Environment Deep Dive: Recent Episodes
Civil Service Environment Network
The Civil Service Environment Network is producing Environment Deep Dives, explaining and exploring the biggest issues in environmental policy. We talk to experts on topics across Climate Change, Sustainable Development, Natural Resources, and Biodiversity & Ecosystems.
Please note, the views of our guests do not necessarily represent the views of CSEN.
Sign up to our monthly mailing list, The Branch; Visit our website, CSEN online, (where transcripts are posted); Subscribe to our Youtube channel; Follow us on Twitter @_csen; or Email us at environment.network@faststream.civilservice.gov.uk
In this episode, Naomi Potter, a podcaster in CSCEN, draws on the monthly ‘local impact’ theme to explore the environmental and community benefits of urban farms.
She highlights how these green spaces boost biodiversity, improve air quality, and help combat the urban heat island effect.
Naomi interviews Chloe Dunnett, a former civil servant who is now the co-founder of Sitopia Farm to get her views on the social advantages of urban agriculture and how listeners can get involved.
If you're a civil servants, you can view more content and join the Civil Service Climate + Environment Committee at www.civilserviceenvironmentnetwork.org
For more information on Sitopia Farm, visit www.sitopiafarm.com
Our presenter Bryony Loveless speaks to Junaed Khan, Deputy Head of Business Management at Defra about his career in the Civil Service. He is also one of the co-chairs of the Civil Service Race Forum, which looks after 75 race networks in government departments and ALBs.
He talks about his career journey, diversity in the environment sector and offers practical advice for those from underrepresented backgrounds thinking of joining the sector.
If you're a civil servant, you can view more content and join the Civil Service Climate + Environment Network by signing up at: https://www.civilserviceenvironmentnetwork.org/
How can government effectively and sustainably manage waste? How does your behaviour as an individual affect how waste is managed? What can you do differently?
Milly Cave, MoD, talks to Adam Spencer, Senior Sustainability Manager in the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, MoD, about his work advising people across the Defence estate on waste management. Adam gives his insight into what works well and leads people to make positive choices about recycling.
Edited by Milly Cave, MoD.
How can we reconcile the competing demands for land across government? How is it possible to account for all the different environmental, social, cultural, geographical and geological factors that determine land use?
Bryony Loveless, DESNZ, talks to Rachel Fisher, Deputy Director of Land Use Policy at DEFRA, about her work and background, from the many things we need our land for and what implications this has for policy and human activity. Hear Rachel talk about the need to understand the spatial implications of policy, because ultimately there is only a limited amount of land.
Edited by Jacob Billingham, DEFRA.
Make My Money Matter is the campaign to make sure our banks and pension funds are building a better world. Established by famed film director Richard Curtis, they have collaborated with names such as Olivia Colman and the stars of Game of Thrones to get their message across. Listen it to find out what they want to achieve and how they are going to do it!
Vijay Rangarajan, Director General at the FCDO, discusses his career, previous COPs and what to expect at COP28 with Nadine Atchison-Balmond, Defra.
Vijay oversees Afghanistan, Pakistan, Overseas Territories, the Middle East, and North Africa. He leads FCDO's efforts in energy, climate, and the environment. He has formerly served as British Ambassador to Brazil and Europe Director, managing the UK EU referendum, negotiations, and broader EU policy.
Vijay’s academic background is scientific: a natural sciences degree, Masters in maths, and an astrophysics PhD. His interests are singing, cooking, cycling, flying kites, windsurfing and science fiction.
Nancy Clarke, DEFRA, discusses conservation solutions, the economics of nature, ecoanxiety and diversity and inclusion in the sector with Joanna Elliott, Global Conservation Director at Fauna & Flora.
Joanna specialises in connecting business and nature conservation. She has advised governments, multi and bi-lateral agencies, NGOs and commercial enterprises on various aspects of environmental policy, protected area management, community-based natural resource management and climate-nature linkages, and now leads a global programme of conservation work with partners across 40 countries for Fauna & Flora. She sits on the UK Darwin Expert Committee (DEC) amd holds an Economics degree from Cambridge University and an MBA from the London Business School.
Fauna & Flora is an international wildlife conservation charity. Their focus is on protecting and restoring habitats, saving species from extinction and developing sustainable livelihoods for those living closest to nature. They hold expertise across a range of issues affecting nature – whether that’s habitat destruction, illegal wildlife trade or unsustainable resource use. Climate change or plastic pollution. Corporate sustainability or global policy.
Editing by Jake Billingham, DEFRA.
Justine Solomons-Moat, DEFRA, discusses utopias, dystopias and protopias with Monika Bielskyte, a futurist and futures designer.
Monika consults on and prototypes culturally expansive, socially and environmentally engaged future world designs for the media, industry and technology companies. She also explores the relationship between science fiction narratives and unfolding global futures.
Most recently, Monika has been working on Protopia Futures, a platform for collaborative research and creations challenging and offering alternatives to dystopian or utopian stereotypes. Protopia Futures explore visions of radically hopeful and inclusive futures centring Queerness, Indigeneity, Disability & previously marginalized cultural perspectives.
With thanks to Justine for hosting and all her hard work behind the scenes at CSCEN.
Jacob Billingham, DEFRA, discusses Education and Skills with Phil Korbel and Will Gibb at The Carbon Literacy Project.
Phil Korbel is Director of Advocacy at The Carbon Literacy Project and is a long-standing social entrepreneur, broadcaster and community activist based in Manchester. He wants to leave his children ‘a future, not an apology’.
Will Gibb is The Carbon Literacy Project's Civil Service Co-ordinator and has assisted with reviewing and updating the Carbon Literacy Knowledge: E-Learning framework, developed Carbon Literacy resources, and supported the creation of the BEIS-funded Carbon Literacy Public Sector Toolkits.
The Carbon Literacy Project offers everyone a day’s worth of Carbon Literacy learning, covering – climate change, carbon footprints, how you can do your bit, and why it’s relevant to you and your audience. They have certified 46,469 citizens (and counting) and engaged 3,953 organisations, resulting in 5-15% carbon savings per person.
Jacob Billingham, DEFRA, discusses All of Government with Charlotte Araya Moreland, Rebecca Hellard, and Amy Campbell, our CSEN Co-Chairs.
Charlotte Araya Moreland works in BEIS' Oil & Gas Decarbonisation Team, and is the CSEN Co-Chair responsible for Events.
Rebecca Hellard works in DEFRA's Land Use Planning and Infrastructure Team, and is the CSEN Co-Chair responsible for Digital.
Amy Campbell works in DfT's Low Carbon Fuel Division Team, and is the CSEN Co-Chair responsible for Connections.
Together, they run the Civil Service Environment Network, a cross-government group, open to all Civil Servants regardless of grade, profession or department. The network currently comprises over 5500 Civil servants from over 120 departments and agencies. CSEN's mission statements are to break down silos across government and increase environmental capability in civil servants. Their committee of volunteers offers events and resources designed to educate, inspire, and connect members, turning their passion for the environment into an active part of their government career
Justine Solomons-Moat, DEFRA, discusses Oceans and Rivers with Hugo Tagholm, Chief Executive of Surfers Against Sewage.
Hugo Tagholm leads the national marine conservation and campaigning charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS). The charity takes action from the beach front to the front benches of Parliament, where it unites a voice for the ocean through its Ocean Conservation All Party Parliamentary Group. It mobilises over 100,000 community beach and river clean volunteers annually and has been instrumental in helping introduce and enforce new government legislation to protect our seas. He is an environmentalist, award-winning campaigner, surfer, charity professional and a TEDx speaker. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science for his services to marine conservation by Exeter University.
Jake Billingham, BEIS, discusses Digital Transformation with Emma Charles and Nick Zinzan from Kin + Carta.
Kin + Carta is a global digital transformation consultancy. As a Certified B Corp and trusted supplier to the public sector, they aim to help deliver public services that are accessible, inclusive and sustainable to meet the needs of citizens and our institutions alike.
Emma Charles is the Director of Public Sector Delivery at Kin + Carta. Emma is a digital transformation specialist with over 25 years experience of designing and managing high profile digital change projects. Having started her career working with major world class sports organisations, and with a stint in the Civil Service along the way, her more recent experience has been helping central government departments to improve their digital maturity and transformation effectiveness. She specialises in digital strategy, product management and service design.
Nick Zinzan is the Head of Responsible Business at Kin + Carta. Nick has worked for the Kin + Carta group for over 15 years and is the first Head of Responsible Business at Kin + Carta Plc, driving the triple bottom line and B Corp initiative. Outside of work, he is a trustee for the Conservation Foundation, a charity focused on community solutions for environmental problems.
Jessica Lawler, BEIS, discusses Sustainable Cities with Catlyne Haddaoui.
Catlyne Haddaoui is a Development Economist with experience working on policy-oriented research to inform climate-compatible development pathways. Her research interests include economics of urban development, national urban policies in developing countries and multi-level governance for sustainable and inclusive cities. Catlyne is currently a Research Manager for National Climate Action at the World Resources Institute, working with countries to pursue ambitious climate action while building economies that are cleaner, more equitable and offer better quality jobs.
Jake Billingham, BEIS, discusses Environmental Psychology and Behaviour Change with Lorraine Whitmarsh.
Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh MBE is an environmental psychologist, based at the University of Bath, specialising in perceptions and behaviour in relation to climate change, energy and transport. She is Director of the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST). Her research projects have included studies of energy efficiency behaviours, waste reduction and carrier bag reuse, perceptions of smart technologies and electric vehicles, low-carbon lifestyles, and responses to climate change. Between 2014 and 2019, she held a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant – Low-Carbon Lifestyles & Behavioural Spillover (CASPI) – and since 2019 holds an ERC Consolidator Grant – Understanding and leveraging ‘moments of change’ for pro-environmental behaviour shifts (MOCHA). She is also a Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in Working Group II; and regularly advises governmental and other organisations on low-carbon behaviour change and climate change communication.
Justine Solomons-Moat, DEFRA, discusses Green Social Prescribing with Helen Holmes, DEFRA, and Sam Alford, NHS England and NHS Improvement.
Helen Holmes is the Joint Head of the Access & Engagement with Nature Team in DEFRA's Natural Environment, Trees and Landscapes Directorate.
Sam Alford is the Senior Manager of the Green Social Prescribing Programme in NHS England and NHS Improvement's Personalised Care Group.
Social prescribing and community-based support enable GPs, other health and care practitioners, and local agencies to refer people to a link worker who gives people time and focuses on what matters to the individual. For some people this will be green social prescribing, which links them to nature-based interventions and activities, such as local walking for health schemes, community gardening, and food-growing projects.
The Green Social Prescribing Programme to tackle and prevent mental ill-health will test how to embed green social prescribing into communities in order to: improve mental health outcomes; reduce health inequalities; reduce demand on the health and social care system; and develop best practice in making green social activities more resilient and accessible.
This project is run by multiple partners, including: Department of Health and Social Care, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Natural England, NHS England and NHS Improvement, Public Health England, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, National Academy for Social Prescribing and Sport England.
You can contact the Green Social Prescribing inbox at: england.greensocialprescribing@nhs.net
Jake Billingham, BEIS, discusses Environmental Justice, Disability Rights, and Intersectionality with Pauline Castres.
Pauline Castres is climate change, disability rights, and global health policy and advocacy professional with over ten years of experience working with local and national governments, EU institutions, and UN agencies. This year, Pauline has been named one of the thirty most influential disabled activists in the world by Diversability, and one of the 100 most powerful disability advocates in the UK by the Shaw Trust’s Disability Power 100 for the work I have done in policy and advocacy.
Pauline has led high-profile advocacy projects - for UN agencies, the British Medical Journal, The Lancet, and several health charities - including a project that won the EU NGO Health Award in 2016. Pauline has recently worked on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in developing countries, with a focus on the intersectionality between disability and gender in education settings. Pauline is currently setting up her own platform to train climate activists on disability issues, as well as disability activists about climate issues.
Justine Solomons-Moat, DEFRA, discusses Vertical Farming with Billy Rodgers.
Billy Rodgers is a Growing Specialist at LettUs Grow, a team of growers, engineers, plant scientists, software developers and business experts, who are designing and building aeroponic technology and farm management software for indoor and vertical farms. Their mission is to "reduce the waste and carbon footprint of fresh produce by empowering anyone, anywhere, to grow delicious food near its point of consumption." The company was founded in Bristol in 2015 and has since developed patent-pending technology to create vertical farms that can bring resilience to food supply networks to aid sustainable farming. Their first product, a small aeroponic grow-at-home kit, has now transformed into a 40ft container farm, combining their powerful aeroponic technology and their control software, Ostara.
Jake Billingham, BEIS, discusses Climate Security with Chitra Nagarajan.
Chitra focuses on civilian protection, climate change, conflict analysis and sensitivity, peacebuilding, and human rights, particularly those of women and girls. She has worked across West Africa for over a decade, including examining climate security in the Lake Chad basin region and in Mali. She takes intersectional feminist approaches, integrating gender and social inclusion throughout all her work. She Called Me Woman: Nigeria’s Queer Women Speak, a collection of narratives which she co-edited, was published by Cassava Republic Press in 2018 and she is currently working on a book on the violence in the Lake Chad Basin. She tweets @chitranagarajan.