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Supporting community action on climate change

With support from

NZN logo

Supporting community action on climate change

With support from

Free training for community action on climate change

Are you based in South Cambridgeshire and care about your community and climate change? The Net Zero Now training scheme can help you identify how and where you can take action on climate change in your local community. 

This free training course is designed to enable everyone, regardless of knowledge, skills or experience to participate. By the end of the programme participants will have the tools to get started on a carbon reduction initiative. This could be something as simple as setting up a new local clothes swap, or something as big as a community energy scheme. 

Featuring 8 fortnightly sessions of online interactive learning and skill sharing, the course will connect you with like minded individuals and help you create an action plan for change. 

The training will run June-October, with a 6 week break in the summer.  

Download the course outline for further details [PDF]

Apply now to take part

 

You may want to prepare your answers in advance before starting to work in the application form. It may help to download the full list of the application questions [PDF].

Please note applications close at 5pm on Sunday 9th May 2021. We’re aiming to get back to applicant within 14 days of thise deadline.

If you have any questions, please email nzn@cambridgecarbonfootprint.org.

Find out more

About Net Zero Now
Webinar & Q&A

Watch a 30 minute webinar to find out more about the free Net Zero Now Training.

FAQs

Who is the training programme for?

Net Zero Now is for residents of South Cambridgeshire who would like to learn more about how to bring climate action into their community. This could be through 

  • combining environmental action into your existing activities (e.g. within community or faith groups), 
  • supporting an existing environmental group or activity or 
  • setting up a new project (e.g. community energy project). 

There is only a limited number of places available on the course, so we will select applicants to reflect a broad spectrum of local parishes, individual backgrounds, organisation types, pre-existing knowledge and strengths.

As this programme is looking to bring together keen residents from various backgrounds, existing knowledge or experience is not as important as enthusiasm and motivation to take action in your local community.

What does the course involve?

Online sessions

The course consists of eight online sessions between June and October 2021. The course is divided into two parts with a summer break halfway.

Other activities

In addition to the online sessions, there will be a small amount of additional work to be undertaken outside of these sessions. This is outlined below.

What is required to participate?

While this course is suitable for applicants with a range of knowledge, experience and proposed actions, successful applicants will demonstrate an interest in supporting their community to take action on climate change. This may be through a number of factors, including demonstrating:

  • an interest in their local community. Either through previous experience of engagement with their community or through an interest in getting involved as a result of attending this course.
  • concern about climate change combined with an interest in developing and improving knowledge on this topic.
  • a motivation to take action on climate change. This can be from larger-scale ambitious actions (such as setting up a community energy project) down to smaller-scale actions (such as running a clothes swap with your local scout group)
  • a commitment to the course activities. Including both attending online sessions and the additional activities outlined above.

In order to take part in this course, applicants will need:

  • access to an internet connection strong enough to use the video conferencing service Zoom.
  • a basic knowledge of using Zoom. Please let us know if you would need training on this before taking part as we may be able to provide this.

What will you do with my data?

The information gathered in the application form allows us to manage the application process, assess and confirm an applicant's suitability for the course and to decide to whom to offer a place.

There is a separate opt-in box  in the final section of the form to let us know if you would like to be contacted about  opportunities to share your knowledge with wider programmes within Cambridge Carbon Footprint.

Any identifiable information you give via this form will not be shared with anyone outside Cambridge Carbon Footprint and will be kept in accordance with data protection regulations.

Please see our Cambridge Carbon Footprint privacy policies for more information.

What is Net Zero Now?

The Net Zero Now project is designed to fast track our move to net zero emissions by building a local network to deliver carbon reduction activities, events and communications that engage people of all backgrounds. 

Approximately 60% of the changes needed to reach net zero by 2050 will require changes to the way we live our lives. We’ll need to reduce energy use, make changes to the way we travel, what we eat, how much we buy and how we dispose of things. This means that in the coming months and years each individual and community will need to find positive ways to adapt, change and thrive as we move towards net zero emissions. 

Cambridge Carbon Footprint, with support from the South Cambridgeshire District Council Zero Carbon Communities fund, is excited to be launching Net Zero Now, a new scheme to help train and support community climate leaders across the district. 

The project will focus on three key things: 

  1. providing training in effective communication and carbon reduction strategies,
  2. developing practical organisational skills, 
  3. and creating tools and resources to support carbon reduction activities.

There are many online sources of information and inspiration, but in our experience there is nothing that beats the personalised support that a local community of like-minded practitioners can provide.

Get in touch

 

If you’re interested in getting involved in Net Zero Now, promoting it in your community or simply would like to find out more, please get in touch: