Faith
Carbon Literacy for the Faith Sector
What is the Carbon Literacy® for the Faith Sector?
Carbon Literacy provides faith based groups with the resources, knowledge and tools to understand climate change, empowering them to take meaningful action. The first course available for the Faith sector is the Christian Congregations Shareable Course, a comprehensive resource for delivering a full day of Carbon Literacy training tailored to people of the Christian faith.
Rooted in values such as stewardship, justice, and compassion, this course supports a low-carbon culture grounded in spiritual responsibility and collective action. Developed in collaboration with Caroline Harmon and the Church of England, the Christian Congregations course is the first of its kind, created with adaptable, pre-accredited materials and sector specific guidance.
We warmly welcome and actively encourage individuals and communities from other faiths to co-create additional Shareable Courses that reflect their own teachings, traditions, and approaches to sustainability. By developing new courses that speak authentically to different beliefs and practices, we can expand the reach and impact of Carbon Literacy across the full diversity of faith communities.
How Carbon Literacy can help your organisation meet climate goals
Carbon Literacy training offers faith based community groups a practical, values led route to understanding and addressing the climate crisis. The Shareable Course for Christian Congregations and future courses developed by other faiths, provide accessible, engaging training that connects core environmental science with faith specific motivations for action. By participating in this training, individuals and communities gain the knowledge, confidence and collective purpose needed to reduce emissions and create low-carbon societies.
For places of worship, religious charities, and faith based community groups, Carbon Literacy can help embed sustainability into governance, buildings, daily practices, and outreach turning intention into measurable impact. Training has already empowered participants in faith organisations to lead change in their communities and align climate action with spiritual values and long-term climate goals.
Key Questions
To deliver any Carbon Literacy training, trainers should hold their own Carbon Literacy certificate and must attend our free 90 minute workshop Delivering Successful Carbon Literacy (book your place here).
For the Christian Congregations Shareable Course, there is added flexibility: trainers who are not yet certified may still deliver the course after attending a briefing session with the Carbon Literacy Faith Course Coordinator. This ensures familiarity with the material and its intended delivery approach before training begins.
To access the course materials, you’ll need to complete a short form and either:
- Already be certified as Carbon Literate or
- Have attended a briefing session about the course.
You’ll also need to arrange certification payment through your designated point of contact within your Christian denomination. For full details please get in touch with us at [email protected].
Yes. We encourage all faith communities to adapt or build upon the Christian Congregations course or use our general Course Kit to develop a version that reflects your own beliefs, teachings, and practices. You can then submit the materials to our Criteria Checking team for accreditation. Please note fees apply. For more information, email us at [email protected].
Not at all. The Shareable Christian course is one example. You can choose to use our general Course Kit or create your own course from scratch, ensuring it meets the Carbon Literacy Standard. All new or adapted materials must go through the accreditation process.
Yes – many trainers integrate Carbon Literacy training into existing faith based gatherings, such as study groups, retreats, or community forums. The course can be flexible, but must still cover the required elements and include evidence of learning and action.
Carbon Literacy training typically takes a day (approximately 8 hours), but it can be split over multiple sessions or delivered flexibly to suit your group’s needs. The key is to ensure that all required content is covered and that learners have time for reflection, discussion, and planning action.
Yes – absolutely. Carbon Literacy training is designed to be accessible and introductory. You don’t need to be a climate scientist to facilitate meaningful conversations. Your role is to guide and support learning, not to have all the answers. It’s completely fine to say, “I’m not sure – let me find out and get back to you.” The emphasis is on shared discovery, lived experience, and practical action – not technical expertise.
Interested?
To speak to the Faith Coordinator or request a course, please contact us at [email protected]. Please include the following:
- Your organisation name.
- If you are interested in accessing the Shareable Christian Congregation course or you are interested in creating your own course.
- Plans for course roll out, if any.