Carbon Literacy training for Local Authorities

This is a Carbon Literacy course for local authority officers and councillors, accredited by The Carbon Literacy Project. On completion of an evidence form after the course, attendees can receive a certificate certifying them as Carbon Literate.

This interactive, informative course is a great way to increase you're understanding of climate change and how it can be tackled at local the local authority and individual level. 

It is delivered by Rick Lyons, a certified Carbon Literacy trainer, who has provided Carbon Literacy training to officers and councillors at more than 30 different local authorities. He has a Masters Degree (distinction) in Carbon Management from Edinburgh University and has written about climate change for national newspapers from The Times to the Daily Star.

Testimonial quotes from previous attendees of his training are provided below – and can also be downloaded from here.

The course consists of eight hours of learning delivered in two four-hour sessions. 
The first session runs from 9.30am-1pm on Wednesday July 8th. 
The second session runs from 9.30am-1pm on Friday July 10th.

It will be delivered online using Microsoft Teams. Links to join the sessions will be emailed to the participants once tickets have been purchased. The cost of the course covers both sessions as well as the cost of receiving a Carbon Literacy certificate. 

The course is delivered through a mixture of presentation, group exercises, multiple choice questions and chat box discussion.

There are eight modules in total. These are as follows:

Module 1 – Our current predicament
This looks at the climate change we’ve already experienced, what’s causing it and where our greenhouse gas emissions come from.

Module 2 – Our response so far
This looks at what we need to do to tackle climate change from a scientific perspective and whether or not we’re doing that at the global and national levels.

Module 3 – Where we’re headed
This looks at the future risks of climate change including the temperature rise we’re likely to experience by the end of the century, the risks of no net zero, and climate tipping points.

Module 4 – The basics of climate policy
This module looks at what climate change adaptation looks like in practice. It also looks at the two approaches to reducing emissions - changing energy demand and changing energy supply - and considers the co-benefits of tackling climate change. 

Module 5 – Engaging others in climate action
This module considers how we can encourage individuals to adopt more climate friendly lifestyles by sharing the insights of the University College London's Climate Action Unit.

Module 6 – Local authority action
Here we look at why local authorities play a central role in tackling climate change and the different levers councils have over emissions. Participants are then invited to help shape a climate action plan for a fictional local authority by choosing actions from 20 real world case studies of positive council action. 

Module 7 – Individual Action
This module looks at the average carbon footprint of a UK citizen and the steps that can be taken to reduce it. Here the emissions associated with producing the food we eat are examined.

Module 8 – Moving forward
This module looks at the process required to receive a Carbon Literacy certificate and shares some closing thoughts.

Any questions please email Rick at rick@threepointfive.org.uk.

Testimonial quotes

The training was fantastic. It was well structured and had a good balance between presentation and interactive activities. It was very comprehensive and covered everything important. Very well delivered, knowledgeable and engaging trainers. Absolutely brilliant visuals. I cannot think how it could be improved.
Terezie Wickenden, programme officer, climate action, The Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames

The training was excellent, with a good balance of information and interactive content and excellent presentation. The key points were presented in an accessible way, high quality visual information on the slides and adequate time was given to absorb the points being made and slides were kept on screen for long enough to read/re-read. The interactive aspects were very positive (especially as the training was undertaken remotely) as a means of increasing engagement, reinforcing messages and meeting with other participants.
Niall Urquhart, Team leader, sustainability policy, East Dunbartonshire Council

The folks at Three Point Five not only provide highly accurate and informative content, but content that I could go away and apply in my policy, change and engagement role right away. And, they do it through a great balance of being very well versed in science, policy and action while also being engaging, interactive and dare I say it, fun. Can recommend.
Sinclair Laing, Policy & Strategy Manager at Aberdeen City Council and Founder of Aberdeen Community Energy

I attended the Carbon Literacy Training and it was amazing – out of 10, it’s a 10. It was a great insight into why climate change is needed and delivered by professional, friendly and knowledgeable trainers. It certainly has made me act on small changes personally and professionally to support the net zero emissions by 2050.
Karen Alcock, organisational development officer, Bolton Council

Many, many thanks again to you and Rachel for a great training course. You shared potentially complex information in a very accessible manner and covered an awful lot of ground. Really enjoyed it and have taken a lot out of the course.
Bethan Richardson, climate change programme manager, Gwynedd Council

The training was fantastic. Very good trainer who explained things really well, and I think it focused all of our minds on what needs to be done.
Councillor Sam Jenkins, Runnymede Borough Council

Rick's delivery of the course was excellent, providing a good balance of the facts necessary to understand the climate crisis, together with opportunities to discuss, and knowledgeable advice. Highly recommend.
Alex Becker, waste services development officer, Rugby Borough Council

We have used Three Point Five to deliver a number of workshops for us now and every one has been delivered to our staff in a highly engaging manner. Rick has extensive subject knowledge and always retains a captive audience, providing lots of thought-provoking activities and questions. When we have requested bespoke training, he has always understood our needs and provided the perfect activity for each audience. I would highly recommend Three Point Five for climate-related training.
Liz Vango-Smith, sustainability and climate change officer, Hart District Council