U.K./Commonwealth/E.E.A. nationals: Senior Policy Adviser, COP26 Nature Campaign

London

This position is based at 1 Victoria Street London

Cabinet Office supports the Prime Minister and ensures the smooth running of government – from developing policy, to modernising public services. We welcome talented people from all backgrounds with the skills and the commitment to build a career in the Civil Service.

The Cabinet Office Purpose is:

• to maintain the integrity of the Union, coordinate the security of the realm and sustain a flourishing democracy;
• to support the design and implementation of HM Government’s policies and the Prime Minister’s priorities; and
• to ensure the delivery of the finest public services by attracting and developing the best public servants and improving the efficiency of government.

The work Cabinet Office delivers is vast and therefore presents opportunities to develop your skills and experience in a variety of critical government agendas.
An organisation of approximately 7,000 employees, the Cabinet Office is a vibrant, modern and exciting place to work, attracting a diverse workforce which represents the people we serve. Our main offices are in London, but we have staff based around the UK.
At the heart of this are our Cabinet Office values. To deliver our Purpose and help make Cabinet
Office a great place to work, we all commit to:-

• treating everyone with Respect
• actively Collaborate, and
• build Trust

We have an aspiration to become the most inclusive employer across the Civil Service. We have a number of staff benefits, including flexible working, and access to a number of staff support networks to ensure we meet this.

Business unit information

The COP26 Unit sits at the heart of the Government’s action on climate change. We are responsible for ensuring a successful UK Presidency of COP26 – the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This is one of the Prime Minister’s top priorities.

The COP26 Unit is a great place to work and learn. We are a highly-motivated team, formed from people from almost every part of Government, and beyond, unique in our delivery of the largest and highest profile political event the UK has ever hosted – so we are all learning from each other as we find ways to make this a success.

Job Description

As the lead on the Nature Campaign within the COP26 Unit, you will play a central role in one of the most exciting and important parts of our COP26 agenda.

The UK has taken on the Presidency of the UN climate talks at a time when structural change in the global economy needs to proceed three to five times faster to meet the Paris Agreement goals for avoiding dangerous climate change. At the same time, biodiversity loss is occurring at an unprecedented rate.

We aim to use our Presidency to make a real difference. This is why alongside the formal UN negotiations, we are running international campaigns – to bring together the most influential countries and other actors to address shared practical challenges, and accelerate change in the global economy. The five COP26 campaigns are focussed on energy, nature, transport, finance, and adaptation and resilience. In each of these areas, we want to make tangible progress by COP26 (in November 2021), and lay the foundations for stronger, sustained international cooperation over the longer term.

The Nature Campaign aims to:

• Bring together the major producer and consumer countries of forest-risk commodities to agree collaborative actions to protect forests (currently being lost at the rate of a UK-land-area each year), while promoting trade and development;
• Influence countries to reorient agricultural policies so that they incentivise the regeneration of ecosystems, instead of incentivising their destruction;
• Greatly increase the public and private financial flows that support nature-based solutions to climate change and biodiversity loss;
• Secure high-level political commitment to strong implementation of actions on climate change and biodiversity, linking the major international meetings of the conventions on climate change and biodiversity, that are both taking place in 2021.

As the lead for this campaign within the COP Unit, you would be responsible for shaping the overall HMG approach, and working with Ministers, colleagues across Whitehall, embassies, NGOs, and international stakeholders to maximise its impacts and chances of success.

Your responsibilities would include:

• Chair cross-Whitehall working groups on each strand of the COP26 Nature Campaign, shaping a high-impact approach to international influencing, and mobilising all of HMG’s resources to implement it; this will involve working closely with Defra, DFID, BEIS, FCO and DIT;
• Building productive relationships with external stakeholders who can multiply HMG’s influence internationally;
• Mobilising Ministers (notably COP President Alok Sharma, Lord Goldsmith, and Lord Callanan), the COP Envoy and Regional Ambassadors, and potentially the Prime Minister, in support of the campaign;
• Managing one HEO on the Nature Campaign, as well as working through other teams in the COP Unit – on strategy, comms, negotiations, and international engagement;
• Working closely with Defra to ensure close alignment between our international influencing on climate change and biodiversity.

During the Conference period itself, in November 2021, you should expect to be based in Glasgow, working alongside partner organisations to ensure a high-profile and successful event.

Please note that this role requires CTC clearance, which would normally require 3 years’ UK residency in the past 3 years. This is not an absolute requirement but supplementary checks may be required where individuals have not lived in the UK for the required period. This may mean that your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.
 

Responsibilities

Please refer to Job Description

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Leadership

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension

Open to UK, Commonwealth and European Economic Area (EEA) and certain non EEA nationals. Further information on whether you are able to apply is available here.