Recognised for our Climate Commitment
Friday, 13 January 2023
We are one of only 143 international Carbon Literate Organisations after its sustainability credentials received Bronze Award Status from the Carbon Literacy Trust.
Being recognised as a Carbon Literate Organisation is a significant achievement, as we continue to push to become carbon neutral by 2030.
The Carbon Literacy Project helps organisations understand how their everyday actions have carbon impacts so they can make informed choices to address climate change and reduce carbon emissions. The award is valid for three years.
We launched Carbon Literacy Training for staff and elected members in the Spring of 2022, offering three courses: one for officers, one for managers and leaders, and one for elected members.
Over 130 Council employees and elected members have so far taken the training. This has increased their knowledge and understanding of the challenges of climate change and enabled them to take positive action in their work.
We are committed to providing more training to its staff and elected members and will release a special carbon literacy toolkit for Town and Parish Councils later this year.
Councillor Steven Dixon, Executive Member for Sustainability and Public Protection, said:
We’re delighted to be recognised for our ongoing commitment to lowering our organisational carbon footprint and addressing climate change. We are serious about establishing and maintaining a low carbon culture across the Council and we urge other businesses and residents in Central Bedfordshire to follow suit.
Caelan Knight, Local Authorities Coordinator at the Carbon Literacy Project, said:
Central Bedfordshire Council have consistently shown their ambition and dedication to Carbon Literacy training and climate change action, and I am thrilled that they have achieved Bronze Carbon Literate Organisation (CLO) status. CLO accreditation is the visible ‘badge’ that showcases an organisation as committed to Carbon Literacy (CL), having a substantial number of people who are Carbon Literate, and having a commitment to support its Carbon Literate people and maintain its low carbon culture. I'm very much excited to continue working with Central Bedfordshire Council to roll out Carbon Literacy training, so that everyone working at the council has the ability and motivation to reduce emissions and fight climate change.
As of January 2023, there are 3,992 organisations from 18 countries engaged with the Carbon Literacy Project, of these only 143 are classified as a Carbon Literate Organisation.