Rhodri Thomas (Cynnal Cymru)

The Carbon Literacy Project in Wales

Working towards access to Climate Change

learning for everyone

Climate Change

Climate Change- What It Means for Wales?

• Coastal flooding

• Increased storm intensity

• Hotter extreme summer temperatures

• Expected between now and the middle part of this century

Climate Change- What It Means for Wales?

The impacts of climate change will not be equally felt across society

The poorest and already vulnerable will be the hardest hit

Less resources to adapt to extreme weather

Insurance costs

Repair costs

Lost days

• Energy security

• The Economy

• Equity

• National security

• Public health

• Food security

“Climate change poses a significant

threat to our and our allies national

security”

Former US Army Chief of Staff

Gen. G. Sullivan.

Not just about the environment….

The Carbon Literacy Project

A stakeholder-written

plan, co-ordinated by

Manchester City

Council

5 writing-groups

200 individuals, 100

organisations

Now overseen by a

voluntary Stakeholder

Steering Group

www.manchesterclimat

e.com

ZERO CARBON 2038

The Carbon Literacy Project

A “days worth of learning” about Climate Change

“Social Learning” - taken to where people are

Peer to Peer – because peers are the most the most trusted source

The training must meet The Carbon Literacy Standard to be certified as such

Knowledge

Learning Method

Values

Action

Carbon Literacy Standard

The Project delivers no training

Each user devises their own training, to their own design, and the proposed learning and materials are checked by the Project to maintain quality

The Project team quality control the courses and the learner outcomes

Accreditation

Action

An action as an individual

An action as part of a wider group

Accreditation

What Does ‘Carbon Literacy’ Mean?

What is Carbon Literacy?

“An awareness of the carbon costs and impacts of everyday activities and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions, on an

individual, community and organisational basis.”

Relevant Climate Learning

Carbon Literacy is a Framework

All training courses need to adhere to the standard

BUT lots of room for customisation

“Social Learning” -taken to where people are

Delivery will be Peer to Peer

It’s a Learned Skill!

• A Carbon Instinct

• More informed choices and ability to influence others

• Access to relevant learning about climate change regardless of background

Final Shortlist

COP21 Paris 2015

“Transformative Action Project” (TAP) status

by ICLEI / C40 / United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

The Approach is Unique….

Carbon Literate Organisations (CLO) is a way of recognising

and accrediting the embedding Carbon Literacy/Low-Carbon

Culture within your organisation

Carbon Literate Organisations

The Carbon Literacy Project

Public Health Wales, National Museum, Social Farms and Gardens, WCVA, CHC, Housing

Associations, CAT, RENEW, Acuity Legal, Dwr Cymru, Coleg Y

Cymoedd, Business Wales, Yellow Sub Geo, Welsh Govt. Wales & West Utilities, Size of Wales

Cynnal Cymru = official partner of The Carbon

Literacy Project in Wales

Social Housing Focus

Carbon Literacy for Registered Providers CL4RPS

Shared resources, trainer training courses, mutual support and funding

Several different courses reflecting the broad demographic of social housing staff

Drew down ERDF funding

50 Trainers, including 5 Community trainers

2330 CL4RPs staff members have been certified as Carbon Literate.

Gives context to what RPs do

Carbon Literacy for Registered Providers

“Since the training has been completed

our Green Energy Advisor has been

inundated with requests from our teams

to provide energy advice to our tenants”.

“It’s really encouraging that since the

training a lot of people are talking about

reducing their carbon footprint, and two

people have told us that they have made

the decision to change their cars off the

back of the training”

“We were looking for a training course

that would ensure all staff received the

same level of environmental

understanding, for a reasonable cost.”

Carbon Literacy for Registered Providers

“ We needed our staff to

understand our

sustainability policies”

Great Places Housing Case Study

After positive feedback from

staff attending the pilot

workshops, Great Places

immediately committed to

training its entire workforce,

from senior management to

apprentice level.

In 2014, Great Places trained

an overwhelming 277

members of staff in just 12

weeks, including Matthew

Harrison (CEO) and Will

Taylor (Senior Board

Member).

“Employees are now more willing to work

together to reduce their impacts.”

“Hear staff talking on their lunch

break about climate change

stories

A scheme manager got in contact with the

environmental team after the training to see

if there could be savings made on the

scheme electricity demand. Following an

energy review, led by the scheme manager,

they reduced electricity demand by £3,000

the subsequent year.

“People start to challenge, ‘why haven’t we got

solar panels on our office? What happens to

the recycling once it goes outside?’ or offer

suggestions, ‘can we change this process so

we don’t have to print as much? This would be

a great project to run with our customers.”

“It’s not just about the training, the

follow up and changes in culture

are key. Helping people to

overcome the barriers they face

with a positive enthusiastic attitude

after the training is key. It’s about

creating the culture change many

employers are crying out for. ”

“There are immediate financial

benefits in that people will think

about their job and make some

small personal changes; print less,

talk face to face rather than

emailing, remember to switch the

lights off, etc.”

In Cymru / Wales

Trivallis, Melin, Tai Calon,

Newydd

Share Learning, Challenge Thinking, Inspire Change

Cynnal Cymru – Sustain Wales

CL4RPS CYMRU?

Scott Sanders – Linc Cymru

Shan Lloyd Williams – Grwp

Cynefin

Ffrancon Williams – Cartrefi

Cymunedol

Gwynedd

Cynnal Cymru

Natural Resources Wales

Keep Wales Tidy

• What behavioural barriers to decarbonisation have you already encountered?

• What further barriers might we meet?

• Can we ‘multi-solve’ through knowledge sharing and collaboration?

Rhodri@cynnalcymru.com