Community Leisure UK is delighted to announce that it has been accredited as a Silver Carbon Literate Organisation, highlighting the organisation’s dedication towards tackling climate change, reducing its organisational carbon emissions, and its commitment to working towards a zero-carbon future.
The award also recognises the work by the members’ association for charities and social enterprises delivering public leisure and culture for their creation and roll-out of a bespoke Carbon Literacy Training package for their sector.
In 2023 and 2024, we certified 125 learners across 56 organisations, who collectively saved 56.48 tonnes of CO2e through their pledges, and, consequently, created over £13,800 in social value to local communities.
Jenn Huygen, Head of Policy and Strategic Partnerships, at Community Leisure UK said: “We are absolutely thrilled to receive this award. As an organisation we are committed to decarbonisation and the net-zero future, and we are also 100 per cent committed to supporting our members on their environmental journey to make public leisure and culture services and facilities ever greener.”
Carbon Literacy is defined as, “An awareness of the carbon costs and impacts of everyday activities, and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions, on an individual, community and organisational basis,” and revolves around a day’s worth of learning and action on climate change.
Community Leisure UK first engaged with Carbon Literacy through internal training of its own staff before developing a bespoke training package it delivered to its membership.
To become accredited as a Silver Carbon Literate Organisation, Community Leisure UK trained more than 40% of their staff and board members via bespoke Carbon Literacy training materials, committed to Carbon Literacy as an organisation by embedding it in their work processes and creating a plan for future work on Carbon Literacy. Following initial Carbon Literacy Training a new Shareable Course has been developed to allow their members to upskill their entire workforce. Find out more about our journey.
A Carbon Literate Organisation is an organisation that has been accredited by The Carbon Literacy Project as being “culturally Carbon Literate”; maintaining a substantial proportion of its workforce as Carbon Literate and demonstrating its Carbon Literacy through its organisational behaviour. CLO accreditation is a tiered system with Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels, requiring increasing levels of commitment to action on climate change and creating a low-carbon culture.
Dave Coleman, Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Carbon Literacy Project, said: “Carbon Literacy is an essential skill, vital to every workplace, community, and place of study. It is the foundational knowledge, and a catalyst to empowering people to act on climate, however, Carbon Literacy is only the first step.
“The actions taken and pledged by learners as part of their Carbon Literacy have an immediate impact within their organisation, however it is the maintenance of these and further actions, supported by Carbon Literate organisational culture, that reaps the greatest rewards for both participants and their organisations.
“By becoming a Silver accredited Carbon Literate Organisation, Community Leisure UK has demonstrated its commitment to genuine low carbon action, environmental and economic impact, and the building of a low carbon future for us all.”
Ends
