WHAT IS CARBON LITERACY?
Carbon Literacy is "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 organizational basis."
~ Carbon Literacy Project
WHY EARN A CERTIFICATE?
Our Carbon Literacy courses are accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project so you can trust their scientific accuracy and factual integrity. Earning a certificate that is backed by the Carbon Literacy Project provides globally-recognized credibility and quality assurance. Earning a certificate through IGC further demonstrates your understanding of the action needed for meaningful justice-centered emissions reduction at the individual and systems levels.
We offer tailored online and in-person formats. Whether you're looking for yourself, a friend, or your work group, we have existing courses and custom options for everyone.​
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CURRENT COURSES
WHY CARBON LITERACY?
The aim of IGC's Carbon Literacy trainings is to inspire ambitious action toward climate justice through widespread knowledge of the causes and disproportionate consequences of the climate crisis.
EARN YOUR CERTIFICATE
When you complete an 8-hour training and provide sufficient evidence of your understanding and action, you will be awarded a certificate in Carbon Literacy from the Carbon Literacy Project and IGC.
QUALITY-ASSURED
Based in Manchester, United Kingdom, the Carbon Literacy Project is an award-winning, globally-recognized program that was designated a Transformative Action Program by the United Nations at COP 21 in Paris in 2015.
GLOBAL IMPACT
IGC offers the only Carbon Literacy training in California and is one of only two organizations offering Carbon Literacy in the U.S. We are delighted to bring Carbon Literacy to San Diego and to coordinate with other organizations nationally to advance widespread Carbon Literacy throughout the U.S.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Becoming certified Carbon Literate is an accomplishment in itself. However, earning a certificate is not the end goal. Instead, Carbon Literacy is meant to catalyze bold and creative climate solutions through each cohort member's diverse and far-reaching spheres of influence. That's why the our training optimizes learning for action through the following components.
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One Day's Worth of Learning: Approximately 8 hours of training plus videos and discussions between sessions.
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Local Learning: The training will emphasize the relevance of the content to your local environment.
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Delivery by Peers: The training is delivered by your neighbors, colleagues, and friends who are equally committed to urgent climate action.
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Group Inquiry: Together with your cohort, you find your own answers and devise your own solutions. You can expect a cycle of learning that moves from the group to the individual and back again.
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Positivity: While addressing the need for urgent action, the training will emphasize what can be done as opposed to what cannot be done.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
​By the end of the training, you will be able to: 1) clearly explain the most important changes we need to make as a society to reach zero carbon, 2) create at least one significant, new action within your individual control to reduce harmful emissions, and 3) create at least one significant, new action involving other people to reduce emissions in your workplace, community, or place of education.
VIDEOS & DISCUSSIONS
Depending on the delivery method of your cohort, short (~ 15-20 min) videos, structured reflections, and discussion topics may be assigned between training sessions.
THE CERTIFICATE
Certificates are uniquely numbered with your details and held in a secure database by IGC for verification by employers or other external bodies. Certificates do not expire, they belong to you, the individual certified, and they travel with you as evidence of your Carbon Literacy.
NETWORKING EVENTS​
After completing the Carbon Literacy training, you gain access to IGC's Slack workspace where you can join members of previous cohorts to network, share resources and advice, and contribute to the growing Carbon Literacy community. Slack is also used for sharing IGC social events, volunteer opportunities, information on becoming a Carbon Literacy Facilitator or Trainer, and more.
REQUIREMENTS
To gain the most out of the training, you will be required to:
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Agree to IGC's community conduct guidelines.
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Attend every session. If you experience an emergency and must miss a session, contact your Facilitator directly.
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Respectfully participate in group discussions.
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Complete and turn in the Participant Details and Evidence Form before the end of the course.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW OLD DO I NEED TO BE TO PARTICIPATE?
The Carbon Literacy training is designed for adult learners. However, we welcome participants who are younger than 18 years old with a parent/guardian and the training Facilitator's approval...