Manchester Met leading a national Carbon Literacy project

Certified Carbon Literate.

Manchester Met is a lead partner in a Public Sector Carbon Literacy initiative led by the Carbon Literacy Project, aiming to deliver deeper and wider action against UK climate change objectives.

The project received funding from the Government Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in 2019 to design five Carbon Literacy public sector open-source tool kits, which will enable and support a range of UK public sectors in becoming Carbon Literate.  These include government departments, local government, the NHS, universities and blue-light emergency services - Manchester Met are leading the ‘Education: Universities’ project stream. The tool-kit will be available for use in 2020 across a range of public sector services. 

Dr Rachel Dunk, Principal Lecturer in the Department of Natural Sciences and Carbon Literacy Consultant, said “we are delighted to be leading the development of the (Carbon Literacy) tool-kit for use across Higher Education Institutions across the UK, and possibly further afield. We have a wealth of expertise and insight, and can develop and deliver highly engaging and effective materials that support staff across the sector understanding climate change, what they can do about it, and critically, how universities can have influence and impact carbon emissions”.

The Faculty of Science and Engineering's Carbon Literacy team and the University’s Environment team are collaborating on the BEIS funded project. They have developed a Carbon Literacy programme for the University’s professional and academic staff, which will serve as a template for Carbon Literacy training at universities across the UK, and will be rolled out as part of the toolkit. The new programme builds on the success of the University’s Carbon Literacy for Students (CL4S) model, which has seen over 1,300 Manchester Met students and staff become Carbon Literate to date.

About Manchester Met’s Carbon Literacy Project

Manchester Met have worked in partnership with the Carbon Literacy Project (CLP) since 2011, and have delivered Carbon Literacy learning to students and staff since 2012, pioneering the use of students as Carbon Literacy trainers and facilitators through a Carbon Literacy for Students (CL4S) model. The University’s Carbon Literacy team (consisting of staff Carbon Literacy consultants and trainers) embed and deliver CL learning in organisations as diverse as Manchester City Council, Manchester Museum, the arts centre HOME and social housing providers across Manchester.