EO Policy internship: Cascading climate risk - Climate Change Committee (Ref: 5950)

The Climate Change Committee (CCC) is seeking to recruit a policy intern to provide analytical support to better understand cross-sectoral cascading risk arising from electrical disruption. The analysis will be used to inform the UK’s Fourth Independent Assessment of Climate Risk (CCRA4-IA). This opportunity is ideally suited for a PhD student or recent graduate., The UK’s Fourth Independent Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA4-IA) will be delivered in 2026 and will provide an updated assessment of the risks and opportunities from climate change and the potential for adaptation to address them. This will be published alongside advice from the CCC to governments around the UK on improving climate resilience in the next round of national adaptation programmes. Cross-sectoral risk cascades originating from climate related failure of the power system has been identified as a priority area for adaptation action. The ambition for CCRA4-IA is to provide evidence to enable action by understanding what can be done to either prevent cross-sectoral cascades occurring in the first place or reducing their impact if they do occur. This internship will contribute directly to this work.
The role holder will be expected to analyse the impacts of historical instances of electrical disruption to learn lessons around the risk factors associated with cross-sectoral cascading failures. A database of historical events and a qualitative analytical framework have already been developed, and the analytical framework applied to a handful of case studies.
The key tasks for this placement will be to refine the analytical framework, search for information on historical events, apply the analytical framework and synthesise results. This will involve conducting research using a wide variety of sources and then drawing out lessons around which sectors are most vulnerable, highlight risk factors and propose interventions that can mitigate the risk. Time permitting, there may be the opportunity to contribute to other CCRA4 activities such as briefing the Adaptation Committee.
A background in cascading risk is not required. However, enthusiasm and an interest in climate change and how society can adapt to its impact is a must. The placement requires the following skills: data collection, qualitative analysis of textual documents; synthesis of qualitative and quantitative outputs; stakeholder engagement; inter-personal skills; written and verbal communication skills.
The intern will embed within the team delivering CCRA4-IA which will allow the intern to understand the working context of a public sector organisation. Benefits also include an: opportunity to become an expert in a new subject area, improved communication and influencing skills, increased professional network and an improved understanding of how decisions are made and what information is useful to policy makers.
The internship will be for three months, starting ideally in November of this year but there is some flexibility with the start date.
Things you need to know

The CCC office is based in Canary Wharf, London, with staff expected to attend the office for 40% of their contracted hours. The internship will be for three months. The annual full-time equivalent salary for this placement is £30,250. The internship is an ideal opportunity for a PhD student or recent graduate seeking national policy experience or to apply analytical skills in a non-academic context. The internship can be arranged as a secondment., • Systematic data collection
• Qualitative analysis of textual documents
• Synthesis of qualitative and quantitative outputs
• Assessment of the reliability, robustness and relevance of evidence
• A degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline
• A higher-level qualification such as a MSc or PhD (desirable), Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

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.

We support a wide variety of working patterns such as compressed hours, hybrid working, part time hours, job sharing and flexi time. National pay bands may be used where staff apply to work from home for more than 60% 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 £26,857.
The Climate Change Committee are committed to creating a workplace culture where all staff feel valued, supported and can develop their potential. We work hard to ensure all staff can flourish and succeed, working with and respecting people’s different backgrounds and personal circumstances. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply for this position. For more information on our EDI commitments, please read our strategy here https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/equality-diversity-and-inclusion/.
The CCC cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. The CCC does not hold a Visa sponsorship licence., Alongside your salary of £30,250, Climate Change Committee contributes £8,197 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%