What is Climate and Carbon Literacy Training, and how can it help you?
This guest blog was written by Going Green Together partner Cumbria Action for Sustainability.
Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS) offer Climate and Carbon Literacy training accredited by the Carbon Literacy project. We are very proud to be one of only ten ‘platinum’ certified providers in the country. We have trained over 1200 people so far, providing the course to business users, community organisations and interested individuals. People come on our courses with different levels of knowledge and taking different levels of action — and often leave pledging concrete and achievable actions and more confident about starting conversations.
I enjoyed [the course] immensely. It really has provided me with a solid foundation to build on as I embark upon my own journey towards carbon reduction on behalf of the Charity. -Sonya Roe, Head of Charity Services, Age UK North Tyneside
The course is a day long, and it covers the latest science behind climate change, the impacts of climate change and the solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change. It conveys the urgency of the climate crisis and supports you with planning your own action and how to communicate with others about the impacts we are seeing right now. This is an area that many delegates find difficult, and time is given to discuss the reactions of others, and how the message can be made more meaningful by the language and imagery used.
The result is to help delegates on the course build an intuitive understanding of the climate crisis and the carbon impact of decisions that are taken; whether by themselves or their organisation. We want them to be able to talk about the carbon cost of our actions in the same way that we might consider the finance cost — we know what to expect from our food prices, but we don’t always understand the carbon cost of items. We talk about what is achievable within our lifestyle, and how organisations, including businesses can be involved. Attending our training sessions will ensure you have the ability and motivation to reduce emissions at home, in your community, and in your workplace.
Before attending the course I struggled to clearly identify the goal posts for tackling the climate emergency. Through taking part I learned the critical points that cut to the heart of the issue, which I now share with participants when delivering workshops focusing on the issue. -James Shepherd, Project Coordinator & Arts Facilitator, Jack Drum Arts
Voluntary, community, and social enterprises in the North East and Cumbria can access this course at 50% off through the Going Green Together programme. The final discounted course runs on Wednesday the 21st and 28th June. Register through the CAfS website.
Why choose CAfS?
We are Cumbria’s climate change organisation and we’ve been helping Cumbrian’s to reduce their carbon footprint and live more sustainably for 25 years. With our help thousands of organisations and households have benefited from training, practical support and projects.
I would highly recommend the CAfS Carbon Literacy Training. The course is accessible, compelling, and incredibly well delivered, with plenty of opportunities for participants to really get involved. It absolutely resonates with our Council Plan priorities and brings a sometimes unattainable or challenging subject to life with real examples and practical steps. -Sam Plum, Chief Executive, Westmorland and Furness Council
We established and co-chair the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership, bringing together more than 80 organisations to create a sustainable future for the county, using our extensive knowledge of emission reduction. Our staff have a huge range of specialisms that feed into our course materials, and our significant networks mean that we can signpost you to other similar organisations, share best practices and make connections.
Find out more about CAfS, and sign up for their newsletter here.
