Essex County Council colleagues boost climate change knowledge by completing Carbon Literacy training.

To combat the effects of climate change in the county, Essex County Council (ECC) is upskilling its workforce to be more aware of how climate change affects Essex and what can be done to combat it, both individually and collectively.

Delivered through independent and group learning, Carbon Literacy training gives ECC members and officers a strong understanding of the causes and effects of climate change.

The training specifically focuses on climate change in Essex and how the county is currently being affected.

ECC’s senior leadership is fronting the charge with Leader Cllr Kevin Bentley, Executive Director Climate, Environment and Customer Mark Ash and ECC Climate Czar Cllr Peter Schwier all having completed the training.

On successful completion of the training individuals receive Carbon Literacy accreditation from the Carbon Literacy Project.

Across Essex County Council more than seventy individuals have already received this accreditation, with plans to increase this to 1,000 in coming months.

Part of the training course includes pledging to undertake an individual action and activity within a wider group to reduce carbon emissions.

Speaking on the importance of Carbon Literacy training at ECC, Climate Czar Cllr Peter Schwier said: “It’s encouraging to see so many at Essex County Council receiving their Carbon Literacy accreditation.

“To achieve our goal of Essex becoming a net zero county by 2050 it is crucial that those within the organisation understand the climate change challenge, but more importantly how we can fight it.”

Carbon Literacy training is part of Essex County Council’s £200 million Climate Action Plan, which was created based on recommendations from the Essex Climate Action Commission’s report, Net Zero: Making Essex Carbon Neutral.

Environment was announced as one of ECC’s four key strategic priorities in its Everyone’s Essex strategy for four years from 2021 to 2025.