Public Sector Climate Governance

CLIMATE GOVERNANCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

The public sector is required to contribute to meeting national climate policy targets. The Public Sector Climate Action Mandate highlights the climate action objectives for public bodies. It will be reviewed again in the context of the Climate Action Plan 2025 (CAP25).

The expectation that Boards will oversee the implementation by public sector organisations of their climate responsibilities is growing. Some Boards have established committees reporting to them on this subject. The Public Sector Climate Action Strategy 2023-2025 envisages the formal inclusion of climate governance oversight in a revised Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies. OBGD is working with public sector organisations to effectively integrate the oversight of these responsibilities into mainstream governance structures and processes.

OBGD PODCAST SERIES ON CLIMATE GOVERNANCE

As part of our ongoing governance podcast series, an initial set of three climate governance podcasts are currently being produced. They will focus on the public sector’s climate policy obligations; on some of the things the Board needs to consider in terms of climate governance; and on implementation actions for consideration by the Board and the executive.

The podcasts will be available here in April and May 2025.

RESOURCES

Following our publication of the three Climate Governance Podcasts, OBGD will be making available further resources to support the advancement of public sector Boards’ engagement in climate governance. These include an outline of the areas in which public sector Boards may need to seek assurances when exercising their climate governance responsibilities.

SERVICES

As our work continues in this area, we will be providing services that include:

Workshops with public sector boards on climate governance obligations and how the oversight of these can be integrated into existing governance responsibilities under the Code of Practice
Focused evaluations, in partnership with Boards and Secretaries to Boards, on how to incorporate climate governance into governance structures, roles and responsibilities, and policies and procedures
Integration of climate governance into the external evaluations of public sector Boards.Whilst this is not yet a requirement of the Code of Practice, many public sector organisations have advanced their climate governance structures and the effectiveness of their initiatives can be evaluated as part of an external Board evaluation.