Week 19 [Carbon Literacy & Policy Progress]

I’ve noticed I’ve started overwriting again, so today I’m going to try and keep to under 200 words on two topics from two events this week. Everything else is basically reading and filling out spreadsheets anyway.

Carbon Literacy

Another great meeting this week with the lovely James from Future Yard to discuss their upcoming carbon literacy courses. Part of my PhD is reviewing the courses and training on offer from both sector and academia, of which there are (thankfully) many. There is a new AGF module at Liverpool John Moore’s I’ll be reviewing, alongside a whole host of programmes already being delivered – or currently being planned – and how they might map across the city in a component-based approach to organisational maturity alignment.

That’s just a fancy way of saying ‘different things will likely work for different people’, but I think the nuance here, especially the phrasing around the legitimacy of these kinds of courses, is incredibly important.

There is a huge gap, gulf, chasm – choose your superlative – between standards that are ‘industry recognised’ and those that are ‘government recognised’. I should know, I work in both contexts and have written a book chapter about it. The issue with coherence is manifested within the interchangeable use of these terms and a lack of understanding in how regulation and certification, voluntary of otherwise, actually works. A large focus of my PhD is ensuring alignment and support for the recommendations contained therewithin, and it is non-negotiable that these recommendations are universally supported by academia, sector and state.

Which is very lucky because this week I also get to report on...

Policy Progress

There is little I can say other than there has been significant movement in policy discourse since the launch of the Show Must Go On report. I have spent much of the last two weeks speaking to politicians and political intelligence groups, convening large parts of the sector, supply chain and research community simultaneously to converge behind a united community of practice. I can’t believe how quickly things are moving and it looks like April and May will see some significant progress made.

Part of this conversation is around how my research could be central to adopting progressive regulations, and it feel like I’m already touching parts of the Phase III activities from my PAF.  To have such a potentially potent output for my PhD in place feels like nothing short of a miracle.

I couldn't find a good picture to illustrate my efforts this week, so instead have created some lovely AI slop