UK industry has strengthened its preparedness for climate change with the launch of a new Climate Resilience Leadership for Senior Executives Industry Training Standard, developed by Cogent Skills in collaboration with industry and regulatory experts.
The new training standard addresses the growing risks posed by climate change and extreme weather, particularly in high‑hazard and economically critical sectors, and reflects increasing regulatory focus on climate resilience at senior leadership and board level.
The training standard defines the skills, knowledge and understanding required for effective climate resilience leadership, providing a benchmark for establishments and installations that fall under UK Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations and other environmental permitting regimes, enforced by bodies including the Environment Agency in England and the Health and Safety Executive.
The Climate Resilience Leadership for Senior Executives Training Standard has been developed under the guidance of the Process Safety Management Competence Programme Board, with input from regulators, employers and industry experts. The standard is aimed at senior leaders and board‑level decision‑makers, supporting them to prepare for climate‑related risks and embed resilience into organisational strategy.
The standard focuses on practical leadership capability, including understanding climate impacts, identifying risks and vulnerabilities, and taking action to strengthen resilience over time. It supports organisations in building long‑term resilience, protecting people and assets, and maintaining safe and reliable operations.
This new standard complements existing Process Safety and Leadership Training Standards and is supported by industry, providing a clear, shared benchmark to help employers meet regulatory expectations, manage risk and protect people, the environment and business performance. The standard is open for use by training providers, with Cogent Skills supporting delivery through a recognition process for training that meets its requirements.
Cogent Skills Safety Culture Solutions will lead the content development for the Climate Resilience Leadership for Senior Executives course, which will be reviewed and approved by the Climate Resilience Training Standard expert panel. Industry specialists and training providers interested in supporting this development and becoming approved to deliver the training can contact [email protected]
Mike Nicholas, from The Environment Agency commented: “As climate change continues to increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, it is essential that senior leaders understand their role in identifying and managing climate‑related risks. Clear expectations around leadership capability help organisations strengthen resilience, protect people and the environment, and support safe, reliable operations over the long term.”
Justine Fosh, Group CEO Cogent Skills said: “High‑hazard industries operate in demanding environments where strong leadership and workforce capability are critical to maintaining safe, resilient operations. At Cogent Skills, we work closely with employers, regulators and training providers to ensure skills development reflects real‑world risk, supports compliance and strengthens long‑term resilience across safety‑critical sectors.”
You can access the standards document here
