Cambridge Carbon Footprint News
Your local climate news and events
Getting ready for spring
Phew! What a busy start to the year. Here at Cambridge Carbon Footprint we’ve been doing all sorts of spadework getting ready for a busy spring full of events. Coming up we’ve got more Net Zero Now training, workshops for SMEs, collaborations with the Cambridge Festival and the Cambridge Library, and we’re looking forward to returning to Arbury for another Swap and Fix Fest.
Dive into the newsletter to find out more about what we’ve got in store.
Best wishes,
Alana & the CCF Team
Balancing energy saving and ventilation
Indoor air quality is important for our health and wellbeing, but leaving our windows open wastes electricity. How much ventilation is enough and how do you know? Nicola Terry explores ventilation on the CCF blog. You can read the full post here.
Should we all be eating mainly plant-based food?
The food we eat plays a massive role in climate change. Is plant-based food the answer? Read Bev Sedley’s reflections on Veganuary and climate friendly diets. Read the full post here.
Net Zero for SMEs Feb 17, 24, 12 – 1pm
Two online expert led sessions introducing the fundamentals of a carbon reduction framework and exploring starting actions that SMEs can take, with a focus on energy efficiency and management.Find out more & book now
Explore more blog posts
Upcoming CCF Events
Thermal Imaging Training
Feb 16, 7-8.30pm
Learn how to use a thermal imaging camera and how to interpret their images. After the session you’ll be able to borrow one of our cameras to conduct your own surveys. Training and loans are free, but booking is essential.
Net Zero Skills
Mar 2, 9, 16 & 23, 7-9.00pm
Net Zero Skills training sessions will provide an introduction into climate action, empowering attendees to take a leading role in delivering activities in our local communities and places of work.
How to Run a Shrink your Carbon Footprint Workshop
Mar 3, 7-8.30pm
Join this interactive webinar to find out more about the ‘Shrink your Carbon Footprint Workshop’ and get support on running an event in your community or workplace.
Arbury Swap & Fix-Fest
Mar 19, 10am-3.30pm
The Arbury Swap & Fix-Fest returns for more waste busting, resource saving and community building. Featuring a Repair Cafe, Clothes Swap, tea, delicious homemade cakes and music.
The Human Library at the Central Library
Mar 26, 10am-3.30pm
A skills-fest bringing together experts in sustainability with those keen to learn. Whether you’re just beginning to think about living more sustainably, or advanced and looking for expert advice our human ‘books’ will be able help.
The Imaginarium
Apr 2 & 3, 10 am to 4 pm
The first step to building a better future is to imagine it. Unleash your creativity at the Imaginariam, fuelled with ideas from around the world and supplied with paints, pens and modelling equipment.
Local News & Events
Free support for eligible householders to improve home energy efficiency
If you live in the south east of England, find it hard to heat your home and worry about your energy bills or know someone else who does, a Green Homes Grant might be able to help. Delivered by Warmworks, the scheme can help make improvements for a warmer home that’s kinder to the environment, and will help reduce fuel bills. You could qualify for help if you live in an energy inefficient home, which is owned or privately rented, and you are in receipt of benefits or are on a low income. Find out more.
Food and Climate Programme Manager Role
Cambridge Sustainable Food is seeking a creative, dedicated and experienced communicator who is able to lead, deliver and develop our climate programme as we seek to be a national gold standard city. This is an exciting opportunity to join the CSF team and to make a real difference to climate change through raising awareness, running events and campaigns and in making a major contribution to Cambridge becoming a truly sustainable food city. Applications close Feb 13. Find out more.
Repair Cafes
Repair Cafes are community events where skilled volunteer repairers will help mend your broken items. They can fix all sorts of things, including appliances, phones and laptops, toys, clothes, jewellery and more. There are Repair Cafes coming up Sat Feb 12 at Great Shelford, Mar 19 at Arbury and May 7 at Barrington. Find out more and book your repair.
What is building control?
Interested to better understand building regulations? Join Area Building Control Manager Fred Hedges Feb 16 10-11am at this online workshop to find out more. This workshop is hosted by 3C Shared Services, a strategic partnership between Cambridge City Council, Huntingdonshire District Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council. More information and booking available by emailing .
SCDC Climate and Environment Fortnight
Join the South Cambridgeshire Zero Carbon Communities Team’s series of events, celebrating climate action across the district and making plans for the future. Featuring talks on Community Response to the Climate Emergency (delivered by CCF), Cycling for Sustainability (delivered by Camcyle), Installing EV Charging Points for Public Use and more. Runs 21 Feb to 7 Mar. Find out more and book now.
Making your Business Greener
This case study based webinar will feature a panel of speakers demonstrating ways businesses can operate more sustainably, reducing not only their carbon and waste but also being more efficient and saving money by embracing renewable energy while supporting our local economy and communities. Run by the South Cambridgeshire District Council Business Support and Development Team, the panel will include speakers from Green Blue You, Greater Cambridge Commercial Waste Service and PECT. Online Feb 24. Find out more and book.
Action on Packaging: How the Co-op made all its own brand packaging recyclable
How did the Co-op increase the recyclability of their own brand packaging lines from 46% in 2016 to 100% in 2021? At this online webinar Robert Thompson from the Sustainability and Policy team at Co-op Food will share their journey, including how they worked with over 300 suppliers to ensure the packaging of 3000 own brand products was recyclable, how they became the market for their own recycled material, the system they developed for recycling flexible plastic films in store and what the future holds for responsible material choices and climate change. Online Thur Feb 24 6:30-7:30pm, hosted by the Cambridge IET Engineering Technology Meet up. Find out more about the talk and how to join.
Light-Rechargeable Batteries: A New Tool to Fight Climate Change?
This talk will introduce a new type of battery electrode that can be recharged directly by light, without the need for external solar cells or external power supplies. These devices may change the way we power off-grid devices and provide a tool to fight energy poverty in developing communities. However, this is an emerging technology that still suffers from tremendous challenges that need to be solved before we can dream of commercialising it. This talk will be delivered by Michael De Volder, Professor of Advanced Materials Engineering at the Institute for Manufacturing. 14 March 8:30 – 19:30 at Babbage Lecture Theatre. Find out more and book.
Cambridge Resilience Web – 1 hour of Pecha Kucha talks
An evening of short talks from some of the groups in the Cambridge Resilience Web, hosted online on Zoom and Discord. Presenters will include Cambridge Carbon Footprint, Cambridge Cycling Campaign, Cambridge Community Kitchen, Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination and Resettle Chesterton. Pecha Kucha is a short visual presentation style, taking the form of 20 images for 20 seconds. The slides change automatically so there is no chance of running over time. 24th March from 7:30-8:30pm, with time for questions and chat afterwards. Find out more and book.
Supporting local action on climate change
For over 15 years Cambridge Carbon Footprint has been working locally to reduce carbon emissions and prevent climate change. For as little as the cost of a piece of a coffee you can donate and help build a stronger, more sustainable future for Cambridgeshire.
