Economist, Climate Change Risk Assessment

Job description

The Climate Change Committee is the independent expert statutory adviser to Parliament and the UK Government on climate change policy. It was created as a key part of the long-term legal framework set out in the Climate Change Act (2008). The Act sets a long-term target for 2050 (Net Zero, a 100% reduction in net emissions from 1990) and requires that carbon budgets (five-year caps on emissions) are set on a path towards the long-term target. The Act also requires that the UK assesses and responds to the risks that it faces as the climate changes.

The CCC has established itself as a high-profile, high-impact expert body in the analysis of climate change mitigation and adaptation. Its reports can be accessed from the CCC’s website: www.theccc.org.uk.

The CCC is comprised of two Boards (‘the Committee’ and ‘the Adaptation Committee’) and an analytical secretariat. The Committees have a distinguished membership of leading experts from the fields of climate change, science, engineering and economics: www.theccc.org.uk/about-the-ccc/the-committee.

The Committees are supported by a Secretariat of around 40 economists, operational researchers, scientists and other analysts. The CCC was the first body of its kind in the world and brings together different strands of expertise from its members, from government, the research community and business. It draws on existing information and undertakes its own analysis to provide expert advice to Ministers and to Parliament. It is required to give advice to Ministers on climate change matters covered by the Climate Change Act and on an ad-hoc basis as and when requested.

Role Description

Summary

The Climate Change Committee (CCC) is seeking to recruit a high-performing SEO with a strong background in economics to take responsibility for key aspects of the CCC’s new work on the economics of adaptation.

The role will involve managing relationships with key stakeholders, including an expert group of economists, economists in central Government departments and the Adaptation sub-Committee. It will also involve shaping the CCC’s evolving innovative methodology development for costing the impacts of climate change on the UK economy and establishing the benefits of action on climate adaptation, as well as contributing to the delivery of the wider CCRA4 programme. The position will shape the way economic techniques can be used to demonstrate the case for taking adaptation action.

The successful candidate will also be expected to lead analysis in some of these areas.

Job description

This post will sit within the CCC’s Climate Change Risk Assessment team that leads the coordination of the production of the Fourth comprehensive UK Climate Change Risk Assessment, due for publication in 2026. This will be delivered drawing on the CCC’s system expertise via a set of integrated teams that cover adapting to climate change and reducing emissions – together with bespoke research and analysis conducted by this coordinating team.

In the role, you can expect to work collaboratively with a Senior economist and the wider CCC secretariat to:

• Analyse data and conduct desk-based research to develop the economic evidence base for the impact of climate change on the UK economy. Updating, continuously improving and quality assuring analysis, including spreadsheet-based models, and working to ensure our advice is based on the best available evidence and assumptions.

• Make effective decisions. Develop innovative techniques for costing the impact of climate change on the UK.

• Communicate analysis with impact, build effective working relationships with CCC colleagues, Government departments, academics and the wider adaptation community. Drafting clear, well-evidenced and engaging inputs to CCC reports and other outputs. Presenting findings at monthly Committee meetings and to senior members of the CCC secretariat, articulating clearly your analysis and its complexities, to help the Committee understand the issues and reach its conclusions.

• Stakeholder engagement. Engaging widely, including with relevant stakeholders in academia, business, NGOs and across Government and representing the CCC at high-profile engagements.

This post will have a strong focus on the economics of climate risk and adaptation within the CCRA, but the role will also provide opportunities to contribute to the wider work of the CCRA team, including supporting delivery the of the CCC’s key CCRA and adaptation outputs as required. This may include:

• Contributing to sector-specific work, such as risk from climate change and adaptation in the built environment or land and nature

• Integrating the outputs from sector-specific research into the main CCRA4 reports

• Developing conclusions and policy recommendations from the analysis

• Collaborating with sector teams and wider CCC to deliver key outcome for CCRA4

Person specification

For this post we are looking for candidates with very strong economic, technical, analytical and writing skills backed by an ability to engage a range of stakeholders and communicate results in an insightful, compelling way. Expertise and previous knowledge and experience of developing innovative economic analysis/models and working in the area of climate change is highly desirable. The post requires a self-motivated, innovative, enthusiastic person with excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills.

Essential criteria

• You should demonstrate competency and SEO level for the GES.

• We are looking for individuals with exceptional analytical skills who can approach questions innovatively and with a strong understanding of key economic concepts.

• Experience using and analysing economic data.

Desirable criteria

• Experience using/knowledge of the HMT Green Book.

• Experience using statistics and data.

• A background in climate/environmental economics.

• Coding experience – in particular R or Python.

Things you need to know.

The CCC office will be relocating to Canary Wharf in early 2024. Staff are expected to attend the office for at least 40% of their working hours. The pay band for this role is £43,150 - £47,405.

We support a wide variety of working patterns such as compressed hours, hybrid working, and flexi time. National pay bands may be used where staff apply to work from home for more than 40% of their working hours and live outside London.

Regular attendance at our London office, for example for meetings and training, will still be required. The national pay band for this grade is £39,548 - £43,391.

For more information on this role please contact Daisy.Jameson@theccc.org.uk

Planned Interview dates are W/C 15th January 2024

Qualifications

A degree in a numerate discipline where at least 50% of modules are economics is essential.
• Minimum of one-year relevant experience, ideally including knowledge of climate change

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions

• Seeing the Big Picture

• Changing and Improving

• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• In application form: Analysis of Data Description 1 Analysis of Data - Reviews, synthesises, and is able to critique and quality assure the analysis of others to ensure it is of high quality. - Provides appropriate challenge to methods and results, a

• In interview (via presentation): Application of knowledge Description 1 Application of knowledge - Can explain and apply concepts in intermediate microeconomics and macroeconomics. - Is able to demonstrate elements of specialist economics knowledge i

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £43,150, Climate Change Committee contributes £11,693 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role

• An environment with flexible working options

• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%