New course to help tackle carbon management -- Jo Bell

Dec. 6, 2010 - PRLog -- The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) today launches a new course – Understanding Carbon Management - to support carbon reduction.

Understanding Carbon Management equips those involved in housing, regeneration and community development projects with practical solutions to help organisations and communities mitigate the effects of our changing climate. It encourages planners; engineers; developers; regeneration and housing specialists; environmental scientists; and architects to make carbon reduction a fundamental part of their job so that measures to reduce carbon are built into all projects.

The programme includes:

• A free taster session to help you assess your skills and understand the basics of carbon management
• Three online modules that provide information on climate change science; peak oil and energy security; drivers of change; and energy and the carbon hierarchy
• A ‘selecting and implementing effective solutions’ workshop that helps participants understand the roles of others in wider projects.

Pat Ritchie, HCA chief executive said:

“Reducing carbon is crucial to successful, sustainable place making and tackling climate change requires a concerted effort from across the sector. We need to work together to change the way buildings are designed, constructed, managed and used by integrating low carbon skills into all housing and regeneration projects.

“But we can only achieve this if housing and regeneration professionals are equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge and expertise to successfully integrate carbon management across all projects. As an enabler, the HCA will play a fundamental role in helping the sector to deliver carbon reduction across the UK.”

Course dates for the face-to-face workshops include:

• 2 December       Chester
• 12 January       Leeds
• 16 February       Bristol

Understanding Carbon Management is part of the HCA’s integrated carbon offer that includes:

• Carbon Navigator – a tool that assesses the carbon management skills people need to combat climate change. It consists of a quick quiz followed by an exploration of the skills and competencies required to be able to include carbon management within projects. It also signposts people to courses and resources to supplement skills and knowledge
• Demystifying Climate Change - a web resource that provides practical solutions to climate change for people who create and maintain communities

Costs for the online modules and workshop are set out below:
Third/voluntary sector:             £175+VAT
Local government and statutory agencies:    £200+VAT
Private sector:                £225+VAT

To access the free taster session or for further information visit www.skills.homesandcommunities.co.uk/carbon. To sign up to the online modules or workshop contact kelly.brewell@hca.gsx.gov.uk or call 0113 394 9387.

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For more media information contact Jo Bell in the HCA press office on 0113 394 9410 / jo.bell@hca.gsx.gov.uk

Note to editors

• The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is the single, national housing and regeneration delivery agency for England. Our vision is to create opportunity for people to live in homes they can afford in places they want to live, by enabling local authorities and communities to deliver the ambition they have for their own areas.
For more information visit www.homesandcommunities.co.uk

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The Homes and Communities Agency

The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is the single, national housing and regeneration delivery agency for England. Our vision is to create opportunity for people to live in homes they can afford in places they want to live, by enabling local authorities and communities to deliver the ambition they have for their own areas.

For more information visit the HCA newsroom at homesandcommunities.co.uk/newsevent

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