Become Carbon Literate
What is Carbon Literacy?
Carbon Literacy® is relevant climate change learning that leads to impactful action towards reducing carbon emissions. The Project’s official definition of Carbon Literacy is:
“An awareness of the carbon costs and impacts of everyday activities and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions on an individual, community and organisational basis.”
Put simply, Carbon Literacy is the ability to understand, communicate about, and act on climate change in our daily lives. It’s about being motivated and empowered to deliver the best possible climate action, wherever you are.
Why become Carbon Literate?
A Carbon Literate citizen understands how climate change affects them, their community, and the wider world. Becoming Carbon Literate means gaining the knowledge, confidence, and practical skills to reduce your own carbon footprint, and inspire and influence others to do the same.
Carbon Literacy certification is valued by employers across all sectors. It demonstrates environmental awareness, social responsibility, and essential green skills – qualities that are core to all roles. Carbon Literate individuals have an instinctive understanding of the carbon impacts of everyday actions, enabling them to make better-informed, low-carbon choices both personally and professionally.
We’re on track to reach 1 million certified learners by 2030. Join the growing movement of people taking meaningful climate action and become Carbon Literate today.
How to become certified
To become certified as Carbon Literate, you must take part in a day’s worth of accredited Carbon Literacy training. There are two routes you can take to do this:
1. Join an open course
The easiest way to get certified as Carbon Literate is by attending an open Carbon Literacy course. You can browse courses relevant to your local area or sector by visiting our Events page.
2. Set up your own Carbon Literacy training
Can’t find an existing course that’s relevant to you? Speak to a colleague, manager, community leader, teacher, lecturer or similar about rolling out Carbon Literacy within your organisation, community or place of education. Have a look to see how you can get started, then contact us and we’ll advise you on the next steps.
At the end of the training, learners create an action plan, committing to at least two practical actions – one individual and one collective – to cut carbon in their personal and professional lives.
After successfully completing their training course, each learner is awarded a uniquely-coded Carbon Literacy certificate to display that achievement and demonstrate their ability to lead and support climate action within their workplace or community.
"A brilliant thought-provoking session. I walked in knowing very little about how to sustain our planet and walked out with so much information and knowledge which I felt the need to spread. The session was so informative and coherent and really expressed the need for change."
Maya Russell-Baines, Film and Production Student
I found the Carbon Literacy training really interesting and thought-provoking as it was not only relevant to a community food project I’m involved in setting up, but more so the basic everyday aspects of life and our personal impact on climate change. On reflection, it didn’t seem so much like ‘training’, but a relaxed informed discussion with some relevant fun activity. Since the training, in our community project, we’ve taken on the challenge to create some specific carbon sinks with a series of tree planting schemes with the residents, local schools and other groups in the area.
Clive Hamilton – Carbon Literate citizen
A really good and well rounded day which highlights the issues we are facing but also gives excellent routes towards helping to become part of the solution. Not all doom and gloom, and not just a day of being talked at! Hugely valuable. Many thanks.
Dave Hallett, Lighting Gaffer at Big Tick Limited
I gained my Carbon Literacy certificate while I was in Year 5! The reason we were able to achieve this award is because we answered 3 questions: What is climate change? What causes climate change? What can we do to stop climate change? We are really happy that we have possessed this knowledge because then we can pass this knowledge onto our parents and then our family and it would keep being passed down. Therefore we are helping to stop climate change!
Yasin Hamza Ali, Heald Place Primary School
The Carbon Literacy course has stirred passion within me and has added purpose to how I live. I believe if more people were educated on this subject, the more positive changes and community support we will see
Nikita Star, Student at Manchester Met University
Attending the interactive workshop not only made me aware of the impacts of my daily actions on the environment but helped me gain insight on how to evaluate the impacts businesses make on the climate. It also distinguishes me from other students when I apply for jobs.
Ayma Kazmi, Student at Manchester Met University
“Passionate and engaging course, with a great format and discussion breakout rooms for participation, giving valuable insights across different sectors of the industry.”
– Gary Griffiths, Fulfillment Manager, Rat & Boa
“We all play an important part in preventing climate change. The more knowledge the more chance we stand of creating change”
- Fashion Learner
Next steps
If you’re keen to go further after becoming Carbon Literate and wish to start your journey delivering training to others, you can attend a Delivering Successful Carbon Literacy (DSCL) workshop, which will provide you with the skills and confidence needed to train other learners. This is the first step to becoming a certified Carbon Literacy Trainer. You can find all the open training courses and our upcoming DSCL sessions on our events page.
If you’re part of an organisation, community group or educational institution that wishes to take its Carbon Literacy journey to the next level, you can explore our accreditation schemes.