What is Carbon Literacy® for Communities?
Carbon Literacy for Communities is an educational initiative designed to equip communities with the knowledge, skills, and motivation to tackle climate change locally. It involves understanding the carbon impacts of everyday activities and learning practical ways to reduce emissions. This training enhances environmental consciousness and builds a network of informed, proactive citizens dedicated to creating a sustainable and resilient community.
Community organisations, such as charities, nonprofits, social enterprises, faith groups, and activism organisations, mobilise around shared geography, interests, and concerns. The communities sector supports these groups in becoming Carbon Literate, helping them understand and reduce their carbon footprints.
This sector also aids other organisations such as local authorities or businesses that wish to assist community groups in achieving Carbon Literacy, driving sustainability at the grassroots level. By fostering awareness and promoting sustainable practices, Carbon Literacy empowers individuals and groups to take meaningful actions toward a low carbon future.
How can Carbon Literacy help your institution meet climate goals?
Carbon Literacy can help communities meet climate goals by providing the essential knowledge and tools needed to understand and address climate change effectively. Through Carbon Literacy training, community members gain insights into the causes and impacts of climate change, as well as practical strategies for reducing carbon emissions. This education fosters a collective commitment to sustainability, encouraging individuals to adopt greener practices in their daily lives and work.
By empowering local leaders and residents with the skills to implement and advocate for sustainable initiatives, Carbon Literacy drives community wide action towards achieving climate targets. Additionally, it builds a network of informed and engaged citizens who can support each other in making significant, lasting changes, thereby accelerating progress towards a low carbon future.
Here you’ll find all of the courses and pathways within the Carbon Literacy Communities Toolkit. To find out more about each course, click on the individual tiles below.
The Community Leaders Toolkit contains everything that is needed to deliver Carbon Literacy training to people who are community leaders. This includes a full slide deck with slide notes which acts as a script for the training, accompanied by a trainer manual which is a step-by-step guide on how to run the training. There are further documents which are designed to help support the delivery of the training session. Overall, the Toolkit provides all the resources necessary for any individual to deliver the course – there is no requirement to be a climate expert or a training professional before you deliver.
If you’re not sure whether you should use a toolkit ready-to-use course, find a trainer to deliver training, or build your own course, get in touch and we can help you decide what’s right for you!
Yes! The Toolkit is designed to be suitable for anyone to deliver. all you need to do is first become certified as Carbon Literate. You can do this by joining one of our open training sessions on our Events page.
You will then need to attend a free two hour ‘Delivering Successful Carbon Literacy’ workshop to learn more about the process of delivering training and build your confidence for your first session, which you can also find on our Events page. After this, you are good to go!
The Community Leaders toolkit could be the ideal solution to engage the public with Carbon Literacy training.
Watch our Community Leaders course come to life in this webinar, featuring exciting insights from pilot participants.
Our Community Pot is designed to make Carbon Literacy training accessible to those who might otherwise find the costs prohibitive.
"I first got involved with the Carbon Literacy Training for Community Leaders while volunteering as a Climate Ambassador at Plymouth City Council. This programme has been a real game-changer for me. It gave me the tools and confidence to start community projects about environmental awareness and climate issues. The support and resources were brilliant, and I have learned so much. I feel truly empowered to make a positive impact in my community and beyond."
Dr Abbas Mohammed Associate Lecturer - Accounting, Economics and Finance Univeristy of Plymouth
"We need to face up to this major challenge, partly because of the health and quality of life of our own residents. We want to clean up the air that they breathe, we want to reduce the use of plastic that's cluttering our rivers and our green spaces. We want to put Greater Manchester in a position of leadership on this crucial issue that will shape the 21st century, but if we are to succeed it does require radical action now."
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
"The Carbon Literacy Training has been amazing. It gave me the confidence and knowledge to really make a difference in my community. I'm so grateful for the experience."
Dr Abbas Mohammed Associate Lecturer - Accounting, Economics and Finance Univeristy of Plymouth
To speak to our Communities team or request the Community Leaders ToolKit course, please contact us at communities@carbonliteracy.com
When contacting, please include the following: