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Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the CCC
The Climate Change Committee is an independent, statutory body established under the Climate Change Act 2008. Our purpose is to advise the UK and devolved Governments on emissions targets and to report to Parliament on progress made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for and adapting to the impacts of climate change, while accounting for international climate science.
The CCC is a relatively small organisation where staff have indicated that they feel they are treated respectfully and fairly in the workplace.[i] We want to recognise and reinforce the things that make the CCC a great place to work while also challenging ourselves to be more inclusive in the workplace, through our work and in the makeup of our staff.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) offers a framework for the CCC to improve our advice to Government and how we report on progress made in reducing emissions and adapting to climate change to ensure better policy outcomes for all UK citizens. This strategy sets out how the CCC will take this forward within our own organisation and structures, and the way in which we carry out our statutory obligations.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion often go hand in hand but also are different from each another. Organisations must consider both in their people management practices and strategies, as well as how they are incorporated into the organisation’s purpose:
- Equality is about ensuring everybody has equality of opportunity and is not treated differently or discriminated against because of their characteristics. In the context of climate change policy, this could mean ensuring equal policy outcomes for different people.
- Diversity means being composed of differing elements. In a workplace, diversity means that the workforce is made up of employees with different races, genders, career backgrounds and skills. Diversity is proven to make communities and workplaces more productive, tolerant and welcoming. Differences include visible and non-visible factors, such as social background, culture, personality, accent and language. For the CCC’s work, this could mean ensuring a diverse range of voices are heard and using data that captures the diversity of the UK.
- Inclusion is the practice of providing everyone with equal access to opportunities and resources. Inclusion efforts in the workplace help to give traditionally marginalised groups, like those based on gender, race or physical or mental disabilities, a means to feel equal and heard– with an individual voice and experience that is valued. Inclusive actions make a workplace a safer, more respectful environment for all employees. For the CCC, this could include consideration of how policies can be designed to be inclusive of different groups.
[i] CCC (2020) Internal Annual Feedback Survey
