Take the lead in tackling climate change by becoming a carbon literate Parish or Town Council
At the recent WALC Annual Conference, Sarah Stear, Head of Climate Change, at Warwickshire County Council, joined Claudine Pearson, WALC’s Climate Officer, to talk about why local Councils should become carbon literate. Download the presentation
Sarah presented the picture in Warwickshire in “climate stripes”, showing how global warming will impact our food production, increase flooding, drought and wildfires, and we will all face the increased costs of business interruption and necessary adaptation.
Warwickshire’s Sustainable Future Strategy provides a framework to adapt services and reduce carbon emissions to net zero. Parish and Town Councils are the first tier of local government and have a role to play to inspire communities in tackling climate change. To support local Councils, WALC and WCC are working together to deliver a bespoke Carbon Literacy training programme for this key sector serving over 568,000 residents.
The programme is part of the Carbon Literacy Project (CLP), a globally recognised programme recognised at COP21 in Paris as a Transformative Action Program. The Carbon Literacy course will teach you the basics of climate change science, what’s already happening globally and locally, how your actions may be affecting climate change and what you, as an individual, can do to help.
“Carbon Literacy is about understanding what I actually need to do, where I can get help to do it, actually doing it and seeing that I’ve done it”
The course involves one day’s worth of learning, emphasising the relevance of learning about climate change to Warwickshire. There is an emphasis on the things that can be done rather than things that cannot.
Participants are required to make an individual and a group pledge and these are assessed by the Carbon Literacy Project. Councils can explore how they can mobilise change and influence others. The outcome will be an individual action plan to help reduce the carbon footprint of your Council and local area.
Claudine, WALC’s Climate Officer, went on to break down why local Councils should engage on climate change. She referred to data from the Office for National Statistics, October 2021 – Data on public attitudes to the environment and the impact of climate change. “Three-quarters of adults in Great Britain worry about climate change – and they are worried for their family, they feel helpless and concerned about the expense of making the “right” changes.”
Claudine suggested Councils focus on what people are most worried about, using research from Britain Talks Climate, The big picture: How people are relating to climate change in 2024. The top 5 most frequently cited climate impacts were:
- Harm to nature and wildlife
- Cause my bills and other costs to rise
- Increase the risk of floods
- Have a negative impact on my children/grandchildren’s future
- Increase the risk of heatwaves
Choice of action in the face of global warming can feel overwhelming – so it’s vital to identify easy, quick wins that work for people and place. There’s no need to polarise the debate; talking about solutions such as clean energy, reduced waste, and lower bills can bring communities together.
Parish and town councils have a wide range of powers, including many which can be used to address climate change, but few duties – except biodiversity. All public authorities, including Parish and Town Councils, must complete first consideration of what action to take for biodiversity by 1 Jan 2024. WALC has worked with Warwickshire Coventry & Solihull Local Nature Partnership to produce guidance on a Local Nature Action Plan to help Councils meet this duty.
Benefits of Carbon Literacy Training
- You will achieve a collective baseline of education on the basics of global climate change science
- You will gain the engagement tools and language to motivate or mobilise your community
- You will rethink solutions… and the co-benefits
- You will consider actions: both individual and Council
- And your Council can agree (an) action
WALC is offering bespoke, Warwickshire-specific carbon literacy training for Parish and Town Councils; find out more about this sector toolkit. Email climateofficer@walc.org.uk to register your interest.
Councils may also wish to share this free carbon literacy training offer with residents, thanks to WMCA’s legacy funding from the Commonwealth Games. All the training modules are freely accessible, through WMCA’s Learning Pool.