Recently, some of our team completed Carbon Literacy training. It’s one of those things that sounds abstract and a little intimidating – until you’re in it. Then you begin to realise there’s a whole language for how you were feeling about climate change. Not only that, there are hundreds of thousands of other people out there also curious about how to communicate about climate change. But what does it mean to be a Carbon Literate web design agency? Read on to find out.
What is 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.”
Delivered through organisations like the Better Business Network (BBN) and supported by companies such as Patagonia, Carbon Literacy is about understanding the climate crisis in a practical, usable way. It breaks down the science as well as the systems around it. The course reignites an urgency for action, as well as a patience for how long things take. One of the key takeaways for us was that the climate crisis was born out of a lifetime of bad decisions and ignorance, so we can’t expect it to be solved instantly.
Why we decided to up-skill with Carbon Literacy Training
The conversation is shifting and sustainability is no longer something handled by one person or parked in a policy document. It’s becoming part of everyday decision-making and for us, it’s weaved into every decision we make.
Upskilling teams means people feel informed rather than overwhelmed. It creates shared language, shared responsibility, and space for optimism. We’ve come to learn that we don’t have to be perfect, we just have to keep moving in the right direction and be open to improving. It feels a little vulnerable – but if we all get more comfortable with getting things wrong, that’s how we learn and develop.
One thing we discussed a lot during the course was how the climate crisis is communicated. Doom-heavy messaging can shut people down, so we’ll try to focus on what’s doable and relatable: cleaner air, better jobs, accessible change and transparent reporting. Climate change isn’t some far and distant dystopia that we only see in movies – it’s a reality that is already affecting people today, particularly marginalised communities who are contributing the least to the problem. How do we tread the line between doom and optimism? By collectively doing what we can to minimise our impact.
What we've changed and what we’re still working on
Some changes are already underway, for example we’re reviewing our pension scheme to make sure it’s genuinely aligned with our values. This builds on research we previously did with Make My Money Matter, who are sadly no more, but their research shows that green pensions are one of the most powerful ways individuals can reduce their carbon impact, far more so than many lifestyle changes.We plan to also look more closely at our other business suppliers, to ensure we’re investing in the right kind of partners for us.
Reframing business travel
As a remote team, travel is another area we’re addressing. We very rarely meet up and are rather controversially looking to introduce more in-person catch ups to the calendar for next year, increasing from the one per year from 2024 & 2025. We realise the importance of working collaboratively occasionally, and would like to trial the social and wellbeing effects of a couple more meet ups per year. When we do meet in person, we’re going to shift away from choosing the most “central” location and instead prioritise places that are easiest to reach by public transport. That change will be supported by a clear, fair policy that takes accessibility and travel preferences into account for everyone in the team.
It was wonderful to join a community of other businesses on the course and to learn how we all, quietly and collectively, have a lot of influence. For us as a web design agency, this is important. Digital work can sometimes feel intangible, but our choices have real-world impact, a few grams of carbon at a time. Through the suppliers we use, the platforms we amplify and the way we work with clients and communities, we can make a difference.
Carbon Literacy hasn’t given us all the answers, but it has sharpened our awareness and reminded us why it all matters. Meaningful change often comes from small, thoughtful decisions made consistently, so it feels like we’re in a good place.
Interested in knowing more about your digital footprint? Check out our post on the emissions of your website.
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