DE MONTFORT University launched a £1.3 million campaign and education programme in 2025 highlighting the need for climate action.
The three-year project will work with five grassroots partner organisations to embed sustainability within some of the most deprived communities in Leicester to cut emissions, improve wellbeing and influence climate policy.
Leicester Environmental Action and Future (LEAF) is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and aims to be a template for similar initiatives throughout the United Kingdom.
More than 150 staff and volunteers at the partner organisations will be trained in carbon literacy and at least 1,500 residents will be involved in sustainability activities.
Regular public events, youth climate education programmes and an annual DMU-hosted climate conference are also planned. A Climate Action hub will be based on DMU’s Leicester campus to co-ordinate the programme.
The LEAF project is the latest in a series of education and awareness campaigns run by DMU aimed at highlighting the need for climate action.
More than 700 trained in Carbon Literacy
In 2025, DMU passed the 700 milestone for the number of staff and students that have been trained in carbon literacy as part of its campaign for climate action.
Carbon Literacy is one of a series of education programmes and campaigns run by DMU in its role as a United Nations global academic hub chair for the Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 13 Climate Action.
The carbon literacy training is designed to raise awareness of the carbon costs and climate change risks, impacts, mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning systems.
It also equips individuals with the knowledge, capacity, and motivation to take action to reduce emissions on personal, community, and organizational levels.
The training covers topics such as climate change, carbon footprints, and practical steps individuals can take to contribute to a more sustainable future.
Overall, it aims to empower participants to understand and communicate about climate change effectively.
DMU has Carbon Literate Organisation status and its board of governors, senior leadership team as well as academics, professional services staff and students have all undergone the training.
Sustainability manager Karl Letten said: “Carbon literacy is one of the most important education programmes we run in showing people the climate change risks and impacts.
“Many people come away from the training with ideas for making a difference in both the workplace and also at home. We feel this really does make a difference.
“That is our goal for staff, students and our community partners to have a strong understanding of climate change issues and possible responses – to inspire collaborative action here at DMU and locally.”
DMU has been running the training for seven years and passed the 700 mark earlier in 2025 and there will be no let-up in 2026 with a series of training programmes planned.
Carbon literacy is only one of the education programmes and campaigns run by DMU, where the United Nations SDGs are embedded into many of the courses and modules run by the university.
Annual awareness campaign for COP 30
DMU also holds an annual awareness campaign to coincide with the COP climate change talks by world leaders – and there was one this year for COP 30 in Brazil.
The university is recognised by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as an official Climate Observer as well as a global academic hub for the SDGs. It is the only university in the UK to be a UN global hub.
More than 500 staff and students attended a series of events held across the university’s campus during the 11 days of COP 30 .
Associate Professor Dr Mark Charlton, who co-ordinates the COP campaign, said: “This series of events is an important statement by the university of its position and calls for action on climate change.
“The 20 different events staged through the two weeks raise awareness of climate change issues and prompt people to be more active in calling for change.”
A series of campaigns and education programmes
There are a series of other initiatives aimed at highlighting the need for climate action run by DMU, including…
- The annual SDG Teach-In that sees staff pledge to teach the SDGs in one of their modules. DMU had the highest number of staff and students involved in 2025.
- More than 200 modules have the SDGs permanently embedded within the teaching and are linked to climate action.
- DMU has produced a Climate Action Plan aimed at reducing the university's emissions by 60%.
- The Climate Ambassadors programme involves students in events and programmes aimed at increasing awareness of the need for climate action.
- And the Football for the Goals project harnesses the popularity of sport to highlight climate action in the deprived communities of Leicester.