Council awarded bronze certification after training on how to cut carbon emissions
To support our pledge to become carbon neutral by 2030, we have been training staff on how to carry out their roles more sustainably.
To kick things off, we recently became a bronze certified council in carbon literacy after delivering a day-long course to staff.
Providing a great overview on the importance of climate change and its impacts, the course covered important actions that can be taken by officers, at work and at home, to help reduce their impact on the environment.
Part of the training also required officers to make two pledges which will actively reduce the emissions produced by the council.
The training was supported by West Sussex County Council and follows the standards set out by the Carbon Literacy Project, which offers everyone a days’ worth of learning, covering – climate change, carbon footprints, how you can do your bit, and why it’s relevant to you and your audience.
Councillor Shaun Gunner, Leader of Arun District Council and Chair of the Policy and Finance Committee, said: “I'm proud to lead an organisation that has proven its commitment to tackling climate change. This is one strand of our council vision and residents, businesses, councillors and council staff all share a commitment to making Arun an organisation that leads the way on climate change. This accreditation as a Carbon Literate Organisation demonstrates that commitment.”
Philippa Dart, Director of Environment and Communities at Arun District Council, was one of the first staff members to receive the training.
She said: “I thoroughly enjoyed this training and recommend it to any employee who is interested in getting a better understanding on what they can actively do to reduce their impact on the environment.
“Rolling out this training across the council shows our commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2030, and I’m excited to see how it will help us to reach that goal.”
A Carbon Literate Organisation (CLO) is an organisation that has been accredited by the project as having a substantial commitment to reduce its carbon footprint. Now that the council has Bronze certification, we are looking at how to achieve the other three tiers – Silver, Gold and Platinum.
The council has also been producing a mandatory e-learning module which will provide staff with a basic introduction to climate change, as well as giving them an overview on related policies. This will be rolled out by early spring.
To find out more about how the council is tackling climate change, visit Climate change | Arun District Council
For information about Carbon Literacy training, visit Organisation - The Carbon Literacy Project