I took an unusual path into academia. From my second year as a PhD student, I was already working as an employed research assistant on externally funded research projects. Since then, my theoratical and empirical work has been made possible thanks to the support of funders such as UKRI, the European Commission, the Leverhulme Trust, the Royal Bank of Canada, and the British Academy. Each project has circled around a common thread - energy economics and sustainable finance - and together they have shaped a distinct academic journey. Along the way, my research has not only advanced theory but also fed directly into practice: informing government policy, guiding industry and financial institutions, and engaging NGOs. These projects have given me both a platform and a responsibility: to bridge academic research with real-world impact. What follows is a snapshot of that journey.