Great Places Housing Group continues to lead the way across Greater Manchester with its Carbon Literacy training programme and is now the first housing association in the UK to be granted Platinum Carbon Literate Organisation status by the environmental charity, the Carbon Literacy Trust.
The award is recognition for the business’ commitment to training colleagues in reducing their carbon footprint and for taking 80% of colleagues through its training.
This is a significant milestone for Great Places who continue to be seen as sector influencers and experts in the Carbon Literacy field – now delivering training to other housing associations, local authorities and a range of other organisations including Transport for Greater Manchester, Groundwork GM, University of Salford, City of Trees, and BBC North West.
The award was presented at a ceremony in Manchester on 14 July.
Commenting on the recent award, Tony Muir Director of Sustainable Assets at Great Places, said:
We’re delighted to achieve the coveted platinum status and this is a real testament to the hard work of our Environmental Team, who have developed our training into a two stage interactive training programme which is mandatory for all Great Places employees.
Great Places see Carbon Literacy as essential. Climate change is directly affecting our business, our residents, and impacts the poorest in society the hardest as they have the least resilience to the effects of extreme weather.
It is about being efficient. Energy, water, waste and travel are the four key targets for us – we direct colleagues to these, then discuss how they can reduce their footprint in each area and how that can help themselves, the business and our customers.
Carbon Literacy Project Co-Founder, Phil Korbel, added:
This is real achievement. Great Places was the first housing organisation in the world to deliver Carbon Literacy. Not only have they continued to set the pace for their sector, but they’ve also continued to play an influential role in other areas such as the NHS and local government.
Their training has been of consistently high quality with the extra edge of coming from the heart and the achievement of the platinum award is very well deserved.
Photo caption – (L-R) Kalon Rayworth, Tony Muir, Heather Towner receiving the Platinum Carbon Literate Organisation Award on behalf of Great Places Housing Group.
