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Image Credit: Net Zero Stratford

Net Zero Stratford is a community-led initiative bringing together residents, volunteers and local organisations to take meaningful climate action. With a strong foundation in community engagement and environmental awareness, the group has been actively supporting individuals to reduce their carbon impact through education, collaboration and practical action.

As part of this work, Carbon Literacy training was delivered to equip participants with the knowledge, confidence and motivation to turn concern about climate change into tangible commitments.

The challenge

Like many engaged communities, participants came to the training already motivated and, in many cases, already taking action. This created a unique challenge.

Rather than starting from zero, many individuals felt they had already “done the easy wins.” As one participant reflected, “I was struggling to find a thing to do personally because I’ve already done so many things.”

This raised an important question: how do you move people from awareness and intention to meaningful, next step action especially when they are already engaged?

Alongside this, participants faced practical barriers familiar to many:

• Complexity of larger changes (such as home energy improvements)
• Time and cost constraints
• Uncertainty about where to start with more ambitious actions
• Difficulty in talking to others about climate change without creating disengagement
• Even for a highly motivated group, translating ambition into achievable pledges was not always straightforward

The solution

Carbon Literacy training created a structured space for reflection, discussion and decision making. Participants consistently highlighted the value of learning alongside others; hearing different perspectives, sharing ideas, and refining their thinking in real time.

For many, the pledge process became a turning point. It shifted the focus from “what should I do?” to “what can I realistically commit to?”

As one participant put it, “The pledge gave me the impetus… even when things are tricky, we actually need to tackle them head on.”

A key insight that emerged was the importance of scale and feasibility. Participants began to recognise that smaller, achievable actions – particularly those that could be integrated into daily routines – were more effective than ambitious but impractical goals.

This was particularly evident in food-related pledges. By focusing on manageable changes, such as reducing red meat consumption or cutting food waste, participants were able to embed new behaviours quickly and successfully.

At the same time, the training expanded knowledge and deepened understanding. Participants spoke about “filling in the gaps,” gaining clarity, and building confidence in their understanding of climate issues. Importantly, this was more than just theory – there was a clear shift towards practical application.

The training also reinforced a powerful mindset: there is always something you can do.

Outcomes

The outcomes from the training were both tangible and meaningful:

• High levels of action: The majority of participants completed at least one pledge, with many completing both or taking additional related actions.
• Realistic behaviour change: Food related pledges were particularly successful due to their practicality and ease of integration into daily life.
• Increased awareness and confidence: Participants reported improved knowledge and a stronger sense of agency.
• Wider Impact: Many identified both personal and environmental benefits, with some extending their actions into community settings through volunteering and advocacy.

Even where pledges were not fully achieved, progress was still evident. For example, participants exploring home energy improvements often gained valuable knowledge, even if implementation was not immediately possible due to cost or complexity.

Perhaps most importantly, the training fostered a sense of shared purpose and momentum. Participants described feeling part of a wider journey and recognising that individual actions contribute to collective change.

Transferrable lessons

The Net Zero Stratford experience highlights a key strength of Carbon Literacy: its ability to meet people where they are and move them forward.

For those new to climate action, it builds awareness and motivation. For those already engaged, it provides focus, structure and the confidence to take the next step.

The training encourages progress over perfection. By emphasising achievable actions, peer learning and practical application, it enables individuals to turn intention into impact.

As one participant reflected, “It makes you think about what to do in practical terms… there’s always going to be something you can do.”

In a space where the challenge can often feel overwhelming, that shift from awareness to action is where real change begins.

Janet Palmer, Director at Net Zero Stratford commented:

“By doing these follow-up interviews, we have come to understand the barriers facing local people who want to retrofit their homes. We are trying to address this by linking those people who have had work done and who are willing to recommend their installers, with those people still considering work.”

“What I love about running community courses is that we always seem to have such an interesting mix of people, from all walks of life. We keep our groups small so everyone can get to know one another, and it’s amazing what we all learn by doing this – the trainers as well as the course participants!”

See Net Zero Stratford’s research via our Research page.