Carbon Literacy

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.’ Source

'Carbon Literacy is the knowledge and capacity required to create a positive shift in how [hu]mankind lives, works and behaves in response to climate change. Learners who have completed a day’s worth of Carbon Literacy learning can be certified as ‘Carbon Literate’. Source

Dr Govier (Director, Rhyd Heritage) attended the Heritage Carbon Literacy course created by Historic England, accredited by the Carbon Literacy Trust and delivered via the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists. The course supports ‘heritage organisations prepare themselves to reduce their carbon emissions and move towards becoming Net Zero’. Source

Dr Govier writes: ‘The role heritage will play in reducing carbon emissions is significant. In the course we explored the difference between carbon off-setting and in-setting, carbon debt, carbon budget, climate justice, carbon maps (depicting historical emissions), and considered new tech (e.g. carbon sequestering pipelines). We also explored opportunities for reducing CO2e such as greening worksites, recycling and reusing ppe, switching to renewable energy providers, zero idling vehicles/cycle to work, use of hybrid/electric vehicles, digital recording onsite (Dig It), centralised materials ordering, limiting the availability of single use plastics, signing-up for ppe recycling scheme and much more’.

Dr E. Govier is certified as Carbon Literate.