Training demonstrates commitment to Shropshire Council’s climate pledge
Shropshire Council is demonstrating its commitment to the climate strategy by continuing to target carbon literacy training at key staff and senior managers.
The ongoing commitment supports the council’s existing, active programme of carbon literacy training, delivered by Save Our Shropshire, and which resulted in Shropshire Council being formally accredited in 2022 as a bronze level ‘Carbon Literate Organisation’ by the international Carbon Literacy Trust, after completing training for the council’s Cabinet members and senior managers.
Carbon literacy is “an awareness of the carbon dioxide costs and impacts of everyday activities, and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions, on an individual, community and organisational basis”.
Taking active individual and corporate steps to reduce carbon emissions remains the best way to limit the impact of climate change on Shropshire businesses and communities, as well as the future delivery of council services.
Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council’s deputy Leader, and Cabinet member for climate change, environment and transport, said:-
“Our accreditation as a carbon literate organisation is a visible ‘badge’ that shows we are both committed to tackling climate change, and serious about establishing and maintaining a low carbon culture.
“Last year the council’s Cabinet and senior management team, including myself, the Leader of the Council and the chief executive, completed the training together with a number of senior managers.
“This has been extended to other staff during 2023, and altogether this amounts to 20 key councillors and officers.
“We are now in the fortunate position of having four qualified carbon literacy trainers, who are fully informed and equipped to carry out staff training, and they are developing a strategy to manage the rollout of a wider training programme to help ensure that the challenge of climate change is widely owned and embedded across the organisation.
“In addition to this commitment, an introductory e-learning module on climate change is about to be available to all staff through the council’s internal training portal.”
Shropshire Council declared a climate emergency in May 2019, and in December 2020 adopted a Climate Strategy and Action Plan, which establishes the objective of achieving net-zero carbon performance for the council by 2030.
The council’s corporate footprint represents only around 1% of Shropshire’s total carbon footprint, but the council can influence as much as 33% of emissions through its regulatory and support functions.
Ian added:-
“Shropshire Council has recently commissioned detailed modelling of its supply chain carbon emissions and this will inform the focus of further efforts to reduce our carbon footprint in future years.
“We have prioritised staff involved in commissioning and procurement for future carbon literacy training, to recognise the fact that 93% of Shropshire Council’s carbon footprint now derives from indirect ‘Scope 3’ emissions, largely from goods and services provided by others.”
