STAGES on the road to COP26: Green Society theme wrap-up

• "Net zero skills": Why, when, who, what and how? 
• Carbon literacy: A first step in responding to the climate crisis
• Paving the way for a net zero future: Upskilling the workforce 
• Systemic change: From words to action

Successful climate action will be underpinned by partnerships between key actors and organisations across sectors and disciplines. Talking to key stakeholders and helping them identify the role that organisations can play (such as using the D7 framework from the Decisive Decade report) will aid in establishing a common narrative, building trust and strengthening accountability. This in turn will support a systematic way of fostering catalytic collaboration, which is crucial for the transformative change needed to meet climate ambitions. The professions are integral to this process as they move between organisations and therefore can support cross-disciplinary working and play a broker role within organisations. 

Culture permeates all aspects of our daily lives. It therefore has the potential to support significant behavioural change and influence social norms. Social norms often dictate individual behaviour change, which can have far-reaching impacts for driving forward climate ambitions. Research conducted during the pandemic showed that perceived social norms in terms of distancing and isolation were one of the main reasons people changed their behaviour and followed COVID-19 guidelines – lessons from the pandemic could be applicable to support behaviour change in the context of climate action.

Culture and the arts also have a key role in raising public awareness of an issue in an accessible and creative way as well as helping to build common narratives that support collaboration and helps to make the reality of climate change more tangible to the general public. More evidence is needed to determine the impacts of cultural policy on behaviour and social change 

Individual action is a key component of systemic change and should be viewed as complementary to the wider political and economic changes that need to occur to meet climate ambitions. Recently, individual behaviour change has been touted as a way of scapegoating and shifting the focus away from corporations. Although this is true in some cases, it is also important to remember that individual behaviour is more than just consumer choices and is a powerful and fundamental tool for realising transformative and systemic change. Individual action has effects beyond the individual and can create a strong social mandate for climate action which goes on to influence policy change and incentivise corporations.

It was discussed that a balance needs to be sought between influencing behaviour change and introducing restrictive measures that impact autonomy so that climate ambitions can be met. Influencing behaviour through modification of choice architecture (e.g. ‘nudges’) is a potential way to do this. How this balance is met in countries with different cultural and political contexts is a key question to answer. 

Technical skills will always be central for environmental scientists. However, given the need for environmental and sustainability principles to be embedded in all sectors, these technical skills should provide the foundation for complementary soft skills which will be core to the effectiveness of ensuring science-based decision-making. Skills such as science communication, project management, systems-thinking, persuasion, and creativity will be critical to the application of technical skills and knowledge. The value of technical qualifications and apprenticeships in addressing skills gaps should also not be overlooked, and the different career pathways into environmental science should be more openly illustrated. 

Green jobs are growing at a staggering rate, spanning sectors and disciplines. The transformational change needed to deliver net zero and climate targets represents a significant job creation opportunity. What defines a green job is therefore evolving and expanding. This gives us the chance to change the perception of how green jobs are viewed and valued. As environmental issues are pushed into the foreground, it is likely that the way different professions are valued will change.

In order to meet the myriad social and environmental issues facing our society, sustainability principles will need to be integrated within all sectors and disciplines. Educational institutes will therefore have a crucial part to play in ensuring graduates entering the workforce are adaptable, resilient, skilled and knowledgeable, with the agency to drive sustainable change. However, despite the recognised need for sustainability skills to be embedded across disciplines, the expansion of Education for Sustainable Development is still a niche activity. It is important to note that educational institutes should not be doing this work in a vacuum. A continuum between industry, education and research needs to be created to ensure skills needs are met. 

The publication of a clear cross-sectoral plan to reach net zero goals alongside a comprehensive skills strategy will be essential to securing the low-carbon skills needed for a green transition. A robust policy framework will provide the impetus for business to invest in low-carbon infrastructure and strategies, unlocking essential business investment in low-carbon skills.

Professional bodies should capitalise on their convening power to bring together business, industry, education and the workforce to conduct skills audits and identify skills gaps. Professional bodies also have the unique opportunity to highlight core, transferrable skills needed across disciplines, support the upskilling and reskilling of their members in these and facilitate multidisciplinary working and systems thinking. 

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion principles must be embedded within all sectors and disciplines for a successful green and just transition. Addressing the diversity issue within the environmental science sector needs to be a cross-sectoral priority, exploring the barriers and root causes of the systemic issue.Read more about the IES Diversity Initiatives, a plan for systemic change to improve diversity in the sector.