diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-docs-linkcheck.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-docs-linkcheck.yml
index cf67e99129..2fc5722d7f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-docs-linkcheck.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-docs-linkcheck.yml
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: "conda package cache"
         uses: ./.github/workflows/composite/conda-pkg-cache
         with:
-          cache_build: 0
+          cache_build: 1
           cache_period: ${{ env.CACHE_PERIOD }}
           env_name: ${{ env.ENV_NAME }}
 
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: "conda environment cache"
         uses: ./.github/workflows/composite/conda-env-cache
         with:
-          cache_build: 0
+          cache_build: 1
           cache_period: ${{ env.CACHE_PERIOD }}
           env_name: ${{ env.ENV_NAME }}
           install_packages: "nox pip"
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: "nox cache"
         uses: ./.github/workflows/composite/nox-cache
         with:
-          cache_build: 0
+          cache_build: 1
           env_name: ${{ env.ENV_NAME }}
           lock_file: ${{ env.LOCK_FILE }}
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-docs-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-docs-tests.yml
index faadf56204..91366f4a06 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-docs-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-docs-tests.yml
@@ -55,14 +55,14 @@ jobs:
       - name: "data cache"
         uses: ./.github/workflows/composite/iris-data-cache
         with:
-          cache_build: 0
+          cache_build: 1
           env_name: ${{ env.ENV_NAME }}
           version: ${{ env.IRIS_TEST_DATA_VERSION }}
 
       - name: "conda package cache"
         uses: ./.github/workflows/composite/conda-pkg-cache
         with:
-          cache_build: 0
+          cache_build: 1
           cache_period: ${{ env.CACHE_PERIOD }}
           env_name: ${{ env.ENV_NAME }}
 
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: "conda environment cache"
         uses: ./.github/workflows/composite/conda-env-cache
         with:
-          cache_build: 0
+          cache_build: 1
           cache_period: ${{ env.CACHE_PERIOD }}
           env_name: ${{ env.ENV_NAME }}
           install_packages: "cartopy nox pip"
@@ -91,14 +91,14 @@ jobs:
       - name: "cartopy cache"
         uses: ./.github/workflows/composite/cartopy-cache
         with:
-          cache_build: 0
+          cache_build: 1
           cache_period: ${{ env.CACHE_PERIOD }}
           env_name: ${{ env.ENV_NAME }}
 
       - name: "nox cache"
         uses: ./.github/workflows/composite/nox-cache
         with:
-          cache_build: 0
+          cache_build: 1
           env_name: ${{ env.ENV_NAME }}
           lock_file: ${{ env.LOCK_FILE }}
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-tests.yml
index fbe738067c..5598ce1084 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-tests.yml
@@ -56,14 +56,14 @@ jobs:
       - name: "data cache"
         uses: ./.github/workflows/composite/iris-data-cache
         with:
-          cache_build: 0
+          cache_build: 1
           env_name: ${{ env.ENV_NAME }}
           version: ${{ env.IRIS_TEST_DATA_VERSION }}
 
       - name: "conda package cache"
         uses: ./.github/workflows/composite/conda-pkg-cache
         with:
-          cache_build: 0
+          cache_build: 1
           cache_period: ${{ env.CACHE_PERIOD }}
           env_name: ${{ env.ENV_NAME }}
 
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: "conda environment cache"
         uses: ./.github/workflows/composite/conda-env-cache
         with:
-          cache_build: 0
+          cache_build: 1
           cache_period: ${{ env.CACHE_PERIOD }}
           env_name: ${{ env.ENV_NAME }}
           install_packages: "cartopy nox pip"
@@ -92,14 +92,14 @@ jobs:
       - name: "cartopy cache"
         uses: ./.github/workflows/composite/cartopy-cache
         with:
-          cache_build: 0
+          cache_build: 1
           cache_period: ${{ env.CACHE_PERIOD }}
           env_name: ${{ env.ENV_NAME }}
 
       - name: "nox cache"
         uses: ./.github/workflows/composite/nox-cache
         with:
-          cache_build: 0
+          cache_build: 1
           env_name: ${{ env.ENV_NAME }}
           lock_file: ${{ env.LOCK_FILE }}
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/composite/cartopy-cache/action.yml b/.github/workflows/composite/cartopy-cache/action.yml
index 35a90736bc..e805cbacc1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/composite/cartopy-cache/action.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/composite/cartopy-cache/action.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 name: "cartopy-cache"
 description: "create and cache cartopy assets"
 
+#
+# Assumes the environment contains the following variables:
+#   - CONDA
+#
 inputs:
   cache_build:
     description: "conda environment cache build number"
@@ -28,6 +32,9 @@ runs:
         CARTOPY_FEATURE: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SciTools/cartopy/v0.20.0/tools/cartopy_feature_download.py
       shell: bash
       run: |
+        # Require to explicitly activate the environment within the composite action.
+        source ${{ env.CONDA }}/etc/profile.d/conda.sh >/dev/null 2>&1
+        conda activate ${{ inputs.env_name }}
         wget --quiet ${CARTOPY_FEATURE}
         mkdir -p ${CARTOPY_SHARE_DIR}
         # Requires a pre-installed version of cartopy within the environment.