Now in their 10th year, the UK's most established regional awards cover organisations and businesses from the whole of the North-West, and showcase "the best of environmental thinking and commercially astute business".

For Cooler Projects the award is particularly timely as the not-for-profit social enterprise celebrates its fifth birthday at the end of the month. Established in 2009 by Dave Coleman and Phil Korbel, its goal is to promote "ideas, advocacy and action" on climate change, and it creates and leads projects and initiatives to address climate change impacts and to grow the North-West's low-carbon economy.

The Carbon Literacy Project was established by Cooler in 2012 to offer 'a day's learning on climate change' to 'everyone who lives, works and studies' in Greater Manchester and beyond.

The project achieves this via the public Carbon Literacy Standard for training which it established. Schools, colleges and universities, community groups and residents, businesses large and small, and individual citizens all participate in a day's learning about climate change.

"We're absolutely delighted to receive this recognition of our work," said Cooler director, and director of The Carbon Literacy Project, Dave Coleman. "More importantly it recognises the work of all the schools, colleges and universities, businesses and organisations and citizens and partners who have adopted Carbon Literacy.

As the project expands and more people and organisations become Carbon Literate, it will help Greater Manchester to take the lead in tackling climate change

"These are the people who don't just understand climate change, but are taking positive action to combat it, and generate the long term jobs and businesses that will support our economy in the coming years."

The project is now being overseen by The Carbon Literacy Trust, a registered charity whose Chair, Ali Abbas, welcomed the award: "The Project is already acknowledged worldwide for its unique approach, with residents and workers all receiving the same basic training, but adapted to their situation, so it has immediate meaning in their daily lives, right now,” he said.

"As the project expands and more people and organisations become Carbon Literate, it will help Greater Manchester to take the lead in tackling climate change, and make the most of the jobs and business opportunities that a low-carbon economy will bring."