Carbon Literacy Training

Summary

A request sought the specific benefits and efficiency impacts of £50,450.38 spent on Carbon Literacy training, but the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture clarified the actual cost was £42,350.38 and refused to provide interpretative opinions on the training's value, instead directing the requester to a project review document.

Key Facts

• The Department corrected the requested expenditure figure from £50,450.38 to £42,350.38.
• Information regarding the specific benefits and efficiency impacts was withheld as it constitutes opinion rather than recorded information.
• A link to the 'Review of Carbon Literacy Project for the Isle of Man Public Service' was provided as an alternative source of information.
• The Department clarified that Carbon Literacy training covers climate science, carbon footprints, and action planning.
• The request was initially clarified on 27 November 2025 before the final response was issued.

Data Disclosed

• £50,450.38
• £42,350.38
• £730
• £10 per head
• 507 staff
• 434 staff
• 73 staff
• 6%
• 2025-11-26
• 2025-11-27
• 2025-12-10
• 8 hours
• 5121005

Exemptions Cited

• Information not held (request seeks interpretation or opinion rather than recorded information)

Original Request

1. What benefit has the expenditure of £50,450.38 paid to Earthscope Limited for "carbon literacy training" undertaken by a little over 6% of Government workers across the public sector, been to the efficiency of Government Departments where they are employed and to Government generally in its quest to achieve "Net Zero"? 2. Of the 507 staff who undertook the training Minster Barber has been quoted as saying that only 434 completed both parts of the training. Does this mean that the 73 staff members who didn't complete both parts of the training are not carbon literate and that the £730 costs of their training at £10 per head has been wasted?

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Freedom of Information Co-ordinator Corporate Services Directorate Thie Slieau Whallian, Foxdale Road, St John’s, Isle of Man, IM4 3AS Tel no (01624) 685854 Fax no (01624 685851 Email: defa@gov.im www.gov.im

Our ref: 5121005 10 December 2025

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 26 November 2025, which states:

1. What benefit has the expenditure of £50,450.38 paid to Earthscope Limited for "carbon literacy training" undertaken by a little over 6% of Government workers across the public sector, been to the efficiency of Government Departments where they are employed and to Government generally in its quest to achieve "Net Zero"?

2. Of the 507 staff who undertook the training Minster Barber has been quoted as saying that only 434 completed both parts of the training. Does this mean that the 73 staff members who didn't complete both parts of the training are not carbon literate and that the £730 costs of their training at £10 per head has been wasted?"

The Department emailed on you 27 November 2025 to request further clarification of your request. In relation to your request, the Department asked you to confirm the specific recorded information requested, advising that your request appeared to seek explanations and definitions, rather than access to existing documents.

You replied to the Department on 27 November 2025 stating “Since I haven’t requested copies of specific recorded information held by the Department, The Department has clearly misunderstood the request” and “given that the public authority has paid Earthscope for the training which Earthscope gave, the public authority shouldn’t have any difficulty providing me with the information that I’ve requested”.

Our response to your request is below:

1. What benefit has the expenditure of £50,450.38 paid to Earthscope Limited for "carbon literacy training" undertaken by a little over 6% of Government workers across the public sector, been to the efficiency of Government Departments where they are employed and to Government generally in its quest to achieve "Net Zero"?

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold, and cannot after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information you have requested. This is because your request asks the

department to define the benefit of the expenditure and its impact on efficiency and progress toward Net Zero. These are matters of interpretation or opinion rather than recorded information. Under the Freedom of Information Act, we are only obliged to provide information that is held.

For accuracy, please note that the amount paid to Earthscope Limited for Carbon Literacy training was £42,350.38; not £50,450.38 as stated in your Freedom of Information request.

To offer advice and assistance, Carbon Literacy training provides Public Servants with the tools to acquire the knowledge they need to deliver effective climate action which underpins their legal duties under the Climate Change Act.

Benefits, aims and objectives can be found in the Review of Carbon Literacy Project for the Isle of Man Public Service, which is available here: carbon-literacy-project-review- 17-11-25.pdf

1. Of the 507 staff who undertook the training Minster Barber has been quoted as saying that only 434 completed both parts of the training. Does this mean that the 73 staff members who didn't complete both parts of the training are not carbon literate and that the £730 costs of their training at £10 per head has been wasted?

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold, and cannot after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information you have requested. This is because your request asks the department to define the benefit of the expenditure, which would require interpretation or opinion rather than recorded information. Under the Freedom of Information Act, we are only obliged to provide information that is held.

To offer advice and assistance, a day’s worth (8 hours) of accredited Carbon Literacy training covers the essential climate science, carbon footprints, and how an individual and organisation can have the greatest impact. Learners gauge the scale of the challenge in the first half of the course, before learning about the specific and significant actions they can take in the second half. Participants complete an action plan (pledges) committing to practical individual and group actions to reduce carbon emissions and can be certified as Carbon Literate.

Please quote the reference number 5121005 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are

dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded. If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on:

1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or

2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.

In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision.

More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im.

Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely