Councillors asked to make personal climate change pledges as part of carbon literacy training

Councillors will be asked to make individual pledges to combat climate change as part of a training programme offered by Peterborough City Council (PCC).

Members of all parties will be asked to make two carbon reduction pledges when they take part in the council’s newly-expanded carbon literacy training, delivered over eight hours.

PCC says that this will help it achieve its two major climate goals: to become carbon neutral by 2030 and for Peterborough as a whole to achieve net zero.

Giving this second goal a deadline, whether it be 2030 or 2040 as have variously been suggested, has been criticised by some within the council as unrealistic as energy consultants have estimated it would cost in the region of £8.8bn.

But no specific deadline for it is mentioned in a new council report recommending the training to all councillors, although it does say that the training will have benefits beyond the council itself.

This is because it will also be rolled out to local businesses, faith and community groups, charities, social landlords, educational institutions and parish councils by March 2025.

The Carbon Literacy Trust, the charity that established the training, estimates a “5-15% reduction in carbon emissions achievable per participating person”, PCC says in its report.

Training has already been delivered to 16 councillors (out of 60) and 21 council officers or partners but will now be offered to all.

It covers “the science of climate change, how to estimate carbon footprints, how an individual or organisation can reduce carbon emissions and why climate change is relevant”, the report says.

Culminating in a short assessment, as well as the two individual pledges, it can take place across a single day or over multiple sessions, PCC adds, depending on availability.

Funding will come from the Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund; £87,000 was granted to the council for carbon literacy training.

The £2.6bn fund “succeeds the old EU structural funds”, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities says, and helps empower “local leaders and communities” to make changes benefiting their region.

In order to deliver the training, the council has also recruited a new climate change public education officer, expected to start work this summer.

The job was advertised on the city council’s website with a salary of £24,496 to £27,852 per year.

The role involves delivering training at locations across the city and “offers the chance to make a significant impact to city wide carbon reduction”.