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Local Climate Action: School and Town and Community Council Climate Toolkits

Published: 14/08/2024

In March this year, Flintshire County Council’s Climate Change team launched the authority’s first ever Climate Toolkits designed to empower Flintshire’s schools and Town and Community Councils to take action to address what is one of the most pressing issues of our time.

Due to increasing levels of carbon dioxide emissions in our atmosphere from burning fossil fuels, climate change is bringing greater risks to the people of Flintshire such as extreme heat, more frequent flooding, poorer health and increased living costs. To address this climate emergency, Flintshire County Council, along with other Welsh Public Sector bodies is working hard to reduce its emissions to Net Zero by 2030, meaning there is no further contribution of carbon emissions.

These climate toolkits have been created so that climate action and engagement can be expanded and increased by providing Schools and Town and Community Councils the understanding, tools and support to reduce their own carbon emissions and also support others to act. Key features include the central toolkit document, carbon calculators, a school environmental audit and lesson plans, engagement opportunities and key points of support and funding. The toolkits are publicly accessible on Flintshire County Council’s dedicated Climate Change Webpage.

The benefits of the toolkits don’t just stop at reducing carbon emissions. Schools are strongly encouraged to allow the young people to lead on the process through the provided activities, so they can develop the knowledge and hands-on skills they need to manage data, make decisions, support action, and ultimately have their say. With Town and Community Councils, they are encouraged to ensure that the local communities and businesses they serve are also engaged to have their voices heard and provided the opportunity to support action in their locality. 

Since launch, the climate change team have provided numerous workshops and presentations to raise awareness and build understanding on how the tools work. Next steps for this work is to present the toolkits to other Local Authorities across Wales, and continue working with schools and town and community councils to support their action and learn how the tools can be improved further.

If you would like to see your school or local council taking climate action, please speak with them directly, and if you are a school or town and community council that would like to discuss further, please contact the Climate Change team at climatechange@flintshire.gov.uk.

Cllr David Healey, Cabinet Member for Climate Change said “the provision of these climate toolkits is a very important step for our wider county to address the ever-pressing climate emergency. There have already been exciting conversations around its use and presents an excellent opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills of our young people, while also giving them and local communities a voice on this important topic. I am excited to see the outcomes of these collective efforts and encourage its use as much as possible.”