meaningful change.

What is the most helpful advice that you have been given?

Success happens when you take the first step. This really helped me to reduce my internal friction and to face uncertainties with greater confidence.

What do you do when you’re not working?

I love taking my dog to the beach or for forest walks. Any stress seems to melt away after just 10 minutes of playing fetch. By the way, my dog’s name is Chewie—a 4-year-old Maltese who loves rolling in strange smells and “surfing” on his kickboard!.

Get in touch with Haoran

Haoran believes in making a positive impact and loves sharing his knowledge of life cycle assessment (LCA) and the circular economy. He lives in Melbourne and is part of our LCA team. He has a PhD in Civil Engineering and has focused his research on the built environment. At thinkstep-anz, he helps clients of all industries embed life cycle thinking into their decision-making and supports them by making sustainability and circularity accessible and practical.