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***This blog was written with the assistance of AI. We used an LLM to generate a first draft based on a transcript of the podcast interview. Using AI can be energy and water intensive, so we attempted to do this more sustainably using a green prompting approach. Full details of the prompt used are given at the end of the article. The final version of this blog was written with the assistance of humans - Simon Salvi, Nick Turner & Simon Doxford.*** The UK often highlights its success in reducing domestic carbon emissions. But are we measuring the right thing? This blog, based on a recent conversation with Professor John Barrett OBE, explains why the way we count our carbon emissions matters, and how consumption-based emissions may be the missing piece of the puzzle. Listen to the full interview here: Environment Deep Dive .   The UK has cut emissions but that is not the whole story The UK was the first major economy to halve its territorial carbon emissions between 1990 and 2022 while the economy grew 79% over the same period – a significant achievement. However, this headline figure only tells part of the story. As Professor John Barrett OBE explained in our recent podcast, territorial, or production-based emissions – which have halved – only count greenhouse gases released within the UK’s borders. However, the UK is a globalised, service-based economy that relies heavily on imported goods, including food, clothing, electronics and construction materials. If we only focus on where emissions are produced, we miss the emissions generated elsewhere, which ultimately support what we actually consume in the UK.   What are consumption-based emissions? Consumption-based emissions shift the emphasis from where emissions occur, to who consumes the goods and services that cause them. In simple terms, consumption emissions equal: Territorial emissions - emissions in our exports + emissions from our imports This means the goods we produce domestically, but sell abroad, are not included in our consumption-based emissions. The goods we buy from abroad, but don’t produce ourselves, are included. This covers the entire supply chain, including extraction, manufacturing and transport - wherever that takes place. For countries like the UK, this matters. Our territorial emissions have fallen sharply, but consumption-based emissions have declined much more slowly.   Why does this matter for climate change? Climate change is global issue – the driving factor is total atmospheric carbon emissions. The place where that carbon is emitted is less important. If domestic emissions fall (as they have done) while emissions-intensive imports rise, global emissions may not fall fast enough to meet our climate goals and to maintain a safe, liveable environment. Given the UK’s consumption-based emissions have also fallen, just far less quickly than our territorial emissions, this means that we have not offshored all our emissions. However, this does mean that future progress cannot rely only on domestic decarbonisation, especially as some big wins, such as grid decarbonisation, have already occurred or are well on their way.   Consumption and global inequality Incorporating a consumption-based carbon accounting system raises questions about fairness. High income countries tend to consume more carbon-intensive goods. Meanwhile, lower-income countries are often positioned at the start of supply chains, extracting materials or producing more basic goods while capturing limited long term economic benefit. Moreover, many of the countries least responsible for total global emissions are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Understanding who is consuming the goods generating emissions provides more nuance than looking at territorial emissions alone.   Is consumption-based accounting realistic for policy? As John emphasises, the UK already publishes official consumption-based emissions each year. These can be found on the gov.uk website . Countries like Sweden and the Netherlands publish theirs too – while Our World in Data  visualises it based on information from the Global Carbon Budget. So, despite the challenges in collecting the data, it is possible. These metrics do not have to replace territorial accounting, rather they complement it. They help policymakers answer different questions, like using multiple financial indicators to analyse an economy.   Reducing consumption does not mean reducing living standards Discussing consumption-based emissions can often veer into seemingly scary territory about behavioural change, and what that could mean for the way we live our lives. However, as John reiterated, reducing our consumption-based emissions does not necessarily remove choices as consumers, or lower our living standards. Consuming differently can make our lives: • Cheaper - for example through well-insulated homes • Healthier - for example through active and public transport options • More resilient - for example through durable, repairable products The takeaway The UK’s fall in territorial emissions is a real achievement, but it does not capture the full emissions associated with UK living standards and supply chains. Consumption-based emissions add that missing perspective by attributing emissions to the final demand for goods and services, wherever production occurs. Read together, the two measures give a more complete picture of the UK’s actual carbon footprint. The issue is complex and will require complex solutions across all aspects of society – including housing, transport, and energy. This will therefore require us to break down siloed thinking to effectively climate change – and as John noted our conversation, part of the challenge is not necessarily to try and oversimplify the complexity, but to embrace it. ***This article was written with the assistance of AI. Below is the prompt we used to generate a draft version, alongside some tips for more sustainable AI prompting: Task: I'd like a blog written based on this transcript - (add transcript) Example: Follow this blog as a style example- (add previous blog) Format: Max words XXX Scope: answer only the task above Exclusions: no explanations, no reasoning, no extra commentary   To minimise the compute time & energy use of AI consider these factors when prompting: ·         Plan your prompt and be clear about the task required – more and longer prompts generally equal greater computational demand and therefore greater energy use. ·         Limit the output - format, length etc. Be aware of the different energy demands of processing text (least demanding) versus images or video (many times greater). ·         Ask for just the result, not the thinking (unless you require this). Avoid requests like "step-by-step", "explain in detail", which result in deep reasoning. Instead use phrases such as "list steps concisely" or "give a high-level overview”.***

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The Civil Service Climate and Environment Conference is returning and we’re delighted to invite you. It is taking place on  Wednesday 25 th  March 2026  in person, online and at satellite locations across the UK!   Sophie Oakes outlines what to expect with some testimonials from last years conference. How to attend     In person: Leonardo Royal Hotel London Tower Bridge, 45 Prescot Street, London, E1 8GP    Online: join remotely with flexibility to dip in and out    Satellite locations: Edinburgh, Manchester (Salford), Plymouth and Cardiff        Please register  HERE   for either an in person, online or satellite location ticket using a Civil Service email.    In-person and satellite registration is open until 6pm on 13th March.  Online registration remains open until 20th March.  Whether you are working directly on these issues or are keen to learn more, we’d love to see you there!      As Will Stobbs (CSCEN Co-Chair and Conference Lead for 2024-25) reflected, last year’s conference was “an incredible success [and] brought together more than 1,000 passionate civil and public servants in London and at around 10 satellite locations.” These colleagues spanned across 88 departments and agencies to engage in sessions from climate and health to the circular economy and digital innovation. This success demonstrated an appetite for a forum that cuts across policy areas, professions and regions. At its heart, the conference is about creating space to learn from others across government and to feel a part of a collective effort to address some of the most complex challenges we face.   Feedback from last year’s conference shows just how valuable that space can be. Many attendees spoke about how refreshing it was to see what colleagues in other departments are working on, and how much they gained from hearing different perspectives:  “There are so many people involved in sustainability and climate across all departments and it was fascinating learning about things happening outside of my department.”  “I understand more about the breadth of experience in the Civil Service. It gave me opportunities to learn about things outside my core role and challenged me to think differently.”      Connecting for Growth     This year’s theme reflects a shift towards understanding how climate, environment and nature-based action can actively support sustainable economic growth, rather than being treated as an adjacent agenda.    Across the day, sessions will explore how innovation and collaboration can help embed climate and environmental thinking into everyday government activity, from infrastructure and transport to trade and adaptation planning.   This focus on connection and collaboration has resonated strongly with past attendees, many of whom described how the conference helped them see environmental and climate challenges more holistically:  “A key takeaway for me was putting many sustainability and environmental policy changes ‘in the round’ and seeing the broader interaction across policy domains.”  “What I learnt was more about how others were also solving problems – some of them being problems I wasn’t truly aware of.”  Building capability and confidence   Aside from sharing knowledge, the conference is also about reinforcing the role civil servants can play in driving change.  “Working for government means that I have agency. Every small positive environmental change I can make on the pathway to a greener world is significant.”  “Increasing ecological literacy across government means better decisions – because those decisions are grounded in evidence about the world we live in and how it’s changing.”  Rachel Kyte, the UK’s Special Representative for Climate, highlighted how the conference supports better decision-making across Whitehall:   “The CSCEN conference will increase everybody’s ecological literacy across Whitehall. The reason that’s exciting is […] it will mean the government will make better decisions – because it has more evidence about the kind of world we live in, a world that is being changed by climate change.”  From the inside: what makes the conference special   Emma Stirling, now Strategy Lead at CSCEN, recalls attending last year’s conference:   “I attended the CS Climate & Environment Conference for the first time last year, having originally not known much about the [Civil Service Climate and Environment] network. I thoroughly enjoyed my day - learning about a variety of topics including agriculture, natural hazards, and digital solutions. I also benefited from the speed mentoring which gave me useful insight for my own career. It was so well organised and the volunteers all really friendly - so much so that I joined to be a member after, then became a departmental champion and now I am proud to be a member of the committee. To see behind the scenes the effort that goes in to creating this is amazing - can't wait for the next one!”   That same sense of openness is felt by those who have since worked to shape the conference behind the scenes. Sarah Robinson, Conference Lead for 2026, shares her experience:   “I first became involved with CSCEN and the CS Climate + Environment Conference as part of the 2025 Conference Team, leading on the digital elements that helped bring the event to life, and being behind the scenes gave me a real appreciation for the creativity, coordination and sheer dedication that goes into delivering such a large and inspiring day. The buzz of watching everything come together was energising, and the passion of the volunteers and committee made me want to stay involved. That experience ultimately led me to step up as Conference Lead for 2026, and having seen first-hand the impact the conference has in bringing people together across climate, environment, policy and innovation. I’m excited to build on that momentum and help create another brilliant event for our network.”    Lydia Ison, who was part of the Conference Team for the 2025, reflects on the merit of satellite spaces for as many colleagues as possible to experience the conference together:  “I joined as a member of the Conference Team for the CS Climate + Environment Conference 2025, leading on the Satellite Watch Parties. The role involved coordinating regional watch parties across the country, enabling civil servants to watch the conference together. I really enjoyed seeing the value in bringing colleagues together to network, share ideas and opportunities. It was fun to see creative ideas, such as a clothes swap, to engage and inspire colleagues. It’s exciting to see the CS Climate + Environment Conference 2026 take shape and how it is building on the successes of previous years.”  Want to find out more?   You can explore the full agenda and session details on the CSCEN website:  Conference agenda   About the conference   For any questions regarding the conference, please don’t hesitate to contact us at  environment.network@energysecurity.gov.uk , using ‘2026 Conference’ in the subject line.  Contribute to the CSCEN Blog If you're interested in contributing to the CSCEN Blog, get in touch with us at environment.network@energysecurity.gov.uk . We'd love to hear your ideas!

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Training for you... Want to learn more about... The environment? Nature? Climate change? Sustainability? Net Zero? And plenty more in between? You have come to the right place.... Get some some self-paced free training that will fit around your schedule. Jump straight to the free providers to explore yourself or keep reading to review our course recommendations. We have a list of some of the best resources available but if you know of any others, let us know at..... environment.network@energysecurity.gov.uk . Free Providers... Policy Profession OpenLearn One UN Climate Change Learning Partnership UNSCC FutureLearn SDG Academy edX Supply Chain Sustainability School Apolitical Coursera En-ROADS Carbon Literacy Project Carbon Literacy is the unique low-carbon culture tool that creates the culture shift necessary for decarbonisation. It provides civil servants with the knowledge and motivation to make informed choices and speak confidently about why they're taking action to address the scale and urgency of the climate emergency. The Carbon Literacy Project is a globally unique organisation. The project was recognised by the UN at COP21. As of September 2025, over 142,000 citizens have been certified as Carbon Literate. Policy Profession The Policy Profession Unit’s Climate, Energy and Environment Policy Hub is an online resource that support government policy and non-policy professionals working within the climate, energy and environment policy domain. It contains a training catalogue, career profiles, and features dedicated resources on the Environmental Principles Duty and climate adaptation policy. It is part of the Climate and Environment Career Anchor project, a two-year programme improving support for climate, energy and environment expertise within the policy profession. It is a live project and as new resources are developed they will be released on the hub. To access the hub you will need to register to the Policy Profession website. OpenLearn by The Open University OpenLearn is a free learning platform, delivered by The Open University as part of its Royal Charter commitment to support the wellbeing of the community. There are over 1000 free courses, topical and interactive content, videos and online games on OpenLearn. Most content is available to anyone with a general interest, and each free course is set at a particular level to indicate the amount of previous educational experience expected to study the unit within the stated hours. All the free nature and environment courses are listed here. Top 6 suggested courses: Climate change Climate change and renewable energy Climate change: transitions to sustainability Working with our environment: an introduction Introducing environmental decision making Introducing the environment: ecology and ecosystems The One UN Climate Change Learning Partnership (UN CC:Learn) The One UN Climate Change Learning Partnership (UN CC:Learn) is a joint initiative of more than 30 multilateral organizations helping countries to achieve climate change action both through general climate literacy and applied skills development. The UN CC:Learn knowledge-sharing platform provides a ‘one-stop-shop’ for accessing climate change learning resources and services offered by the UN system. The UNCC:Learn platform is the single largest dedicated learning platform on climate change - with a specific focus on developing country needs. The UN CC:Learn Course Catalogue is free to access, once you register an account. Top 6 suggested courses: Net Zero 101: What, Why and How Climate Change: From Learning to Action Introduction to Sustainable Development in Practice Introduction to Sustainable Finance Introduction to Green Economy How to prevent e-waste? UNSSC | United Nations System Staff College Similar to UNCC:Learn, the UNSCC provides a range of courses designed to support the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. Through its Knowledge Centre for Sustainable Development, which was opened in 2016, UNSSC helps accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda through learning, training, and knowledge management. It does so in collaboration with and in support of the UN system, civil society, academia, the private sector and other partners. Top 6 suggested courses: Digital4Sustainability Learning Path Circular Economy Approaches for Sustainability Sustainable Lifestyles Circular Economy and the 2030 Agenda The Paris Agreement on Climate Change as a Development Agenda Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development SDG Academy The SDG Academy offers high-quality resources and guidance on education for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with the mandate to enrich the field of sustainable development and advance Agenda 2030. The SDG Academy offers over 40 free, open educational resources from the world’s leading experts on sustainable development. Top 6 suggested courses: Climate Change Science and Negotiations Climate Change: The Science and Global Impact Water: Addressing The Global Crisis Feeding A Hungry Planet One Planet, One Ocean How to Achieve the SDGs or What will it take to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030? FutureLearn FutureLearn is an online education provider based in the UK that offers online courses, popularly known as MOOCs or Massive Open Online Courses, from top universities and institutions around the world. It is free to join and study the majority of courses on FutureLearn, but you can also buy course upgrades which gives you access additional features such as tests and certificates. Top 6 Suggested courses: Planet Earth: Understanding and Protecting our Environment Tackling Environmental Challenges for a Sustainable Future Environmental Impact Assessment Ecology and wildlife conservation Planet Partners: Tackling the Climate Crisis Together Unleash Your Potential: Sustainable Futures edX edX is a massive open online course (MOOC) provider created by Harvard and MIT. It hosts online university-level courses in a wide range of disciplines to a worldwide student body, including some courses at no charge. Most courses are free, and similar to FutureLearn you can pay extra to have graded assignments/exams and a certificate afterwards. Top 6 suggested courses: Climate Change: Carbon Capture and Storage Climate Change: Financial Risks and Opportunities Introduction to the Natural Capital Approach Energy Within Environmental Constraints Introduction to Water and Climate Climate Solutions Supply Chain Sustainability School Launched in 2012, the Supply Chain Sustainability School (SCSS) is a free virtual learning platform around sustainability, with the aim to upskill those working within, or aspiring to work within, the built environment sector. SCSS learning covers the three core pillars of Sustainability – Environmental, Social and Economic – looking at key issues ranging from carbon management through to combatting modern slavery. These courses are particularly relevant for those working in public sector procurement or adjacent roles. Top 6 suggested courses: Carbon Reduction, Offsetting and Net Zero Carbon Footprinting & Measurement The Circular Economy Supply Chain Mapping and Modern Slavery Introduction to Social Value Embedding Sustainable Procurement Apolitical Apolitical is a social learning network for government used by over 250,000 public servants globally. It provides access to communities for public servants to connect and exchange ideas and provides online courses designed with the needs of public servants. One of the main topics is ‘climate’. Under this theme, apolitical runs courses to get public servants familiar with climate innovations to help public servants make the best decisions about climate policy. Top 6 suggested e-learning courses: An introduction to Green Growth Communicating climate change Public Servants and Climate Change: Reaching Net Zero Collaborating with Indigenous Communities to Address Climate Change Climate change and mental health Centring Equity in Climate Action Coursera Coursera is an online course provider founded in 2012. It works with Coursera works with universities and other organizations to offer online courses, certifications, and degrees in a variety of subjects. Coursera courses last approximately four to twelve weeks, with one to two hours of video lectures a week. These courses provide quizzes, weekly exercises, peer-graded and reviewed assignments, an optional Honors assignment, and sometimes a final project or exam to complete the course. They have many courses on climate change, many of which are free. Suggested e-learning courses: Global warming 1: The Science and Modelling of Climate Change Climate change and human rights From climate science to action Global energy and Climate Policy Climate Change mitigation in developing countries Bending the curve: climate change solutions Global Climate Change policies and analysis En-ROADS En-ROADS provides a climate simulator tool with interactive training materials that has manifested into its own globally renowned and prestigious climate training offering. En-ROADS’ training model is crafted by self-led training materials for a single user, with opportunity to attain an ‘Ambassador’ status once becoming fully qualified, with users obtaining the ability to train others. En-ROADS is a global climate simulator that allows users to explore the impact that dozens of policies — such as electrifying transport, pricing carbon, and improving agricultural practices — have on hundreds of factors like energy prices, temperature, air quality, and sea level rise. The climate simulator tool- En-ROADS- helps people make connections between things they care about and the possibilities available to help ensure a resilient future. Users can quickly see the long-term effects of the global climate policies and actions they imagine.

Big title here Sell yourself here....... The environment? Nature? Climate change? Sustainability? Net Zero? And plenty more in between? You have come to the right place.... Big title here Sell yourself here....... The environment? Nature? Climate change? Sustainability? Net Zero? And plenty more in between? You have come to the right place.... Add a box for quick links here.... Policy Profession OpenLearn One UN Climate Change Learning Partnership more intro text here...... Get some some self-paced free training that will fit around your schedule. We have a list of some of the best resources available but if you know of any others, let us know: environment.network@energysecurity.gov.uk . Jump straight to the free providers to explore yourself or keep reading to review our course recommendations. Main Body Text Here Blah.....We have a list of some of the best resources available but if you know of any others, let us know: environment.network@energysecurity.gov.uk . Jump straight to the free providers to explore yourself or keep reading to review our course recommendations. Emphasize a point with a quote or add a picture here. This is a paragraph. Use this area to add any information you want to share with users. Just click "Edit Text" or double click here to change the text and make it your own. You can also adjust the paragraph's font, size and color so it fits your website’s theme. This is a great place to tell users a story about your website and let them know more about what you offer. You may want to share information about your company's background, your team, or the services you provide. Be sure to keep the tone and voice consistent throughout the site so users become familiar with your brand.