Climate & Sustainability Workforce Capability Self-Assessment

Welcome to the Climate & Sustainability Workforce Capability Self-Assessment.

This short diagnostic explores how climate and sustainability are embedded across leadership, workforce systems and governance processes within your organisation.

The assessment can be completed individually or as a group. Where multiple responses are received from the same organisation, results can be aggregated to highlight areas of alignment and divergence.

You will receive a summary report by email once your responses have been submitted.

For guidance on interpreting each maturity level, please refer to the Assessment Guidelines.

Part A. Leadership Knowledge and Capability

Question Title

* 1. How well do your executive leaders understand the risks and opportunities associated with climate change for your organisation?

1 Limited awareness

2 Basic awareness

3 Growing understanding

4 Informed and active

5 Strategic and proactive

1 Limited awareness

2 Basic awareness

3 Growing understanding

4 Informed and active

5 Strategic and proactive

Question Title

* 2. How confident are councillors and senior managers in discussing and making decisions about climate and sustainability?

1 Avoidant

2 Reactive

3 Regular but inconsistent

4 Confident

5 Influential

1 Avoidant

2 Reactive

3 Regular but inconsistent

4 Confident

5 Influential

Question Title

* 3. How actively do leaders model responsibility for climate and sustainability in their actions and communications?

1 Passive

2 Aware

3 Visible commitment

4 Role-modelling

5 Culture-setting

1 Passive

2 Aware

3 Visible commitment

4 Role-modelling

5 Culture-setting

Question Title

* 4. How often are climate and sustainability topics included in executive or council meeting agendas?

1 Rarely

2 Occassionaly

3 Regular inclusion

4 Consistent integration

5 Mainstreamed

1 Rarely

2 Occassionaly

3 Regular inclusion

4 Consistent integration

5 Mainstreamed

Question Title

* 5. To what extent do leadership development or performance processes incorporate sustainability capability?

1 Not included

2 Early awareness

3 Partial integration

4 Structured integration

5 Standard practice

1 Not included

2 Early awareness

3 Partial integration

4 Structured integration

5 Standard practice

Part B. Climate and Sustainability Planning

Question Title

* 6. How well are the skills and responsibilities needed to deliver emissions-reductions and net-zero commitments identified and embedded in the workforce?

1 Undefined

2 Early awareness

3 Partial integration

4 Structured alignment

5 Strategic capability

1 Undefined

2 Early awareness

3 Partial integration

4 Structured alignment

5 Strategic capability

Question Title

* 7. How well are adaptation and climate-risk management responsibilities embedded within service areas and operational planning processes?

1 Absent

2 Reactive

3 Defined roles

4 Integrated planning

5 Proactive and systematic

1 Absent

2 Reactive

3 Defined roles

4 Integrated planning

5 Proactive and systematic

Question Title

* 8. To what extent does the workforce have the roles, skills, and systems needed to deliver community climate resilience and partnership outcomes?

1 Limited engagement

2 Early initiatives

3 Defined functions

4 Coordinated capability

5 Integrated systems

1 Limited engagement

2 Early initiatives

3 Defined functions

4 Coordinated capability

5 Integrated systems

Question Title

* 9. How well are workforce roles and skills aligned to deliver broader sustainability outcomes such as resource efficiency, circular economy, and sustainable procurement?

1 Unrecognised

2 Exploratory

3 Defined

4 Organisational alignment

5 Strategic integration

1 Unrecognised

2 Exploratory

3 Defined

4 Organisational alignment

5 Strategic integration

Part C. Workforce Integration and Capability

Question Title

* 10. To what extent are climate and sustainability responsibilities clearly defined in position descriptions?

1 Absent

2 Isolated

3 Expanding

4 Integrated

5 Systematic

1 Absent

2 Isolated

3 Expanding

4 Integrated

5 Systematic

Question Title

* 11. How well are critical roles for climate and sustainability identified and resourced across council's operations?

1 Unclear

2 Informal

3 Progressing

4 Structured

5 Strategic

1 Unclear

2 Informal

3 Progressing

4 Structured

5 Strategic

Question Title

* 12. How current and consistent are induction materials and operational procedures in reflecting sustainability expectations?

1 Absent

2 Limited

3 Partial

4 Integrated

5 Systematic

1 Absent

2 Limited

3 Partial

4 Integrated

5 Systematic

Question Title

* 13. How well are climate and sustainability skills integrated into training, learning, and professional development?

1 None

2 Ad hoc

3 Structured

4 Targeted

5 Continuous

1 None

2 Ad hoc

3 Structured

4 Targeted

5 Continuous

Question Title

* 14. How strongly are climate and sustainability capabilities reflected in your Workforce Plan and succession planning?

1 Absent

2 Acknowledged

3 Included

4 Integrated

5 Strategic

1 Absent

2 Acknowledged

3 Included

4 Integrated

5 Strategic

Question Title

* 15. To what extent does the workforce have the capability and decision frameworks to incorporate climate risk into operational, financial and capital planning decisions?

1 Absent

2 Emerging capability

3 Developing practice

4 Structured application

5 Systematically embedded

1 Absent

2 Emerging capability

3 Developing practice

4 Structured application

5 Systematically embedded

Question Title

* 16. Are there specific capability gaps or decision challenges you observe in translating climate priorities into operational or financial outcomes? (optional)

Part D. Employer Branding and Communication

Question Title

* 17. How clearly does the council communicate its climate and sustainability commitments as part of its Employer Value Proposition (EVP) and workforce messaging?

1 Absent

2 Implicit

3 Recognisable

4 Defined and consistent

5 Authentic and influential

1 Absent

2 Implicit

3 Recognisable

4 Defined and consistent

5 Authentic and influential

Question Title

* 18. How well do employees understand how their individual roles contribute to the council's climate and sustainability objectives?

1 Unclear

2 Basic awareness

3 Growing understanding

4 Connected

5 Empowered

1 Unclear

2 Basic awareness

3 Growing understanding

4 Connected

5 Empowered

Question Title

* 19. How consistently does the council communicate sustainability achievements and priorities internally and externally (e.g. through staff updates, public reports, or community engagement)?

1 Irregular

2 Occasional

3 Regular

4 Structured

5 Strategic and engaging

1 Irregular

2 Occasional

3 Regular

4 Structured

5 Strategic and engaging

Question Title

* 20. How effectively is sustainability embedded in recruitment, onboarding, and staff recognition processes?

1 Not integrated

2 Mentioned

3 Partially integrated

4 Consistently integrated

5 Fully embedded

1 Not integrated

2 Mentioned

3 Partially integrated

4 Consistently integrated

5 Fully embedded

Part E. Climate Risk & Governance Integration

Question Title

* 21. To what extent is climate risk formally integrated into your council's enterprise risk management framework and risk registers?

1 Not considered

2 Recognised by not structured

3 Identified in specific areas

4 Integrated into enterprise risk processes

5 Systematically embedded and regularly reviewed

1 Not considered

2 Recognised by not structured

3 Identified in specific areas

4 Integrated into enterprise risk processes

5 Systematically embedded and regularly reviewed

Question Title

* 22. To what extent are long-term climate projections and scenario analysis used to inform capital investment and asset lifecycle planning?

1 Not used

2 Referenced occasionally

3 Considered in major projects

4 Structured integration into asset planning

5 Standard requirement across capital allocation

1 Not used

2 Referenced occasionally

3 Considered in major projects

4 Structured integration into asset planning

5 Standard requirement across capital allocation

Question Title

* 23. How well does the organisation consider cumulative and chronic climate risks (e.g. heat impacts on workforce productivity, long-term asset degradation) alongside acute disaster risks?

1 Acute risks only

2 Limited recognition of chronic impacts

3 Both considered in some areas

4 Integrated into planning processes

5 Systematically embedded in strategic decision-making

1 Acute risks only

2 Limited recognition of chronic impacts

3 Both considered in some areas

4 Integrated into planning processes

5 Systematically embedded in strategic decision-making

Question Title

* 24. How clearly is executive-level accountability and cross-directorate oversight for climate risk defined and coordinated?

1 Unclear

2 Informal or siloed

3 Defined in selected areas

4 Coordinated across directorates

5 Enterprise-wide accountability with oversight

1 Unclear

2 Informal or siloed

3 Defined in selected areas

4 Coordinated across directorates

5 Enterprise-wide accountability with oversight

Question Title

* 25. Are there governance, risk or accountability processes where climate integration feels unclear or underdeveloped? (optional)

Part F. Overall Reflection

Question Title

* 26. Which of the following best describes your council’s overall approach to workforce capability for climate and sustainability?

Ad hoc, early awareness only

Some structure and momentum emerging

Progressing with defined actions

Embedded in key strategies and plans

Leading sector practice and continuous improvement

Question Title

* 27. What is the primary driver for your council's climate and sustainability workforce capability development (select all answers that apply)?

Regulatory compliance

Alignment with organisational goals and plans

Community expectations and demand for visible action

Risk management and requirements for climate resilience

Leadership priority

Attraction and Retention of staff with climate-related skills

Securing the requirements for external funding

Improving organisational performance and service delivery

Preparing for future workforce needs and emerging capabilities

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 28. What would help your council strengthen its climate and sustainability workforce capability?

Question Title

* 29. Please provide your details to recieve your results and a short summary report.

Question Title

* 30. Position Title

Question Title

* 31. Organisation

Question Title

* 32. Email address

Question Title

* 33. I'd like to receive my results and ocassional updates about Climate Jobs initiatives.

Yes

Data and Privacy
By submitting this survey, you consent to the use of your de-identified data for aggregated analysis. Your responses will remain confidential and will only be reported in aggregate. Individual results will not be shared publicly. Climate Jobs may use de-identified data from this survey to analyse workforce capability trends across local government and to improve future tools and services.

Thank you for completing the Climate & Sustainability Workforce Maturity Self-Assessment.

Your insights will help identify where your council is positioned on the journey to building a climate-ready workforce.

A summary of your results will be emailed to you shortly.

If you’d like to explore how Climate Jobs can support your next steps, from capability frameworks to tailored workforce solution, you can book a time with our team.

Together, we’re shaping the workforce for a sustainable future.

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