About Us
The UK is bidding to host the annual UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations meeting in December 2020 – COP26. As part of our preparations, as well as a growing need to influence UK climate change policy, the UK is developing a UK climate change strategy, covering international and domestic mitigation and adaptation. Defra has an important role to play in contributing to the strategy and shaping associated UK policy proposals and links to the wider environment agenda.
Alongside this, Defra leads on the Convention on Biological Diversity, which will also meet in 2020, providing the opportunity to exploit the links between climate and nature. Defra are creating nine new SEO roles in the Wildlife, International, Climate & Forestry Directorate.
The roles are in the domestic adaptation policy team (1), the fluorinated gases team (1), the international climate team (1), a new international conservation team (1), the international biodiversity and environment team (3) and a new international environment conventions team (2).
These posts will lead amongst other things on developing Defra’s policy offer for the negotiations across the department and aligning with wider international environmental policy. This is likely to include contributing to a strong domestic adaptation narrative within the overall Climate Strategy and scoping potential deliverables and objectives ahead of the conference, development and delivery of Government policy on the protection of the Earth’s ozone layer and the reduction of fluorinated greenhouse gases to protect the climate, aligning COP26 with Defra’s goals on the Convention for Biological Diversity and wider international priorities and policy such as the HMT led Independent Review of the Economics of Biodiversity. This will link to, and build on, the work already in train for the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019.
This is an excellent opportunity to work in a high profile and important policy area, within a friendly and supportive directorate.
The Roles
Key responsibilities:
The roles on domestic adaptation, fluorinated gases and the international climate team will:
– Take forward specific policy areas, working collaboratively across government to develop the narrative, scope and objectives on COP26
– Co-ordinate and work effectively across Defra to ensure climate policy development reflects the wider departmental aims
– Engage confidently with stakeholders and represent the team across Whitehall, ensuring the policy position is accurately set out
– Briefing and advising senior officials appropriately and accurately; there may be some secretariat functions although this is yet to be confirmed.
– Be able to respond to evolving events and work within a fast paced and sometimes uncertain environment.
– Likely to involve line management responsibilities
There will be three roles working on the Convention on Biological Diversity, and one role on international conservation:
– To support negotiations of a new global biodiversity framework to be adopted in 2020
– To ensure the close interlinkages between climate and nature are fully explored and included in the UK engagement strategy
– To ensure the UK is meeting its obligations under the Convention and its related protocols
– To take forward Ministerial priority work to support conservation corridors in developing countries.
There will be two roles on International Environment Conventions:
– Support the strategy, planning and engagement for two major international summits in 2020 – the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.
– Co-ordinate and work effectively across Defra to bring together contributions from across the Defra group and beyond.
– Engage confidently with stakeholders and represent the team across Whitehall,
– Briefing and advising senior officials appropriately and accurately; there may be some programme management functions although this is yet to be confirmed.
– Be able to respond to evolving events and work within a fast paced and sometimes uncertain environment.
Likely to involve line management responsibilities
There may be a requirement for domestic/international travel.