Do you want to become ‘Carbon Literate’ and gain an awareness of the causes and impacts of climate change, to better understand your organisation’s carbon footprint? Join your peers and colleagues to collaborate and generate ideas on what a low carbon heritage organisation looks like.

The Heritage Alliance is delighted to be delivering a new Heritage Carbon Literacy training course to help heritage organisations improve their awareness of carbon consumption, and of the individual steps that can be taken to reduce their carbon emissions and become more environmentally sustainable. The course has been created and funded by Historic England, with the assistance of Historic Buildings & Places, and is accredited by the Carbon Literacy Trust.

The course is positive, action-focused, and specifically designed for the heritage sector. It takes place over 2 half-days on Microsoft Teams. Learners must attend both days in order to be able to pledge actions and to receive a certificate at the end of the course. The main course costs are funded by Historic England, which means that learners will only have to pay a £10 contribution cost towards the administration of their Carbon Literacy Trust certification. Places are limited to one representative per organisation, and there are a set number of places available for each course – so book early to secure your place!

The Government’s Net Zero Strategy: ‘Build Back Greener’ sets out policies and proposals for decarbonising all sectors of the UK economy to meet our Net Zero target by 2050. Although the 2050 deadline may seem a long way away there is an enormous amount to be done, and it is essential that heritage organisations begin to plan for Net Zero as soon as possible

Recent sector consultation by Historic England has shown that the majority of heritage organisations are at the beginning of their journeys towards Net Zero. However, they often need support on the preparatory phase of this journey, including having a better understanding of the impacts and causes of carbon emissions, and of the policies and measures to implement to reduce them.

Carbon Literacy is defined by the Carbon Literacy Trust 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.’ To support the sector in improving its carbon literacy, Historic England has created a dedicated Heritage Carbon Literacy course. This course provides a tailored offering for heritage organisations – with case studies and examples sourced directly from the sector, and trainers who have work experience in the heritage space.

The overall aim of the Heritage Carbon Literacy course is to help heritage organisations understand the causes and impacts of climate change, and empower them to take action and move towards becoming Net Zero. Created and funded by Historic England (with development support from Historic Buildings & Places), accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project, and delivered by The Heritage Alliance, it is a great opportunity for your organisation to gain essential carbon literacy skills and the knowledge to implement meaningful changes.