Public Finance Apprentices Are The Future Of Climate Change - Forbes

Public Finance Apprentices Are The Future Of Climate Change
Windfarm at sunset.

Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent across the world, so the call for climate action has never been so vital. Climate change is a complex issue, and it’s no surprise that there are many voices discussing how best to tackle it. So, where does the public finance professional fit in to this complex conversation?

Through CIPFA’s courses and apprenticeships, we help people begin a career focused on the management, assurance and protection of public money. But to tackle global issues such as the climate crisis and make our economy more sustainable, we need to train a new generation of public finance professionals with the right skills for the challenges ahead.

The next generation of public finance professionals will need to take ownership of these pressing issues and be at the heart of the solutions. Carbon pricing is just one of the ways in which public finance departments can lead the way. CIPFA’s recent report, Public financial management can lead on climate action: the case for carbon pricing, argues that public finance professionals have an important role in advancing the global adoption of carbon pricing and bringing benefits to local communities.

Carbon pricing involves placing a monetary value on carbon production and consumption, incentivizing the move to a lower carbon and greener economy. However, global adoption has been low and there are large gaps between what is politically viable to implement and what is needed if we are to achieve our climate goals. But there is a key role for the finance professional to design and implement these policies and demonstrate the benefits to local communities. The skills they need are more than just being good with numbers, though.

Some of the key skills apprentices learn during their CIPFA apprenticeships are problem solving, leadership, relationship building, influencing and negotiation. These skills will be at the forefront in the fight against climate change. CIPFA apprentices also cover topics such as sustainability, green finance, big data and cyber security – all of which are already in demand.

Now more than ever, we need dedicated and talented public finance professionals who want to lead the public sector through the challenging times ahead. Climate change is a complex problem, but as our report argues, public finance professionals are well placed to take charge and lead the way to better solutions.

Find out more about CIPFA apprenticeships on CIPFA’s website.