Environment Agency’s Nature Literacy Programme wins edie Award for Staff Engagement and Upskilling Initiative of the Year
by Mindtools
The Environment Agency has won the Staff Engagement and Upskilling Initiative of the Year at the edie Awards 2026 for its Nature Literacy Programme, delivered in partnership with Mindtools Kineo. The award recognises the programme’s impact in building a shared understanding of nature recovery across the Environment Agency’s 14,000-strong workforce and supply chain, helping biodiversity considerations become part of everyday decision-making.
The edie Awards – now in their 17th year – celebrate the people, projects and partnerships transforming business for good. Widely recognised as the UK’s largest sustainable business awards scheme, they spotlight organizations leading the way in climate leadership, environmental innovation and impactful sustainability initiatives.
The Environment Agency’s Nature Literacy Programme aims to upskill employees across the organization by providing a common language on the challenges facing nature, and how their work interacts with it – whether they are working in the field, managing infrastructure, or supporting operations behind the scenes.
Sarah Comely, Sustainable Business Learning Senior Specialist at the Environment Agency, said:
‘We are excited to announce that the Nature Literacy Programme is the 2026 winner of the edie Award for Staff Engagement and Upskilling Initiative of the Year. A huge thank you to Mindtools Kineo for the fantastic e-learning modules and accessible podcast content they helped us to create.
This was an integral part of the programme, which also includes a Toolbox Talk and Connecting with Nature activities. The award submission highlighted our approach to inclusivity, monitoring, delivery and wider knowledge sharing – particularly with our contractors working on our behalf.’
As part of the programme, Mindtools Kineo worked with the Environment Agency to design and deliver a series of engaging learning resources. These include eight bite-sized e-learning modules covering core nature literacy topics such as biodiversity, land-use change, climate change, invasive non-native species, over-exploitation of ecosystem services, and sustainability. Some modules feature on-site video case studies to bring real-world context to the learning
To ensure the programme was accessible to as many people as possible, an alternative podcast version was produced for each module, featuring conversations with subject matter experts and hosted by Ross Dickie, Head of Consultancy at Mindtools Kineo.
Sam Brown, Senior Learning Experience Designer at Mindtools Kineo, said:
‘This programme aims to ensure that everyone in the Environment Agency – regardless of their role – understands the importance of nature and how their work connects to it. By combining short, engaging e-learning modules with expert-led podcasts and real-world examples, the Nature Literacy Programme makes complex environmental challenges accessible and relevant to a very broad audience.
We’re proud to have supported the Environment Agency in creating learning that helps people build the knowledge and confidence to consider nature in everyday decisions.’
About Mindtools Kineo
Mindtools Kineo’s vision is to be the leading global partner for driving organizational capability that is underpinned by a skilled, high-performing workforce. We do this by combining behavioural science with scalable technology to equip organizations for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities.
Mindtools Kineo was formed following the acquisition by Mindtools, a global management and leadership skills development provider, of Kineo, a global provider of workplace learning solutions, from City & Guilds in May 2025. The combined organization, moving forward under the name Mindtools Kineo, brings together the strengths and reputations of both companies.
