A giant 'carbon bubble' will be touring Staffordshire later this year, to highlight how residents can live more sustainable lives and reduce their carbon emissions.

It follows on from a similar event in April 2022 in Stafford town centre to mark Earth Day.

Rose Hampton, a senior communications officer at Staffordshire County Council has been running a series of campaigns to encourage people in the county to change their behaviour and to live greener and more sustainably.

She said: "As a local authority we're in a really unique position to set an example, to reduce our carbon emissions and to influence others to do the same."

She's been working with colleagues at district councils across Staffordshire to produce a joint communications plan to run in parallel with the work of the Staffordshire Sustainability Board.

They will be encouraging people to be more sustainable during specific holidays throughout the year – including Valentines Day and religious festivals which people in Staffordshire celebrate.

Part of the campaign will see a giant bubble – representing a tonne of carbon – travel to each district and borough in Staffordshire alongside engagement sessions where staff will offer advise to members of the public.

Residents will be educated about climate change, and what they can do to make a difference.

They will also be asked to make a pledge to be greener – with displays put up in local libraries afterwards.

As well as this, the council will be conducting a consultation to find out from residents what they feel their role is in living more sustainable lives.

Staffordshire as a whole emits 5.8 million tonnes of carbon emitted per year – which is equivalent to 30,000 adult blue whales, the biggest animal on earth.

Public sector emissions account for around 2% of this total – about 600 whales – so the council is keen to ensure residents play their part.

Ms Hampton said: "At the moment there is no baseline information out there about individual responsibility and there's nothing Staffordshire-specific, so we thought asking residents key questions about climate change to help us get a baseline of information and plan our campaigns for the coming years."

She said each borough and district council would contribute £3,000 to the initiative and the county council would contribute £25,000.

The money has been secured by using money that was allocated to a job role which wasn't recruited.

It will pay for the carbon bubble roadshow, social media activity and the consultation with residents.