Episode 58: – ‘The Practicalities of Transitioning to Net Zero, talking Carbon Budgets, and Carbon Literacy’ with Simon Dawes, The Environment Agency.
“Climate change isn’t a game that anybody wins – we either all win or we all lose and I’d much rather we all win”. Where to start with an overview of this insightful, practical and hugely inspiring conversation. Simon Dawes, environmental professional for over 20 years and working in the field of sustainability for the last 13 years, is generous in sharing with us the practicalities of how a public sector organisation is transitioning to Net Zero - and inspiring, supporting and sharing knowledge and best practice with others along the way. We discuss the commitment to net zero, and importantly, how the organisation has had to figure out exactly how to meet 2030 targets. Which in his own words has meant a ‘fundamental change to the way we think, act and make decisions in the business.’ The lion share of most organisations’ emissions lie in the supply-chain (Scope 3) - and so too with the Environment Agency, around 84% of their emissions. And Simon tells us how it is important that suppliers are also on the same net zero journey - and how for public sector for large contracts (any contract for over £5M), suppliers have to provide a carbon reduction plan and without that in place they won’t make it onto the tender list. This leads to discussion about how there is room for the Environment Agency to help and drive change in the supply chain.. “Delivering on our own footprint would be good – but if we can influence a whole lot of other companies to do the same, that’s even better.” Diving deeper into the practicalities of the transition, we talk about how the Environment Agency has designed and rolled out Carbon Literacy. “We want everybody in the orgnaisation to understand that their job is actually a climate job they are helping us achieve net zero.” Simon shares how they planned, designed, communicated and rolled out Carbon Literacy training - starting with senior execs and how within a relatively short period of time, their voluntary programme has engaged 9300 of their 12,000 employees - and shares how this is changing the culture of everyone understanding the role they play - and the results they’re achieving. {They’ve also made the programme available to their suppliers - supporting their education, awareness and transitions too - and Simon chairs a climate action charity, where the Carbon Literacy programme is also being delivered, giving people the knowledge and language to work things through in their own minds and apply to their own worlds). “Carbon Literacy is helping people to understand I can do something about this. I might not be working in the sustainability team – but I can do something.” We then dive into the Environment Agency’s approach to carbon budgets. Every director int he business owns a chunk of the emissions, and therefore owns the actions. He tells us ‘‘We’re very used to making decisions about finite amounts of cahs, so exactly the same principle applies with a finite amount of carbon. Can I afford this? Have I got enough cash? Can I afford this? Have I got enough carbon?” The design of carbon budget has raised a whole new set of questions, can you overspend, do you borrow from next year or other divisions etc - and he shares how they have created frameworks and dashboards to help people understand that the decisions they make have carbon consequences as well as cash consequences. We talk about where the ‘right’ marketing can really help with shifting mindsets to a different way of operating. The cultural change piece particularly around the business model. Encouraging different behaviours both internally and externally - moving away from take, make, dispose to circular models. Helping people to understand that there is huge value and kudos in circular and regenerative principles. And how marketing has an amazing role to play in making that socially cool rather than having a new shiny thing. Regardless of size or sector, there is so much packed into this conversation about decarbonisation