Carbon Calculator with Humshaugh Net Zero

The carbon calculator tool was developed by HNZ to better understand their carbon footprint as individuals, and on a parish level, in order to support the development of actions that would lead the parish to be net zero.

The calculator tool has the potential to be used on a wider basis and a number of other parishes which are also part of the NCC community network are keen to use it. 

By developing the initial tool to a more user-friendly, automated platform the potential grows exponentially. It is the ideal platform to allow residents to better understand their individual and household footprints, while feeding into larger data sets at both parish and regional levels. 

This data, while useful to individuals and organisations such as HNZ, also has potential significance for councils looking at how best to deploy funding, as well as policymakers who can look at a ground-up, real-time indicator of behaviour and the current challenge in each area.

What is novel about this project is the way in which HNZ, Newcastle University and NCC are working together to develop local solutions that can be scaled to regional, and, eventually, national levels. Importantly, HNZ took the initial lead, identifying challenges in their community and developing solutions to these. NICRE then provided a small amount of funding to help make these solutions a reality, and is also now, with NCC, helping HNZ scale these up. This is truly bottom-up community development.

The collaboration evidenced in this project is important because the ‘grand challenges’ we face, including climate change – this project’s focus – cannot be addressed by community organisations or institutions working in isolation. Finding effective solutions will require organisations from all sectors to come together and pull in the same direction, sharing resources, knowledge and skills.