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We are proud to share that The Carbon Literacy Project has officially accredited 1,000 Carbon Literacy courses and certified 1,000 Carbon Literacy Facilitators (CLFs)! These milestones are more than just stats. They each represent 1000 ways in which Carbon Literacy has been shaped by and for real people, in real places, doing real work, across every continent, to cut carbon emissions and create a better future for all.

Trainers: Bringing Carbon Literacy to Life

The reaches of climate change are vast, but understanding how it will impact you directly and what you can do to take action is increasingly important. The fundamentals of Carbon Literacy are that training is specific and relevant to the audience, and it is through our dedicated and growing network of trainers that this is possible.

Trainers adapt the Carbon Literacy Standard to shape the training for local needs, challenges and opportunities for their specific audience. From wedding planners to funeral directors, HGV drivers to theatre professionals, job seekers to chief executives, there is a Carbon Literacy course tailored to 1000 (and counting!) distinct audiences. The 1000th course itself just so happened to be for a ports and marine sector organisation in Australia, developed by trainer Cle Anne Gabriel from ThinkZero.

Each of these 1000 courses is being delivered by a person who knows them best – over 1000 of whom have been officially certified as CLFs (or higher) under our tiered Carbon Literacy Trainer Certification Scheme. By providing learners with the tools to empower change within their unique context, trainers support their peers to feel prepared and motivated to act, wherever they are.

The Criteria-Checking Team: Upholding Quality

Behind the 1,000 accredited courses is a team of hard-working experts of the Carbon Literacy Standard, The Carbon Literacy Project’s Criteria Checkers, who ensure that each submitted course not only meets the requirements of the Standard, but that it becomes the best possible driver of relevant and impactful climate action. There is no failing when it comes to the creation of a course, the team provide dedicated support throughout the process to ensure that every submitted course is of the utmost quality and will have maximum impact.

A special shoutout and thanks are owed to Nicole Baldwin. Having been at the Project for nearly five years, Nicole has personally certified a mammoth 691 CLFs and accredited a whopping 150 courses. As a long-standing member of the Trainer Network Team, Nicole has supported more trainers than any other team member through the first level of the Trainer Certification process.

As the current Joint Criteria Checking Coordinator, Nicole has contributed immensely to the processes and understanding that underpin the Criteria Checking process. She has dedicated her expertise to ensure that each team member feels empowered to effectively accredit courses, facilitating the team to provide the best support and attention to detail to trainers. Without the hard work and dedication from team members such as Nicole, the impact and change brought through Carbon Literacy courses would not be so vast and transformative.

The Bigger Picture: Global Reach, Scale, and Impact

The global scale of the climate crisis requires a global movement built on local climate education and action that empowers the ‘everyday’ citizens to make a holistic and meaningful climate impact. Carbon Literacy is this movement, with over 154,000 learners trained across 13,500 organisations and 47 nations, equipping learners with the knowledge and ability to take meaningful, real-world action.

The agency to act lies directly with the learners who, as part of the training, are required to commit to two new and significant actions to cut carbon emissions. Actions are chosen for maximum impact within the learner’s context, which are practical and achievable, whether that be changes to consumption habits, diets, ways of travel, energy use, and much more.

Beyond Carbon: Wider Benefits of Carbon Literacy

Carbon Literacy not only results in carbon reduction; it leads to whole transformations of individuals, organisation and the wider community of stakeholders. Trainers tailor courses to provide an acute awareness and understanding of the co-benefits of action, sector-specific knowledge, and individual impacts, facilitated by collaborative and impactful group work. This provides learners with better decision-making skills, promotes collaboration and innovation, and builds resilience, while improving efficiency and saving money.

Copart, a global leader in vehicle re-marketing and recycling, has trained 80% of its workforce and have estimated annual savings of £22,000 because of actions taken following the training, which related to greener infrastructure and smarter transport methods.

Students from West Suffolk College have had wide-reaching local impacts as a result of the training, with one student publishing and reading a children’s book on waste reduction to primary children across Suffolk, engaging all ages with climate change knowledge.

Thank you to the Carbon Literacy community

Reaching 1,000 accredited Carbon Literacy courses and 1,000 certified CLFs is truly a momentous occasion, showing the need and desire for climate action. It would simply not be possible without the hard work of each trainer who has been dedicated to getting Carbon Literacy embedded throughout organisations. Praise is also due to every member of the Carbon Literacy team, both past and present, who have contributed to the continual growth and momentum of the movement. A huge shout-out to every single Carbon Literate individual whose actions have contributed to the reduction of carbon emissions and the achievement of our shared climate goals.

As we position ourselves looking into the future, to the next 1,000 courses, to the next 1,000 certified CLFs, and reaching 1 million Carbon Literate citizens, continued collaboration with existing and prospective trainers is necessary. What role will you play? Will you become Carbon Literate? Will you develop training for your organisation? Will you become a certified training professional? If in doubt, contact us to discuss how you can best contribute to the movement.