During 2025/26, Fife Council continued to strengthen its response to the climate emergency through the delivery of accredited Climate Literacy training. Led by the Climate, Nature and Sustainability Team, the programme was designed to build climate competence and leadership capability across the organisation, helping staff understand the causes and impacts of climate change and the role they can play in reducing emissions and supporting climate adaptation.

The programme supports Fife Council's commitment to addressing the climate emergency by ensuring staff have a consistent understanding of climate issues and how they relate to local government services. Particular emphasis has been placed on supporting managers and decision-makers to consider climate impacts within service planning, policy development and operational activities, helping to embed climate considerations into day-to-day decision making.

Training was delivered across all Council directorates and made available through the Fife Climate Knowhow registration system, providing a consistent approach to course booking, participation and monitoring. Delivery followed the nationally recognised Carbon Literacy Project framework, with participants completing accredited learning and committing to practical actions that could reduce carbon emissions within their professional roles.

A key feature of the programme has been its collaborative approach. During 2025/26, Climate Literacy training was delivered in partnership with NHS Fife to staff within the Fife Health and Social Care Partnership, helping to develop a shared understanding of climate change across integrated public services. This marked the first time the programme had been extended beyond the Council, supporting greater collaboration and consistency in climate awareness across partner organisations.

Partnership working also extended into the community sector. Working alongside the Coalfields Regeneration Trust and Greener Kirkcaldy, the programme supported Community Learning and Development staff and community education workers through a combination of Climate Fresk workshops and Carbon Literacy training. This helped build climate knowledge and confidence among those working directly with communities and strengthened the capacity of local organisations to support climate action.

Throughout the year, seven accredited training sessions were delivered, with 121 participants completing Climate Literacy training. Staff from a wide range of services took part, helping to increase awareness of the Council's climate commitments and strengthen understanding of how individual roles contribute to wider organisational objectives. Feedback from participants highlighted improved confidence in discussing climate issues, increased awareness of Fife Council's climate targets and a greater willingness to take practical action within their own areas of work.

The programme also contributed to important organisational achievements during the reporting period. Fife Council successfully renewed its Bronze Carbon Literate Organisation accreditation, recognising its ongoing commitment to developing climate knowledge across the workforce. The Planning, Climate and Sustainability Service also renewed its Gold Carbon Literate Organisation accreditation, demonstrating advanced practice and leadership in embedding climate literacy into service delivery. Within the service, Climate Literacy accreditation is now mandatory for all staff, reflecting the importance placed on developing climate capability at all levels.

Learning from the programme has helped shape the development of a wider Climate Training Framework designed to build climate knowledge more systematically across the organisation. Delivery during 2025/26 highlighted the limitations of a purely voluntary approach and reinforced the need for role-specific learning pathways that support both general awareness and leadership responsibilities.

The programme supports the Plan for Fife priority of Addressing the Climate Emergency and contributes to ambitions around reducing carbon emissions and creating more joined-up public services. By providing staff and partners with the knowledge, confidence and tools to consider climate impacts in their work, the programme is helping to embed climate action across services and strengthen Fife's collective response to the climate emergency.

Looking ahead, Climate Literacy training will form the foundation of a broader mandatory climate learning programme across Fife Council. This will include compulsory Climate Literacy training for Service Managers and above by April 2028, alongside mandatory climate e-learning for all staff, improved monitoring arrangements and a more structured programme of delivery. By continuing to build climate capability across the workforce and partner organisations, Fife is creating the knowledge and leadership needed to support long-term climate action and achieve its environmental ambitions.