NET ZERO SKILLS logo (1000 x 500 px)

Leading action on climate change

With support from      

NET ZERO SKILLS logo (1000 x 500 px)

Leading action on climate change

With support from      

Want to take action on climate change?

Following on from our hugely successful Net Zero Now training programme in South Cambridgeshire in 2021, Cambridge Carbon Footprint offered the Net Zero Skills sessions to residents in and around Cambridge in March 2022. All the recordings of the sessions are available to watch online can be accessed below.

Note that we will be running a new Net Zero Now Programme in 2023. Get in touch to find out more about how you can get involved in this programme.

The Net Zero Skills training sessions provide an introduction to climate action, empowering us to take a leading role in delivering activities in our local communities, places of work or study, in our neighbourhoods, social clubs or churches. Each of the four sessions focus on one topic around climate action. Every topic is introduced by an expert guest speaker, followed by an interactive learning activity.

Understanding Climate Action

Our first session provides an introduction into the concept of net zero carbon and climate action. We will explore: 

  • What net zero means and
  • Why action to tackle climate change is needed at all levels, from individuals and communities all the way up to international bodies and coalitions.

Resources

Further reading

Title Details
Who is responsible for climate change? Looks at which countries emit the most CO2 now and historically and explores who can and should take the lead in reducing emissions.
Met Office Climate Glossary A glossary of climate related terms.
Climate Basics: Your carbon footprint explained A short explanation of how carbon footprints are calculated.
Cambridge Climate Change Charter Calculate your carbon footprint and find out about potential actions to reduce your personal emissions.
South Cambridgeshire District Council Climate Emergency Toolkit Suggestions and resources for tackling the climate emergency at a local level.
Cambridge Carbon Footprint Community Toolkit Free guide to delivering a workshop on reducing your carbon footprint with a group of individuals in a workplace, organisation or community setting.

Getting Started with Climate Action

Session two covers the initial stages of starting up new climate action activities. We will explore: 

  • How to influence and engage others
  • How to prioritise which action to take
  • How to effectively plan your activity

Resources

Further reading

TitleDetails
Britain Talks ClimateClimate Outreach present the findings of their Britain Talks Climate report looking at engaging the British public on climate change, including detailed audience segmentation and guidelines on how to communicate effectively through shared values.
Yale Programme on Climate CommunicationResearch and resources to help you understand your audience, their perceptions of climate change, and their underlying values, attitudes, and emotions, and how to communicate effectively with them.
Carbon CopyA database sharing over 1000 real world casestudies of local climate solutions. An excellent resource full of inspiring ideas for action.
31 Climate Actions for Local GovernmentsAn evidence-based list of the most effective actions councils can take to address climate change.
Five ways behavioural science can transform climate change actionA short blog piece that links behavioural science (how do we change our habits?) to climate change interventions
Communicating Lifestyle ChangeA report outlining the impact of lifestyle changes on greenhouse gas emissions and how to foster lifestyle changes through policies

 

Working Together on Climate Action

This session explores how to engage others in your work, including useful insights into managing groups and how to run successful events as a means to motivate others to join you in your climate action.

Resources

Further reading

TitleDetails
Coordinating volunteersVery basic guidance from NCVO to coordinating volunteers.
NCVO: Supporting and Managing VolunteersGuidance from NCVO. Including how to support, supervise and get feedback, how to keep volunteers engaged, solving volunteer problems and dismissing a volunteer.
How to keep volunteers happy and engagedBooklet from Semble. Uses 6 Cs as a strategy for engagement: connection, communication, coordination, care, celebration, co-creation.
Plan an eventNet Zero Now worksheet to help you get started to plan your community event.

Talking about Climate Action

Our final session explores how to communicate effectively with different audiences about climate change and climate solutions, and provides practical resources on how to create a communications campaign.

Resources

Further reading

Title Description
Britain Talks Climate Full report by Climate Outreach looking at engaging the British public on climate change.
Rural Attitudes to Climate Change A research document by Climate Outreach looking at how attitudes to climate change differ in rural areas.
Listen, learn, adapt: Engaging your community in a meaningful way A detailed toolkit by Locality that gives details of different ways you can reach communities. These include tips on reaching through events, posters, newsletters and local radio as well as the benefits and challenges to different digital tools (e.g. Mailchimp, Youtube, SurveyMonkey, Canva etc.).
Creating a communications plan Setting up your own website Plan an event Design a graphic Create a social media post Create a poster Net Zero Now worksheets to help you create a comms plan and design communications.