Publica has achieved a Silver Award for Carbon Literacy

Publica has been accredited as a Silver Carbon Literate Organisation (CLO) highlighting the organisation's dedication to tackling climate change, minimising its organisational carbon emissions, and achieving a net zero carbon future. View the certificate for our Silver Carbon Literate Organisation.

What is Carbon Literacy and a Carbon Literate Organisation?

Carbon Literacy is “an awareness of the carbon costs and impacts of everyday activities, and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions, on an individual, community, and organisational basis”.

A CLO is an organisation that has been accredited by The Carbon Literacy Project as being “culturally Carbon Literate,” maintaining a substantial proportion of its workforce as Carbon Literate and demonstrating its Carbon Literacy through its organisational behaviour. CLO accreditation is a tiered system with Bronze, Silver and Gold awards, requiring increasing levels of commitment to action on climate change and creating a low-carbon culture.

How has Publica achieved a Silver Award?

To become accredited as a Silver CLO, Publica had to demonstrate that practical actions have been taken to embed Carbon Literacy internally and externally by:

• Achieving Bronze accreditation (achieved in October 2023);
• At least 15% or 100 Publica employees being certified as Carbon Literate
• Integrating Carbon Literacy into our performance management system and promoting it on the Publica website, Publica portal and job adverts
• Writing a case study about the organisation’s Carbon Literacy journey and the associated benefits. Due to a greater awareness of the carbon costs of activities, energy use at the Council offices have reduced and Publica staff mileage has decreased by 31% saving 20 tonnes of CO2e. One of the group pledges has led to the creation of a cross department working group on a pool vehicle strategy to ensure any new vehicles procured or leased will produce less greenhouse gas emissions than petrol/diesel equivalents.

Frank Wilson, Interim Managing Director at Publica Group said, “It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were preparing our Business Plan to cover the 2022-2025 period yet here we are just entering the final year of the plan. One of the key elements of the plan was to achieve Gold Standard as a Carbon Literate Organisation – this was something that our fantastic and sorely missed Director Sue Pangbourne was really keen for us to aspire to. So, it was great to hear the news that we are well on schedule to meet the target through our achievement of the Silver Accreditation so soon after achieving Bronze Accreditation last autumn. All our partner Councils have declared a climate emergency and aspire to net zero by 2030 – we can help them deliver against their targets by all being both aware of and committing to reducing our service and personal carbon footprint. The Carbon Literacy training is an easy way to improve your own awareness and even if you think you are already very aware be prepared to be surprised by some of the information you will find out and let's hear about some more great pledges.”

Dave Coleman, Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Carbon Literacy Project said, “Carbon Literacy is an essential skill, vital to every workplace, community, and place of study. It is the foundational knowledge, and a catalyst to empowering people to act on climate, however, Carbon Literacy is only the first step. The actions taken and pledged by learners as part of their Carbon Literacy have an immediate impact within their organisation, however it is the maintenance of these and further actions, supported by Carbon Literate organisational culture, that reaps the greatest rewards for both participants and their organisations. By becoming a Silver accredited Carbon Literate Organisation, Publica has demonstrated its commitment to genuine low carbon action, environmental and economic impact, and the building of a low carbon future for us all.”