Measure, Plan, and Reduce: Strategic Carbon Footprinting*

Free in-person course for employees of Cornwall and Isles of Scilly businesses
Cann Woods in Plymouth

About this course

Are you passionate about sustainability and looking to understand the role your business can play in creating a better future? Join our 12-hour, action-focused course.
Combining theory with practical strategies, this course equips you with the skills to create and implement an effective sustainable action plan.
 

What you'll learn

Climate change is an urgent global issue, and businesses play a crucial role in mitigating its impact. Tailored to inspire and empower, this course bridges the gap between environmental responsibility and practical business solutions.
You will gain the tools necessary to reduce your business' carbon emissions, implement a sustainable strategic action plan, assist your company in contributing to global climate goals, while also reducing organisational costs, enhancing brand reputation and protecting against future regulatory changes.
FIG classroom image
 

Course content

Day 1

Session 1: Carbon Literacy, Net Zero and Circular Economy
In the first session, participants will be introduced to key sustainability concepts and terminology, developing an understanding of carbon literacy, net zero and circular economy, and the benefits of understanding and reducing their impacts.
Session 2: How to Measure your Carbon Footprint
In session 2, we will look closely at the knowledge and skills needed to gather data, and introduce the free Carbon Footprinting tool that will be used to calculate their own footprint. Participants will learn how to make decisions relevant to their sector and business type to create a robust, efficient and transparent calculation.

Day 2

Session 3: Practical Guided Carbon Footprint Workshop (laptops required)
Session 3 takes place after a three-week gap during which participants will gather the data needed to make their first calculation. Using this data, this practical session will give time for participants to input, clarify and cross check their data under the expert 1:1 guidance with the facilitators.
Session 4: Analysis, Hotspotting and Strategic Action Plans
In the final session, participants will focus on strategic action planning. Using their carbon footprint data, they will learn to identify key hotspots in their carbon impacts and develop actionable plans to collaborate within and outside their organisation.

Key course details
Duration: 12 hours (over two days)
Format: In person
Dates and location: There are currently no scheduled live dates for this course. To express your interest, email us at: greenskills@plymouth.ac.uk
Find a ride or offer one at Liftshare.com.
Course fee: Free to attend for eligible businesses in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

Eligibility
The Taking Action on Carbon and Beyond course is fully funded for employees of businesses based in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly through the Future is Green short courses project.
This course is ideal for anyone tasked with or interested in championing sustainability in an enterprise from any sector and of any size.

Assessment and certification
Assessment will be via full participation in the workshops and completion of a strategic action plan. A certificate of completion will be issued and Continued Professional Development (CPD) hours will be attained (12 hours).

Apply for a place
This training has been delivered – however, we are looking to offer it again in the future. If you are interested, please either complete the expression of interest form or contact greenskills@plymouth.ac.uk.
 

Course benefits

By the end of the course, you will:
  • have developed a strategic action plan for your business
  • understand the drivers for reducing carbon (and other) impacts in your organisation and in your supply chains
  • have a clear understanding of how to measure your organisation's footprint, now and in the future
  • have used hotspotting analysis to identify priority actions, quick wins and longer-term goals
  • take inspiration from guest speakers from industry who have become experts in taking action on carbon.

Future is Green

The Future is Green is a collaborative project that delivers skills development courses and programmes to individuals across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to support the development of skills needed for the future green economy.
The project is being delivered by the Net-Zero Exchange team within the Sustainable Earth Institute at the University of Plymouth.
Meeting of the Net-Zero Exchange team at the Sustainability Hub
 
This course is part of the Future is Green project which is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Cornwall Council is responsible for managing projects funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund through the Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund proactively supports delivery of the UK-government's five national missions: pushing power out to communities everywhere, with a specific focus to help kickstart economic growth and promoting opportunities in all parts of the UK.
 
 
*The original name of this course was 'Net-Zero Action: Strategic Action Planning for Sustainable Change'.