How we’re supporting Carbon Literacy Action Day at Progress Housing Group


What is Carbon Literacy Action Day?
Carbon Literacy Action Day is run by The Carbon Literacy Trust. This year, it coincides with day one of the UN COP27 climate summit and negotiations in Egypt and marks the second annual Carbon Literacy Action Day.

The Carbon Literacy Trust says: “The Action Day will catalyse action on climate change through Carbon Literacy training, getting everyone involved in delivering positive action, to address climate change wherever they are.”


At Progress Housing Group we’ve introduced Carbon Literacy training for all colleagues.
A key goal of our Environmental Sustainability Strategy is to "Integrate environmental sustainability into the culture of everything we do" and a large part of helping us reach this goal is to have as many colleagues as possible take part in Carbon Literacy training. 

So far we have trained 33 employees to be Carbon Literate from right across the business. Each course includes employees from all roles and departments across the Group and has led to some great discussion and pledges to create real change. The training has led to: an increased understanding of climate change and net-zero targets for the Group, highlighted the need for substantial change, and supported colleagues to lower their carbon footprints.

Carbon Literacy training is being offered across the United Kingdom and beyond, through workplaces (including organisations like the BBC), educational institutions and in communities, and we're delighted to be running it here at Progress Housing Group for all our colleagues.

One of our Group Project Managers, Sam, recently gave us an update about her experience of the Carbon Literacy training:

“The Carbon Literacy training is a fantastic course that I am already recommending to colleagues. I learned so much including more about what produces harmful carbon emissions and what we will need to do at the Group to reach Carbon Net-Zero by 2050.

“As part of our training, it was great to hear some of the ideas that attendees had to reduce or offset carbon emissions within the Group and to see them starting to plot out what would need to be done and by when.

“Here’s how far I’ve got with my pledges to reduce my carbon footprint since I attended the Carbon Literacy training:


• I have recycled my old log store and am no longer burning logs/coal in my open fires  and I'm using greener electric central heating instead.

• Where my log store once stood is now a little greenhouse and my daughter and I had great fun this year growing tomatoes and peas (we are now planning what else we will grow over winter/next year).

• I have extended my wild flower seed into more pots/areas in my garden – we had some weird and wonderful (yet native) flowers appear and found a fab app to identify them! We had a constant stream of bees all summer!

• I've reduced my Amazon deliveries and I'm now  more mindful of this impact on the environment. 

• I’ve established that my energy supplier states that they supply 100% renewable electricity.

• I’ve written to my council about reintroducing food recycling bins (you can home compost but I only have a yard/deck so no access to earth to do my own composting).

• I’ve written to my MP to see what he is doing in my area about reducing carbon emissions – I’ve also asked if there are any local initiatives I can get involved in.

• I'm working with our Procurement Team, partners and contractors to share best practice around reducing carbon emissions.

To find out more about Carbon Literacy Action Day, please click here to visit the Carbon Literacy Trust website.


Progress Housing Group’s Environmental and Sustainability strategy

Our first Environmental Sustainability Strategy was approved by our board on 1 November 2021. The strategy lays the groundwork for reaching net zero carbon emission by at least 2050. It not only focuses on our carbon emissions but also our wider environmental impact including green spaces, new build design, customer engagement and adapting to future projected climate change.

You can read more about our Environmental Sustainability Strategy here: /news-events/news/news-2021/progress-housing-group-approves-first-environmental-sustainability-strategy/