Local Authorities
Carbon Literacy Toolkit for Local Authorities
The Local Authorities Toolkit provides you with the tools and resources needed to deliver a day’s worth of Carbon Literacy training focused on what local authority employees can do in their working role to reduce emissions.
Why Carbon Literacy for Local Authorities?
With a third of the UK’s carbon emissions directly influenced by local authority practice, policy and partnerships, local authorities have a vital role to play in the UK’s decarbonisation. Three-quarters of local authorities have now declared a climate emergency. Such a declaration should place the climate emergency at the centre of a local authority’s agenda and assign responsibility to all employees to tackle climate change, not just those with roles in climate change mitigation.
Yet, given the breadth and diversity of the work and services provided by local authorities, ensuring that all colleagues have the knowledge and confidence to incorporate carbon reduction into their role and decision-making is a challenging task; one that is vital for achieving the transformation required of them.
For this reason, The Carbon Literacy Project has created the Local Authorities Toolkit; a suite of flexible and adaptable resources to engage and empower your team on climate change, developing a low carbon culture across your local authority. The Local Authorities Toolkit embeds climate action at all levels of your local authority; enabling cross-departmental knowledge building, collaboration and empowerment to achieve net zero targets. By sharing and showcasing best practice, knowledge and expertise, colleagues can make informed decisions to address the scale and urgency of the climate emergency.
From Housing to Schools, from Transport to Neighbourhoods, from your Executive Member for Climate Change and Environment to your Road Engineering Team, Carbon Literacy empowers everyone working within a local authority to recognise opportunities for carbon reduction, create and implement solutions and actively engage with their department’s net zero priorities and ambitions.
Key Questions
The Carbon Literacy Local Authorities Toolkit and all its components are covered by a Creative Commons Licence and this formulation of materials is Copyright © The Carbon Literacy Trust 2020.
This Toolkit has been designed and curated for the sole purpose of certified Carbon Literacy training within local authorities, local councils and approved partner organisations.
If you would like to find out more or if you would like to adapt the Local Authorities Toolkit for the delivery of Carbon Literacy to a different sector or audience, please get in touch at localauthorities@carbonliteracy.com.
When receiving a Toolkit, you will be sent a SharePoint link which gives you access to a live folder where the most up to date materials are kept.
The folder contains a slide deck (.pptx), a comprehensive trainer manual (.pdf), an activity pack (.pdf) and a getting started pack (.pdf).
These are all the resources you need to deliver Carbon Literacy training.
Development of The Local Authorities Carbon Literacy Toolkit has been funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) via the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), and has involved contribution and donation of materials and testing and piloting by 13 different local authorities across England and Wales.
Making the Case
One of the most common queries from individual authorities is for advice and support to persuade colleagues of the financial case for their organisation to roll out Carbon Literacy; as well as for help, or useful materials, to make the initial case for participation to colleagues.
Here are some resources you can use to help you make that case:
Making the Case for Local Authorities
A helpful document to help you make the case and pitch for the roll-out of Carbon Literacy training in your Local Authority.
The First Carbon Literate Treasurer
Michael, the world’s first Carbon Literate local government Treasurer, discusses his experience in undertaking Carbon Literacy.
Making the Case for PTC Councils
A helpful document to help you make the case and pitch for Carbon Literacy training in Parish, Town & Community Councils.
Training at Winchester City Council
Winchester City Council were the first council to deliver Local Authorities Generic Staff training. Hear from Naomi Wise on how it went.
Local Authorities Generic Staff Course
Audience
Aimed at staff working in a local authority environment without differentiating between roles.
Versions
Three pathways to science section (part 1) based on:
- Carbon Literacy: Knowledge E-learning route
- Sir David Attenborough, ‘Climate Change – The Facts’ film route
- Presenter-led: online or face-to-face workshop route
All pathways are then followed up by a presenter-led, online or face-to-face, workshop (part 2).
“It was thought-provoking and incredibly valuable to step back and look at your daily activities and the impact they have on the world as an individual / community and species. You may think you’re environmentally conscious, but you realise there is always more you can do! This should become policy, not voluntary. I’d love to learn more and become a Carbon Literacy Certified Training Professional so that I can pass this information on.”
– Bids and Tenders Manager, Leicestershire County Council
Produced in partnership with
The Carbon Literacy Project
Course development funded by
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)
Leadership and Management Course
Audience
Aimed at leadership and management staff working in a local authority environment. The Leadership and Management course enables all local authority leaders and managers to explore how they can provide leadership in the climate emergency and how climate change can be integrated into decision-making.
Versions
The course is one day’s worth of interactive training. There is one version of the course.
“The Toolkits are really fantastic packages of learning because you get everything you need in a day to go off and start taking action and talking to other people. As soon as I got the Leadership and Management Toolkit, I thought it was exactly what we need. The overall feedback we got from learners was that they found the sessions very, very valuable. I have had feedback that learners are going to see how they can thread Carbon Literacy through their work.”
– Amy Scoins, Strategic Environment Officer, Leicestershire County Council
Produced in partnership with
Centre for Sustainable Energy
Rachel Coxcoon of ClimateGuide
Course development funded by
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)
Elected Members Course
Audience
Aimed at Councillors working within a local authority environment. The Elected Members Toolkit Course equips Councillors with the information they need to mobilise change within their constituency and to communicate climate change effectively to hard-to-reach groups.
Versions
The course is one day’s worth of interactive training. There is one version of the course.
“The toolkit is well structured and really tailored to the needs of elected members. You can feel confident that the science and insights you are providing are well researched. The training gives Councillors the tools and skills to be able to evaluate proposals based on their ability to limit climate change and bring about additional benefits.”
– Clare Foster, Environment Strategy Technical Officer and Hannah Swinburne, Principal Climate Change Officer, Peterborough City Council.
Produced in partnership with
Centre for Sustainable Energy
North Somerset Council
Rachel Coxcoon of ClimateGuide
Course development funded by
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)
Parish, Town and Community Councils Course
Audience
Aimed at councillors and officers working within Parish, Town and Community Councils. The course equips councillors and officers with the information they need to communicate the significance of climate change and achieve the behavioural change necessary in their local area to address the climate emergency.
Versions
The course is one day’s worth of interactive training. There is one version of the course.
“I firmly believe that parish and town councils are the key to engage their communities in adapting to and reducing the impacts of climate change. By understanding the challenges we face and by working together with our higher tier authorities, with community action networks, local residents and businesses, we are stronger together. The Parish, Town and Community Councils Toolkit course builds the knowledge, motivation and confidence for councillors and community members to take positive action and improve all our futures.”
– Belinda Bawden, Dorset Council, Lyme Regis Town Council Councillor and Co-founder of Dorset Climate Action Network
Produced in partnership with
Belinda Bawden, Dorset Council, Lyme Regis Town Council Councillor and Co-founder of Dorset Climate Action Network
Lorent Training
Save our Shropshire CIO
Speak Carbon Collective
Course development funded by
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)
Community Leaders Course
Audience
Aimed at local authority delivery to community leaders within their local region.
I think the most positive aspect of helping to deliver the training was in sharing views and perspectives with the other trainers and the people participating on the course. With such a diverse range of participants from across the organisation, it makes you more aware of the impact and successes of the Council as a whole and of where you can play a part in this.
Andrew Chase, Policy Officer Directorate for Families, Health and Wellbeing at Manchester City Council
"It was probably one of the most insightful, life-changing training days I've ever been on... You can make change that has an impact, and you can influence others and change the way decisions are made."
Michael Cullen, Borough Treasurer at Stockport Council
"Really thought-provoking and also helpful to see we could make changes at the council if we want to move things forward. Nice to see some successes made by other councils. Really enjoyable to mix with people across the council whilst homeworking - the course was still really effective even though we were in different places. This should be rolled out to all staff, especially those with decision making powers."
Planning – Resource Officer at Winchester City Council
"It’s vital. It’s urgent. Can’t wait. Very interactive / engaging. Powerful."
Diane Eaton, Corporate Director at Trafford Council
"It was thought-provoking and incredibly valuable to step back and look at your daily activities and the impact they have on the world as an individual / community and species. You may think you’re environmentally conscious, but you realise there is always more you can do! This should become policy, not voluntary. I’d love to learn more and become a Carbon Literacy Certified Training Professional so that I can pass this information on."
Vicki Louise Clements, Bids and Tenders Manager at Leicestershire County Council
“By delivering Carbon Literacy to over 40 councillors in Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire using the Parish, Town and Community Councils Toolkit course, our trainers have seen powerful and effective pledges made to tackle the climate crisis in these counties. We look forward to using the new Toolkit course to continue to drive further action and create change-makers in the communities we serve and beyond.”
Groundwork East
"We need to face up to this major challenge, partly because of the health and quality of life of our own residents. We want to clean up the air that they breathe, we want to reduce the use of plastic that's cluttering our rivers and our green spaces. We want to put Greater Manchester in a position of leadership on this crucial issue that will shape the 21st century, but if we are to succeed it does require radical action now."
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
"You will learn and think about things you hadn’t previously considered, regardless of your level of knowledge."
Paul Farrand, Senior Planner at Trafford Council
"I've been working in renewable energy and sustainability for several years, so when I went on the Carbon Literacy program, I thought, "well, I wonder what it will teach me?" And I came back inspired and driven to carry on spreading the message. I saw how valuable it was and that, if it can talk to professionals that work in the sector but also engage at a level for people that have maybe very little understanding of [climate change], to be able to have a training program that speaks across the board was just so powerful. And so I was very keen to become a trainer myself and to pass this on throughout my council. So, yes, I highly recommend it!"
Naomi Wise, Sustainability Officer at Winchester City Council
“I thought the Parish and Town Council course was brilliant. Having been involved in developing a programme for climate change in our council for a few years, I thought I knew all that I needed to know. But the course was not only a great refresher, but it was particularly great in showing me how to engage our local community in tackling climate change.”
Clerk, Town Council
Request a Course
To request one or more of the available courses for Local Authorities, please Contact Us listing ‘Local Authority Toolkit’ as the subject. Please include the following:
- A local authority organisational email address
- Which course you are requesting?
- Why you are interested in these particular sectoral courses?
If you’d prefer not to use the contact form, please email us at localauthorities@carbonliteracy.com