'Carbon Literacy': An awareness of the carbon dioxide costs and impacts of everyday activities, and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions, on an individual, community and organisational basis.”

The Carbon Literacy Project, was founded in Manchester as a direct response to Manchester: A Certain Future's twin aims, a 41% cut in CO₂ emissions by 2020, and the creation of a ‘low carbon culture’. It offers every individual in the city, and beyond, a day’s worth of certified Carbon Literacy learning that encompasses climate change science, context and action.

The Project is built on the principle that residents, workers and learners who are Carbon Literate have an embedded and instinctive understanding of the carbon impacts of their activities, and will therefore make informed choices about the most energy and resource efficient and lowest carbon options available to them. Carbon Literacy highlights the need for substantial change and supports learners to create positive low-carbon changes in their workplace, community, home, school, university, and any other setting.

Rolling out across businesses and organisations, schools and colleges, communities and districts, this approach - of a single consistent yet adaptable piece of climate change learning,- being disseminated simultaneously to audiences that work, live and study across a city region, remains unique worldwide. To date the project has certified over 50,000 learners with an estimated carbon saving of over 180,000t CO2e. 

To get Carbon Literacy into your workplace, school or community, contact the Project. For more information visit www.carbonliteracy.com.