From awareness to action: Upskilling for Net Zero
Over the past five years, we’ve delivered specialist carbon management expertise across multiple Environment Agency areas including Thames, East Anglia, and Hertfordshire & North London to help reduce carbon emissions from Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) projects. Read more below about how our sustained collaboration has helped transform carbon management from ambition into action, building long-term capacity for decarbonisation and supporting the Environment Agency on its journey to Net Zero.
Embedding carbon reduction across the Environment Agency
Our engagement began with the development of the Thames Area Carbon Reduction Plan, supporting the Environment Agency’s corporate eMission2030 sustainability strategy. Building on this foundation, we expanded our role to include identifying, defining and implementing innovative carbon reduction solutions, advising on organisational risks and opportunities, and driving best practice across partner organisations.
Successive direct-awarded contracts enabled us to extend our impact, replicating and adapting our approaches to the East Anglia and Hertfordshire & North London Areas. Across each area, we have worked collaboratively with project teams, supply chain partners and key stakeholders to embed carbon management into project planning, delivery and asset lifecycle management.
Our latest workstreams have sustained this momentum, delivering integrated support across various hubs to reduce emissions and strengthen long-term, low-carbon resilience, contributing to the Environment Agency’s progress toward achieving Net Zero.
Key services provided by our Carbon Specialist team over the 5 years include:
- Individual project support – providing feedback for the development of carbon tools, guiding project teams through carbon management processes and promoting low-carbon decision making.
- Engagement to encourage behaviour change and build capacity – factsheets, weekly buzz articles, low carbon case studies, drop-in sessions, carbon friends groups, workshops and training.
-
2020 – One specialist in Thames
Our Carbon Specialist work with the Environment Agency began with Martin Gibson delivering carbon management expertise to the Thames Area. As a one-man team, Martin was initially sub-contracted through our partners, Temple Group. He supported the development of the Thames Area Carbon Reduction Plan to help the Environment Agency reach its Net Zero targets.
-
2022 – Growing capacity and building expertise, allowing expansion to also cover East Anglia and HNL
The East Anglia and the Hertfordshire and North London (HNL) Areas recognised the benefit of having a Carbon Specialist, so we developed a team to deliver across these two areas. Martin Gibson acted as the team’s Technical Lead and was supported by colleagues with a range of carbon and engagement skills. This enabled us to extend our services beyond Thames and meet increasing client demand for innovative, actionable decarbonisation solutions, as well as for the identification and management of carbon risks and opportunities. This work was supported by Paul Stevenson, an energy efficiency specialist who was subcontracted by JBA, as well as Stephen Glenny from Temple Group.
-
2024 – Scaling up for integrated support
By 2024, over 10 JBA specialists had contributed across the different contracts. Our most recent appointment continued our integrated support across the Thames and East Anglia Areas, helping to firmly embed carbon management and low-carbon thinking into everyday business practices across FCERM projects.
Carbon management focus areas
Capacity building
The key goal of these works was to empower Environment Agency staff to confidently lead their own decarbonisation strategies. By increasing awareness and understanding of carbon management as well as wider engagement skills, we supported a long-term transition to internal ownership of low-carbon thinking and practice.
- Delivered factsheets, weekly buzz articles and training to increase carbon literacy.
- Ran recurring drop-in sessions and bespoke workshops to build knowledge and confidence.
- Provided project teams with hands-on support and tools, enabling them to apply carbon thinking independently in future projects.
- Promoted skills in stakeholder engagement and collaboration, helping teams to champion low-carbon strategies both internally and with delivery partners.
Enabling cultural change
Raising awareness and building internal capability were key to embedding low-carbon thinking into everyday work.
- Created and maintained a Carbon SharePoint Hub as a knowledge-sharing platform.
- Established ‘Carbon friends’ networks to create local champions for low-carbon practices.
- Normalised carbon discussions by integrating them into regular project meetings.
Developing and implementing decarbonisation strategies
We helped project teams by developing strategic plans and supporting projects to make carbon-conscious choices throughout the entire project lifecycle.
- Developed the Thames Area Carbon Reduction Plan aligned with eMission 2030.
- Supported over 40 Environment Agency projects in the past year alone with carbon strategies, guidance on carbon management tools and decision-making advice.
- Analysed and improved data quality for better baseline tracking and carbon reporting.
- Promoted early-stage carbon interventions using PAS2080 principles and embedded carbon into management processes.
Supporting low-carbon innovation
We encouraged forward thinking approaches, helping teams and suppliers embrace new technologies and methodologies to reduce emissions.
- Provided guidance on Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) to drive efficiencies and lower emissions.
- Developed a method for calculating pre-construction carbon emissions to influence earlier, lower-carbon choices.
- Created the Carbon Quest interactive training game to build carbon decision-making skills in a fun, engaging format.
- Worked closely with the supply chain to embed low-carbon thinking into procurement, design and delivery.
Continuous improvement
Through continuous feedback and knowledge sharing, we supported long term improvements beyond individual projects.
- Highlighted and reported systemic issues with dashboard data quality to the national team.
- Raised awareness of carbon reporting challenges and drove improvements through consistent engagement.
- Shared best practice examples and lessons learned across hubs to build wider organisational resilience.
For more information on this project, please contact our Decarbonisation Lead, Martin Gibson.
