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Becoming Carbon Literate

Some of the team recently undertook training with The Carbon Literacy Project and are now certified ‘Carbon Literate’.

As a team, we work hard to deliver inspiring performing arts events in an environmentally sustainable way, ensuring we create no negative environmental impact. We are committed to providing a quality arts programme, accessible for all, whilst minimising our impact on the environment.

Some of the team recently undertook training with The Carbon Literacy Project – a project based on the key aim that if we are to cut our carbon emissions by the kind of reductions demanded of us by science, then we will need to change culture alongside technology. The training took place online, in three two-hour sessions.

We learnt about: our own carbon footprint, consumption, the impact of travel and food choices on the environment, the science behind carbon emissions, climate budgets and climate justice. At the end of the course, we were tasked with writing a meaningful pledge to reduce our carbon emissions. These included pledges as individuals and as a team – actions that we can take in our work with Activate.

The course was led by Carbon Literacy trainer, Caroline Hermon, she said: “It’s been fantastic to work with so many members of the Activate team and see them become Carbon Literate. They are now well positioned to play their part in tackling the climate and ecological emergency we face. Not only this, but organisations who train their staff in carbon literacy typically see all sorts of benefits including decreased energy use, decreased resource use, happier staff and a healthier working environment.”

Verity Shallaker, Activate’s Marketing Manager said:

“As individuals and as an organisation we are acutely aware of climate change and are already doing lots to minimise our impact on the environment. However, the Carbon Literacy training opened my eyes to the scale of the issue and what actions we can take to specifically reduce our carbon emissions.”

As well as our new carbon-reducing pledges, we continue to be part of the Culture Declares Emergency movement. This is a growing movement of people in arts and culture declaring a climate and ecological emergency. We acknowledge that in the cultural sector we have immense potential to be generators for transformation.

Things we’re currently doing include: keeping our energy use to a minimum, loan event kit for free to artists and partners to cut down on consumption, opt for battery or mains-powered sound and lighting at events (rather than diesel powered generators), provide water stations at our events and ask people to bring their own bottles.

Things we plan on doing include: reduce our print marketing materials whilst remaining inclusive and accessible, create additional budget to support greener travel for artists, use environmentally friendly products at our events e.g. reusable cable ties.

You can find out more about how we work in an environmentally friendly way here.

Certified Carbon Literate logo

Top image: Inside Out Dorset 2021, Colmers Hill, Symondsbury, photo by Tony Gill.

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