Climate Action

Why do we need Carbon Literacy Training?

Climate change is happening in Northern Ireland and across the globe.
Global warming is causing extreme weather events, flooding, drought, warming oceans, and the rapid melt of glaciers and polar ice caps.
Carbon emissions are now so high that we have a global emergency that demands we take urgent action to reset the natural balance.

We have many challenges ahead but there are solutions to this global crisis and together we can make a difference. The UK Climate Change Commission, in a recent report to Government were clear that, both engaging with the public about ways we can help in the reduction of carbon emissions as well as key changes in Government policy, were both essential steps in finding a response to the current climate crisis. At Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, we are clear that Government, Business and Industry must play their part in responding to the climate change challenge. We also believe that the education of young people ensures that they have the knowledge, awareness and confidence to speak out to leaders and call for the future they wish to see. The Climate Change challenge is an intergenerational emergency, and one where we all have a part to play.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has been working closely with communities, schools and the general public for many years in the protection of our environment. We are now excited to offer Carbon Literacy training to a wide range of groups to raise awareness of the climate change emergency we are all facing and the many ways that we can all get involved and become part of the solution.

Carbon Literacy and Climate Change

Carbon Literacy is defined as: “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.”

Understanding the link between Carbon emission and climate change is an important part of knowing how we can all adapt our behaviour and protect the natural world.

Carbon Literacy Training

Carbon Literacy training consists of 8-10 hours of learning, delivered over three or four sessions via a blended learning experience, including live virtual sessions and self-study activities.

The training will offer you a way to gain a confident awareness of climate change science, and the climate impacts of our everyday actions. This interactive training will enable you to map your own carbon footprint, and gain an understanding of and motivation to reduce personal and organisational carbon emissions.

The course will develop an awareness of how climate change is affecting us now and will continue to affect us in the future unless we take urgent action. We will also look at a climate justice issues across the globe and explore how we can begin to discuss climate change with colleagues, families and friends.

By the end of the course you will:

Understand the basics of climate change science
Have a greater awareness of climate justice issues in parts of the globe
Have explored how climate change is impacting us now and will affect us in the future in NI and across the globe
Have an awareness of how governments have responded to the climate emergency globally and in NI
Be able to identify specific ways that you as an individual and as part of your local community, can change your behaviour to reduce carbon emissions.

Carbon Literacy Project

The Carbon Literacy Project (CLP) is a globally unique organisation – there is nothing else quite like it anywhere. It was recognised as such by the United Nations in Paris, where it was awarded as a TAP100, one of 100 worldwide Transformative Action Programs. The CLP sets a standard for training programmes and offers certification for those who complete the course.

The CLP have worked with a wide range of groups, nations and organisation.

All of the Carbon Literacy Programmes offered by keep Northern Ireland Beautiful have been certified for delivery by the Carbon Literacy Project.

Teachers and Youth Leaders

The first group of Carbon Literacy Programmes released are for Teachers and Youth Leaders. On completion of this training you will not only be certified in Carbon Literacy but you will have the knowledge and confidence to take your students or youth groups through a similar programme called Carbon Smart. We provide you with all the Carbon Smart materials and the support you need. These materials can be accessed in a variety of ways.

Carbon Smart Students/Youth Groups – Carbon Literacy Project certification
L2 OCN Award in Reducing Carbon Footprints through Environmental Action, 3 credits.
L2 OCN Certificate in Reducing Carbon Footprints through Environmental Action – GCSE equivalent, 15 credits.

Please click on the booking link at the top of the page and follow this process.

Create a KNIB profile – you will be asked for a few details about you and your school/youth group in order that we can track take up and impact of the programmes.
Select your training module dates – there are date and time choices but be sure to select one date/time for each of the four modules 1-4.
Once booked you will have access to your Course Overview, your self-study links and your meeting links. Please ensure you store this information, complete the self-study and attend the meetings – if you don’t turn up for any of the four meetings, you cannot reach certification!
You will receive a baseline survey that takes 2 minutes to complete and must be completed before your first online meeting.

The training programmes were developed by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, in collaboration with teachers and youth leaders in Northern Ireland and the Carbon Literacy Project.

Carbon Literacy Programmes soon to be released include:

Carbon Literacy for Community Leaders
Carbon Literacy for Community Groups
Carbon Smart Students – Third Level

This project is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.