14 March 2024 | The 11th edition of The Apolitical View by Apolitical CEO and Co-Founder Robyn Scott. Subcribe to the newsletter

In this week's edition:

  • An encouraging climate lesson from a BRICS public servant
  • Meet 35 Government Talent Trailblazers
  • Public service “Kenergy” at the Oscars

Nowadays, climate is every public servant's job. But climate-friendly initiatives needn't come at a cost. A few weeks ago, our team did an impact interview with a graduate from our Reaching Net Zero course with Oxford University. The public servant in question — a government official in a BRICS country — leads on procurement for a large hospital. Her most potent takeaway from the course was that acting on climate did not always come at a cost, and could even save money. In her case, she worked out that moving to a sustainable supply chain for the hospital would cost less, releasing funds that could be redeployed to community health initiatives which were under budget pressure. Inspired by this and other learnings, she’s since recommended climate training to a new recruit, her boss and her peers in other hospitals in the region.

Perhaps it doesn't need to be said, but reading such interviews — which point to real-world outcomes that improve society — is one of the best things about my job. I found this interview not only heartwarming but striking because the experience of this one individual exemplifies several key trends that we are seeing in climate action in governments around the world. These are set out in our latest Quarterly Insights report — How Climate is Changing Everyone’s Job in Government — released today.

The most important trend in my view is that climate, whether through mitigation or adaptation, is becoming part of everyone’s job. In our survey at the end of 2023, 68% of public servants said climate change is already affecting their jobs. A related shift is that governments are starting to realise that to meet climate goals, departments beyond climate and energy – from health and agriculture to trade, treasury and finance – need to start taking action. Happily, especially in those governments where climate has become politicised, the hospital official’s anecdote shows that this can often be done without even stressing that it’s “climate” action. Instead, it’s about saving money, or cleaner air, etc.

Some governments are already embracing this reality. Most notably, the French government has pledged to train 5.6 million public servants in the climate transition by 2027. The United Arab Emirates government, meanwhile, is making our Reaching Net Zero course with Oxford University mandatory for all 65,000 federal officials. Our new report delves into the lessons, challenges and opportunities that we and others are seeing.

I’m really enjoying writing The Apolitical View and enjoying even more your generally very positive feedback. As part of many changes we’ll be making as we learn what works best, we’re shifting to a fortnightly schedule, enabling me and the team to improve the quality and insights of each newsletter.

Robyn Scott

Apolitical CEO & Co-Founder

What's in our diary this week

Apolitical’s 35 Government Talent Trailblazers list

Friday 15 March

Building a skilled and diverse public sector workforce takes vision, planning and perseverance. Our first list of 2024 showcases individual changemakers working at all points of the public service talent lifecycle. Keep an eye on our social media for the launch details.

Global Government Innovation 2024 Forum

Tue 19 March | 9:30am GMT

For those of you in London, I’ll be speaking on a panel on the power and potential of digital skills in government, together with our Digital Excellence Programme partners from the UK Cabinet Office, the London School of Economics and EY.

My recommendations

I loved this interview with Steven Kotler, an expert on elite performance, learning and the neurobiology of flow. I’m now reading his book, the Art of the Impossible, which is also excellent. Relevant to anyone working in learning and development, and anyone else committed to performance and to aligning purpose with work (a priority for many public servants)!

And finally...

Our team enjoyed seeing a film about a complex and fascinating public servant, J. Robert Oppenheimer, winning Best Picture at the Oscars on Sunday night. I missed the Oscars – although I’m told it had “Kenergy” – but loved the book Oppenheimer was based on, American Prometheus. Oppenheimer's controversial legacy offers insights into the realities and demands of public service – the need for ethical reflection, the courage to confront complex moral dilemmas and the enduring impact of scientific advancements on society and policy.

Got thoughts, feedback or ideas for what you'd like to see in this newsletter? Send them directly to me or leave a comment below.

Make sure to share your own thoughts with the author by leaving a comment below