As a society, we all of us need to understand the impact of our carbon use and its consequences.
And the publication of the Department for Education’s sustainability and climate change policy paper (DfE, 2023) has brought the issues of carbon emissions and sustainability to the fore in schools.
The Carbon Literacy training helps us understand the carbon costs of our decisions – whether it is in the choices we make daily or in the changes we need to reduce emissions.
This is crucial in schools and nurseries, as not only does the education sector create 36% of the UK’s public sector emissions, but embedding this knowledge at an early age will ensure a fully carbon-responsible next generation.
Carbon Literacy training for people from all professions and walks of life has been around since 2012 – initiated by the Carbon Literacy Project.
Its 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.”
For those working in schools, Let's Go Zero – a campaign run by climate charity Ashden to support schools and nurseries to become zero carbon – offers a free, education-sector specific Carbon Literacy course.
The accredited course helps sustainability leads in schools to become carbon literate, confident talking about the impacts of climate change, and informed about the range of actions a school can take.
At the end of the course, participants create a climate action plan for their school – something that the DfE has asked schools to have in place by September this year (see DfE, 2025).
If you are a headteacher or the designated sustainability lead at your school, you need to make sure that if you're investing any of your precious time, money or energy into making changes, that you're actually getting bang for the school’s buck – a decent reduction in emissions for the time, money and effort spent.
This full day of training – split into two-hour sessions over four weeks – takes participants back to basics and helps them to understand where greenhouse gas emissions are coming from, how climate change is having an impact globally, nationally, and in the education sector, and what can be done. Participants will design two pledges to reduce carbon in their settings. The training is free, thanks to funding from Green Future Investments.
Did you know?
Education is the largest public sector contributor to building emissions, with annual energy costs of around £1.7bn. Furthermore, reducing emissions can often save money as typically 50% of a school’s electricity use happens out of hours.
The course starts by helping sustainability leads understand the “why” – why this work is vital from the point of view of climate science, and why schools have such an important role to play. This scientific grounding is one of the most valuable consequences of the course, according to our participant feedback.
Schools are uniquely positioned to influence both their own emissions and those of their employees and supply chains. But they have at least two additional “superpowers”. First, they can educate and empower young people both via the curriculum and also through the school culture and behaviour. Second, they can create a ripple effect by influencing the wider school community, including parents and carers.
Schools are trusted sources of information within communities, and if they can share the changes they are making, along with any “co-benefits” such as money-saving from energy reductions, improvements in physical and mental health from pupils walking or biking to school, or better engagement from pupils in lessons via outdoor learning, this is a really effective way to encourage others.
One key theme in the training is encouraging participants to have more climate conversations – something people are often reluctant to do. When I ask participants what holds them back from talking about climate change, a key concern is that they feel they don’t know enough. The internet is full of information – but it can be overwhelming, often too technical, and people are unsure what sources are reliable.
These training sessions provide this “need-to-know” information to help with concerns like this. Participants end up feeling more confident not just in their climate knowledge, but about how to make changes in their educational settings.
At the end of the course, participants leave with a climate action plan for their school and are better equipped to speak about climate change with colleagues and pupils.
Final thoughts
Taking action in our schools will not only help to reduce emissions, but importantly our young people will see the adults around them taking their concerns seriously and taking action. We can show them that their voices matter, that when they speak, we listen and act. And we can help them take action too, ensuring they leave school not just understanding the changing world around them but knowing the role they can play and how to make a difference.
- Jen Gale is a Let’s Go Zero climate action advisor and a Carbon Literacy trainer.
Carbon Literacy training
The next Let’s Go Zero Carbon Literacy training is to take place on June 10, 17, 24 and July 1. Participants will be certified “carbon literate” after attending the four sessions. Registration for this course will close on May 19. To sign up or for information about future training courses, visit https://letsgozero.org/carbon-literacy/
Let’s Go Zero
Let’s Go Zero began in 2020 as a national campaign calling on government for more action and support to schools them reach zero carbon by 2030. Nearly 6,000 schools are signed up and are tapping into knowledge, resources, links and advice.
The climate action advisor project, which involves 32 advisors spread across England, works with schools to offer free climate action support.
Working either on a one-to-one basis or in group workshops alongside other schools, Let’s Go Zero can help your school to establish its sustainability leadership, calculate its carbon footprint (essential for monitoring emissions reductions), develop or enhance your climate action plan, and signpost to potential funding and accreditation opportunities.
Schools supported by Let’s Go Zero are collectively reducing emissions by an estimated 82,477 tonnes of CO2 and £235,000 of grants have been secured for schools we work with.
Visit https://letsgozero.org/school-case-studies/
Further information & resources
- DfE: Policy paper: Sustainability and climate change: A strategy for the education and children’s services systems, 2023: https://buff.ly/N4rpb6a
- DfE: Guidance: Sustainability leadership and climate action plans in education, 2025: https://buff.ly/cvFNYPi