Bringing together all the people and organisations working to reduce carbon emissions in the county.
In the third Zero Carbon Cumbria Summit, we brought together over 150 Cumbrian leaders, professionals, local politicians, campaigners, educators and young people — all working towards a fair and ambitious net zero transition.
It was a space for sharing knowledge, celebrating progress, and sparking ideas.
Business leaders, local authorities, financial institutions, academia, national parks, farming organisations, young people and community groups from across Cumbria.
This summit was different.
Based on the question, “How can we build momentum towards a low carbon future in Cumbria?” participants were empowered to create the agenda together on the day, proposing and hosting the conversations that are important to them.
Read the notes from the diverse discussion sessions that took place, including the actions that were agreed.
What actions would attendees like to take going forwards?
Host a webinar on retrofit
Share good stories
Influence the mayoral agenda
Develop case studies
Reach out to new potential partners
Decarbonise a building with a grant
Attend climate literacy training
We were joined bythree youth delegates as part of their Dream Placement: James Mclean, Honey Barker and Morland Carling.
Honey and Morland hosted their own discussion sessions – you can read their notes on sustainable transport for young people and home retrofit below.
James directed, edited and produced a video summarising the day, featuring conversations with attendees about how we could approach climate action in Cumbria. You can watch the video below.
We are very grateful to the following sponsors and supporters of this year’s summit:
JELD-WEN is one of the UK’s largest manufacturers of high-quality internal doorsets with decades of experience supplying products to new and retrofit projects.
They aspire to be the industry leader in environmentally responsible practices and products, beginning with efforts to reduce the impact of products and operations on the environment. This affects every aspect of their organization and governs their approach to energy efficiency, water emissions, and indoor air quality.
“We are sponsoring the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership to support regional collaboration on reducing carbon emissions and to help accelerate Cumbria’s transition toward a more sustainable, low‑carbon future.”
The Cumberland is a building society that puts customers at the heart of everything it does with its Kinder Banking principles, offering tailored support, clear guidance, and a people-first approach. A mutual, their aim is to create a banking experience that’s kinder to people, planet, and communities.
In January 2026 The Cumberland became a certified B Corp (the largest B Corp employer in Cumbria and the highest scoring B Corp building society overall), illustrating their commitment to high standards of social and environmental performance.
“We’re pleased to be supporting this year’s summit and partnering with local organisations to drive forward carbon reduction in Cumbria. We look forward to seeing what we can learn and contribute.”
Cumbria Waste Group (CWG) is a leading waste management and recycling company operating across Cumbria, the South of Scotland and the North East of England.
For over 30 years, CWG has delivered total waste solutions including collections, recycling, resource recovery and hazardous waste treatment. With sustainability at its core, the company works to reduce landfill, increase recycling rates and generate renewable energy from waste.
CWG are supporting the Zero Carbon Cumbria Summit because of our shared commitment to environmental responsibility, community wellbeing, and sustainable development.
Curtins offers a range of specialist services for the built environment including Civils & Structures, Geotechnical & Environmental and Transport Planning.
Andy Brookes told us: “Curtins are committed to making a positive impact through our designs and working within our communities, including reducing carbon emissions in accordance with international targets. This is a great opportunity to work with other organisations to affect change.”
Curtins offers a range of specialist services for the built environment including Civils & Structures, Geotechnical & Environmental and Transport Planning.
They are are committed to making meaningful contributions to carbon reduction: they measure the embodied carbon data of construction projects, which has allowed them to set targets for reduction (15% reduction by 2030), which they are presently exceeding.
“In 2024, we were proud to collaborate with Zero Carbon Cumbria, Futureproof Cumbria and Lake District National Park Authority to deliver an event on Low Carbon Cumbria. It became the catalyst for our continued partnership with Zero Carbon Cumbria, as we work together to reduce construction carbon emissions across the county.”
Looking back at the 2025 summit
More than 100 people from across Cumbria came together in Penrith on 6 March for the annual Zero Carbon Cumbria Summit. Delegates from community groups, local authorities, academia, and business gathered to reflect on progress, share challenges, and explore how we can achieve net zero by 2037. The day opened
