Toolkits & guides for taking action

Share Toolkits & guides for taking action on Facebook Share Toolkits & guides for taking action on Twitter Share Toolkits & guides for taking action on Linkedin Email Toolkits & guides for taking action link


Climate change is a present reality shaping how we live and work. From rising temperatures and extreme weather to supply chain disruptions and resource pressures, there is a need for practical, local action. Carbon footprint calculators and climate toolkits enable us to move from awareness to action with confidence and clarity.


Whether you are a local council, charity, business, school, community group, or individual, the resources given below provide accessible calculators, guidance, and data-driven tools to support informed decision-making.


Understand your climate risks, measure your environmental impact, and identify meaningful steps to reduce emissions while building resilience!


Build resilience

  • Measure your carbon footprint (to assess how much carbon and other greenhouse gases you're using) and identify steps to reduce your impact
  • Understand your climate risks and plan how to adapt what you do and how you do it


By combining a carbon footprint assessment and an emission reduction plan with adaptation planning, you can both contribute to long-term solutions and prepare for climate impacts. Together, we can reduce emissions, strengthen resilience, and create thriving, future-ready communities.



Find out what your carbon footprint is

Knowing your carbon footprint today can help you work out the changes you can make and gives you a baseline for measuring any improvements you make over time. It is also becoming increasingly common for environmental measures to be added to business tendering processes and this information might be requested from you as an applicant.

Free tools

WWF's Footprint Calculator – for individuals to calculate your carbon footprint.

Giki Carbon Calculators – for individuals, schools, and businesses to help you measure your carbon footprint, track your food emissions, and explore ways to live more sustainably.

SME Carbon Footprint Calculator – for UK based SMEs to calculate your corporate emission footprint (note: it is becoming increasingly common for environmental measures to be added to tendering processes and this information might be requested from you as an applicant).

The Farm Carbon Calculator – for farmers and growers to calculate your farm's carbon footprint.

Count Your Carbon Footprint Calculator – for nurseries, schools and colleges to calculate, understand, reduce and track your carbon emissions.



Get the support you need to make a change

It's one thing understanding your carbon footprint and another figuring out how to make changes in your every day life – at home and in the workplace. Below are details of carbon literacy courses and toolkits for a range of people and sectors, along with guides to help us all reduce our emissions and better adapt to climate change.


Climate mitigation – reducing your emissions


Carbon literacy training and toolkits

The Carbon Literacy Project offers training in carbon literacy, covering climate change, carbon footprints, how you can do your bit, and why it’s relevant to you and those you engage with. Tailored to individuals and organisations, working in different sectors, the workshops offer an opportunity to upskill and learn how climate change actions can be applied in your own professional contexts.

Sector specific carbon literacy toolkits and courses – The Carbon Literacy Project and its partners have developed a growing range of sectoral courses and materials to make it easier and simpler to adopt Carbon Literacy. Using a sectoral course eliminates the need to develop a course from scratch, whether by using an off-the-shelf toolkit or a sector course kit as an informed starting point.

The Carbon Literacy Community Leaders Toolkit is a ready-to-use, off-the-shelf package designed to equip local decision-makers – like scout leaders, charity trustees, and PTA members – with the knowledge and confidence to lead climate action in their communities.

Energy and emissions saving guides

Energy Advice Guides for Futureproofing Your Home produced by Community Energy Plus, Cornwall’s energy advice charity. They provide free, independent advice and support to householders in Cornwall so they can enjoy warmer, energy efficient homes as part of a more sustainable future. They also support a wide range of public, private and third sector organisations with innovative projects relating to energy efficiency and renewable energy.

The Carbon Trust's office energy efficiency guides and resources – they also offer energy efficiency and energy assessment support to SMEs and have many interesting guides and reports to inform the business sector. Find out more on their website: Sustainability guides, reports, and videos | The Carbon Trust

Cornwall VSF's Green Footsteps Guide is a practical toolkit designed to help organisations embed climate friendly practices in their every-day operations and take their first steps toward sustainability. It offers guidance on building resilience to current and future climate change impacts while fostering long-term environmental responsibility.

Homewise is a free tool you can use to see which energy efficiency measures and renewable technologies would suit your home and lifestyle, in order to boost energy ratings and save money on energy bills.


Climate adaptation – understanding climate risks and what you can do


The Local Climate Adaptation Tool (LCAT) was co-developed by the University of Exeter and Cornwall Council. It launched in February 2024 and has regular updates. The tool is designed to be easy to use and need minimal data from the user. It aims to help people understand the health implications of climate change in their local area. The tool brings together complex climate models, adaptation options, and health impact evidence all in one place. Importantly, LCAT also generates recommendations for appropriate adaptation approaches, to support the health and wellbeing of local people. These recommendations are based on the best available peer-reviewed evidence.

The climate action co-benefits: Cutting carbon and improving people's lives toolkit introduces the co-benefits of climate action and how this links in with enabling a just transition to a zero carbon economy. It sets out the opportunities for action, the role of decision makers and explains why citizen engagement on climate action is critical. Each of the co-benefits sections includes facts and figures, links to data for local areas, the business case for taking action, opportunities for action and inspirational examples of successful initiatives from around the country. There is a dedicated chapter on resilience and adaptation.


Other useful resources

Wrap works with governments and business and communities to embed circular economy principles in the ways they operate. They also provide a space for organisations to share best practice.

Let's Go Zero work with schools to reduce emissions and develop their own climate action plans.

Cornwall Council has a dedicated eco-education project manager who supports schools in Cornwall to measure their emissions and take action. Find out more


Climate change is a present reality shaping how we live and work. From rising temperatures and extreme weather to supply chain disruptions and resource pressures, there is a need for practical, local action. Carbon footprint calculators and climate toolkits enable us to move from awareness to action with confidence and clarity.


Whether you are a local council, charity, business, school, community group, or individual, the resources given below provide accessible calculators, guidance, and data-driven tools to support informed decision-making.


Understand your climate risks, measure your environmental impact, and identify meaningful steps to reduce emissions while building resilience!


Build resilience

  • Measure your carbon footprint (to assess how much carbon and other greenhouse gases you're using) and identify steps to reduce your impact
  • Understand your climate risks and plan how to adapt what you do and how you do it


By combining a carbon footprint assessment and an emission reduction plan with adaptation planning, you can both contribute to long-term solutions and prepare for climate impacts. Together, we can reduce emissions, strengthen resilience, and create thriving, future-ready communities.



Find out what your carbon footprint is

Knowing your carbon footprint today can help you work out the changes you can make and gives you a baseline for measuring any improvements you make over time. It is also becoming increasingly common for environmental measures to be added to business tendering processes and this information might be requested from you as an applicant.

Free tools

WWF's Footprint Calculator – for individuals to calculate your carbon footprint.

Giki Carbon Calculators – for individuals, schools, and businesses to help you measure your carbon footprint, track your food emissions, and explore ways to live more sustainably.

SME Carbon Footprint Calculator – for UK based SMEs to calculate your corporate emission footprint (note: it is becoming increasingly common for environmental measures to be added to tendering processes and this information might be requested from you as an applicant).

The Farm Carbon Calculator – for farmers and growers to calculate your farm's carbon footprint.

Count Your Carbon Footprint Calculator – for nurseries, schools and colleges to calculate, understand, reduce and track your carbon emissions.



Get the support you need to make a change

It's one thing understanding your carbon footprint and another figuring out how to make changes in your every day life – at home and in the workplace. Below are details of carbon literacy courses and toolkits for a range of people and sectors, along with guides to help us all reduce our emissions and better adapt to climate change.


Climate mitigation – reducing your emissions


Carbon literacy training and toolkits

The Carbon Literacy Project offers training in carbon literacy, covering climate change, carbon footprints, how you can do your bit, and why it’s relevant to you and those you engage with. Tailored to individuals and organisations, working in different sectors, the workshops offer an opportunity to upskill and learn how climate change actions can be applied in your own professional contexts.

Sector specific carbon literacy toolkits and courses – The Carbon Literacy Project and its partners have developed a growing range of sectoral courses and materials to make it easier and simpler to adopt Carbon Literacy. Using a sectoral course eliminates the need to develop a course from scratch, whether by using an off-the-shelf toolkit or a sector course kit as an informed starting point.

The Carbon Literacy Community Leaders Toolkit is a ready-to-use, off-the-shelf package designed to equip local decision-makers – like scout leaders, charity trustees, and PTA members – with the knowledge and confidence to lead climate action in their communities.

Energy and emissions saving guides

Energy Advice Guides for Futureproofing Your Home produced by Community Energy Plus, Cornwall’s energy advice charity. They provide free, independent advice and support to householders in Cornwall so they can enjoy warmer, energy efficient homes as part of a more sustainable future. They also support a wide range of public, private and third sector organisations with innovative projects relating to energy efficiency and renewable energy.

The Carbon Trust's office energy efficiency guides and resources – they also offer energy efficiency and energy assessment support to SMEs and have many interesting guides and reports to inform the business sector. Find out more on their website: Sustainability guides, reports, and videos | The Carbon Trust

Cornwall VSF's Green Footsteps Guide is a practical toolkit designed to help organisations embed climate friendly practices in their every-day operations and take their first steps toward sustainability. It offers guidance on building resilience to current and future climate change impacts while fostering long-term environmental responsibility.

Homewise is a free tool you can use to see which energy efficiency measures and renewable technologies would suit your home and lifestyle, in order to boost energy ratings and save money on energy bills.


Climate adaptation – understanding climate risks and what you can do


The Local Climate Adaptation Tool (LCAT) was co-developed by the University of Exeter and Cornwall Council. It launched in February 2024 and has regular updates. The tool is designed to be easy to use and need minimal data from the user. It aims to help people understand the health implications of climate change in their local area. The tool brings together complex climate models, adaptation options, and health impact evidence all in one place. Importantly, LCAT also generates recommendations for appropriate adaptation approaches, to support the health and wellbeing of local people. These recommendations are based on the best available peer-reviewed evidence.

The climate action co-benefits: Cutting carbon and improving people's lives toolkit introduces the co-benefits of climate action and how this links in with enabling a just transition to a zero carbon economy. It sets out the opportunities for action, the role of decision makers and explains why citizen engagement on climate action is critical. Each of the co-benefits sections includes facts and figures, links to data for local areas, the business case for taking action, opportunities for action and inspirational examples of successful initiatives from around the country. There is a dedicated chapter on resilience and adaptation.


Other useful resources

Wrap works with governments and business and communities to embed circular economy principles in the ways they operate. They also provide a space for organisations to share best practice.

Let's Go Zero work with schools to reduce emissions and develop their own climate action plans.

Cornwall Council has a dedicated eco-education project manager who supports schools in Cornwall to measure their emissions and take action. Find out more

Page last updated: 24 Feb 2026, 03:57 PM