Somerset Council - ELECTED MEMBERS Carbon Literacy

Come and join us for a Carbon Literacy training course specifically aimed at elected members from the newly-formed Somerset Unitary Authority (Somerset Council).

This course is delivered by Rachel Coxcoon of ClimateGuide, a nationally-recognised expert in local government climate emergency support, and an elected councillor and Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Forward Planning at Cotswold District Council.

The course is fully accredited by the Carbon Literacy Programme, and runs from 10am until 5pm. To achieve certification as 'Carbon Literate' after the course, attendees must attend the full day, and will need to fill out a certification form showing that they have understood the principles of how the nation needs to transform to tackle the climate emergency, as well as committing to a pledge of action as both an individual, and working with others. This follow up work should take a further 2-4 hours.

(NOTE: There is no requirement for attendees to complete the certification to apply for accreditation after the course, but we highly recommend it as a way of showing your residents that your local authority is taking the Climate Emergency seriously).

The course will cover:

- An introduction to climate science, and the global and local impacts we will expect to face within the next few decades and beyond.

- An overview of climate policy and the basic principles of climate investment risk

- The principles of climate change communications - how can you talk to your residents about this issue in a way that is relevant to their lives, and their world views? And how can you encourage them to take action?

- Carbon Footprinting for communities - understand the difference between a territorial and a consumption based footprint, and understanding how to use this information to guide your work on the climate emergency, and engage your residents.

- Looking at how you can use your procurement powers to drive better climate outcomes

- Action Planning principles for the climate emergency - what are the principles of action planning for such an all-encompassing problem? What are the changes we need to make, and what levers of influence do local authorities have?

Further dates are also available - see here for alternative courses you could attend: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/climateguide-33693433533