How do you become carbon literate?

“Carbon Literacy” – what’s that? 🤔

The Carbon Literacy Project defines this term as “the knowledge and capacity required to create a positive shift in how mankind lives, works and behaves in response to climate change.”

So, to be fully carbon literate, we need to understand how we can create this transformation to a low carbon culture. We first must learn the basics of climate science and climate change, however. 

Why? Because the stark facts around the full carbon cost of our everyday activities give us the motivation to reduce emissions. Only then are we better prepared and ready to take consistent action and avoid a climate catastrophe.

The Carbon Literacy Project

Luckily, The Carbon Literacy Project provides both online and offline training options that educate the public, as well as business owners and their teams.

Online vs offline training

You can choose between attending an interactive in-person or online course. I prefer studying from the comfort of my own home and I dislike commuting, so I picked online Carbon Literacy training. The blended learning experience suited me, too. 

How much is a Carbon Literacy course in the UK?

The courses are very affordable. Carbon Literacy training for private individuals is around £80, but there is help for those struggling financially (please ask the course organisers directly for further information). 

My 2-day training course for SMEs with Christiane Startin-Lorent cost me only £125, which was good value for money. This included two intensive, but very interesting, half-days of interactive online seminars, plus an individual homework project. 

Once I completed this successfully, I qualified for the “Carbon Literacy” certificate and badge, which I can now proudly display in my email signature, stationery, and website.

My experience of taking the Carbon Literacy training course

Day 1: the basics of climate change science

Our class learnt the basics of climate change and how to calculate our footprint, both for our businesses and our personal lives. We also discussed the biggest carbon culprits for our environment. (I won’t give everything away here, as I’d really encourage you to take the course and learn everything in detail. I can guarantee you’ll be surprised!)

Fact: we have little time left to radically reduce our carbon emissions. However, if we can decrease them by 50% by 2030, we’ll have a fair chance of keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees. We then must achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Calculating our carbon footprints

The WWF footprint calculator gave us a good basic starting point, though there are more sophisticated tools you can try—especially if you run a bigger business. 

For example, the SME Carbon Footprint Calculator will take you through your carbon dioxide costs on an organisational basis.

Keeping positive

Climate change is scary. However, nothing is gained by panicking and putting our heads in the sand. It’s imperative to understand the facts and actions that can help us save the planet—and money. Stay optimistic: we all can do something. 

Day 2: how best to reduce emissions

This day was full of interesting facts and figures around our climate impacts, as well as easy actions we can take to make a difference. Our trainer Christiane started with this fantastic quote, which stayed with me: “If sustainability is costing you money, you’re doing it wrong.” (I believe this originally came from This Is Ape.)

You don’t need to spend a fortune to become “greener”

It’s true. Most of the time, we can reduce carbon costs simply by living more like our (great)-grandparents used to do. For example:

• use less/ no plastic,
• avoid toxins (ditch chemical cleaners and especially weed killer),
• buy less/no meat,
• consume no fast food / ready meals,
• cut down on fossil fuels (avoid using petrol/diesel cars, planes, etc.).

Easy switches to a low energy lifestyle

Try the following:

• natural cleaning products,
• sustainable / second-hand clothes, furniture, and equipment,
• a greener, more ethical pension and current account,
• a (more) plant-based diet, cooked from scratch and with natural ingredients. Also, check out “How bad are bananas” to see which foods and goods are better from a carbon footprint point of view.

Many of our grandparents’ household tricks were eco-friendly and can still save us money on a daily basis. Reusing what we already have and reducing consumption is crucial.

What can you—and your business—do now?

1. Get certified, but don’t stop there

Yes, certificates show you’re committed to a cause. However, displaying a badge isn’t enough. Make sure to follow through and share your actions with friends and colleagues in private and on social media.

2. Make a commitment: reduce your emissions and tackle climate change

As part of the Carbon Literacy course, you’ll promise to take certain environmentally-friendly actions of your choice. I work from home, so there is a big overlap between my private and business footprint. Some of the simple everyday actions I pledged to take were to:

• Reduce travel for work and leisure, and completely avoid travel by plane if at all possible. (Done.)
• Go paper-free as much as I can. (Done.)
• Remove high-carbon foods such as beef, pork, and lamb completely from my and my family’s diet and buy at least 80% plant-based products. (Almost there. We’re already 90% dairy free, too.)
• Invest in an electric car within the next 2 years. (To do.)

There are quite a few other tasks, too, which I’m planning to cover in some future blog posts.

3. Raise awareness in your communities and demand action

I’m currently writing to my parish council and MP to draw attention to the surprisingly high carbon footprint and air pollution levels in our area. Check yours and share your results with neighbours, friends, and family online. 

Also, please look for and sign other relevant petitions and email your local politicians, so they know you’re concerned.

4. Become a Carbon Literacy trainer yourself, or volunteer

You can also decide to train others. Either design your own Carbon Literacy courses or adapt an existing one. Once your course has been approved, you can start teaching your target audience.

Alternatively, why not  volunteer for the Carbon Literacy Trust?

Summary: Carbon Literacy training is the way forward

Taking formal Carbon Literacy training was definitely worth the cost. I learned a lot, and I keep learning every day. Exchanging views with fellow students and our teacher in this interactive training was very helpful. 

The self-study activities really made me think about what I can personally do to improve my business and my family’s own carbon footprint. 

Finally, nobody expects you to be perfect. (I certainly am not.) Just bring a healthy dose of curiosity, enthusiasm, and optimism, and you’ll really gain from this course.