Carbon Literacy for Museums
Part 1: Course materials distributed: on Tuesday 7 July 2026
Part 2: Tuesday 14 July 2026: 10:00-12:30
Part 3: Thursday 16 July 2026: 10:00-11:45 and 13:00-14:45
Optional action planning drop-in surgery: Tuesday 21 July 10:30-11:30
Summary: Carbon Literacy Course for people that work and volunteer in museums
About this event:
Background Information
Museum Development England, in partnership with Manchester Museum and The Carbon Literacy Project, has developed the Carbon Literacy for Museum Toolkit, a free to access peer-to-peer learning programme. The training has been rolled out since Autumn 2021 as part of Roots & Branches, the award-winning, internationally programme, and the over 2,500 people have been trained in Carbon Literacy using the Museums Toolkit.
Designed by sector specialists, Carbon Literacy for Museums training will give you an understanding of what climate change is, the scale of its effects, and how museums fit into the global, national and local picture to address climate change. You will gain skills, knowledge and confidence to develop environmentally responsible actions to embed in your museum practice. Submission of new, significant, achievable carbon reductions actions will enable you to be eligible to gain Carbon Literacy certification.
Who is the course aimed at?
This course is for volunteers and paid staff who work across all service areas from Accredited Museums or those working towards Accreditation in England, and freelancers working with museums. We advise that, where possible, two people from your organisation attend the course for peer support when developing actions.
Priority for places will be for Accredited Museums and those Working Towards Accreditation in England that are not DCMS sponsored National museums or ACE funded National Portfolio Organisations.
The course will be delivered via an online platform for which you will need a computer or tablet to access and includes presentations, joint working exercises and discussion and video content.
Who are the trainers?
The training is delivered by experienced Museum Development Advisors and certified Carbon Literacy Trainers from Museum Development North, a certified Carbon Literate Organisation with a decade of experience developing and delivering Carbon Literacy training and environmental responsibility programming for museums.
What does the course involve?
The course will be delivered in modules. To become certified as Carbon Literate, you must complete the entire course and submit your actions for accreditation. By booking on the Carbon Literacy course, you are committing to undertake 7.5 hours of training, split over a series of three sessions:
Session 1: Distributed Tuesday 7 July 2026. Pre-recorded introduction to Carbon Literacy for Museum training, and self-guided learning on the basics of climate change science. Duration 1 hour 30 minutes, to be completed between 7-13 July 2026.
Self-guided activities: Watch course introductory video, watch 1-hour documentary video and reflect, identify your museum object.
These activities will prepare you to join the rest of your cohort online for Session 2.
Session 2: Live online training via Zoom. Duration 2 hours 30 minutes taking place at 10am to 12.30pm on Tuesday 14 July 2026 (includes short break).
Post-session activity: calculate your carbon footprint (WWF calculator)
This session will introduce the cohort and trainers, focus on the impacts of climate change, equity and vulnerability, the roles of museums in tackling the climate crisis and green recovery. You will be asked to reflect on the questions posed in session 1 during the first part of this session.
Session 3: Live online training via Zoom. Duration 3 hours 30 minutes, taking place on Thursday 16 July 2026. This session will be delivered in two parts, with part one from 10am to 11.45am and part two from 1pm to 2.45pm (includes short breaks).
The morning session focuses on carbon budgets, the UK and International policy positions, and carbon footprints. The afternoon session is all about action planning and how we communicate about climate change with others.
All four modules of the training covered in Sessions 1-3 must be completed for learners to be eligible for Carbon Literacy certification.
Post/end of session activity: You will then have one week to complete your Carbon Literacy Participant Action Form to be eligible for certification.
Optional action planning drop-in surgery: This optional drop-in session takes place on Tuesday 21 July from 10:30-11:30. This is your opportunity to meet again with your trainer to develop your action forms ready for submission, and to keep the momentum going to progress and implement your learning and be supported in your work.
Want to know more? The Carbon Literacy Toolkit for Museums is available to all museums in the UK who wish to roll it out in their organisations via The Carbon literacy Project as part of the Roots & Branches programme. You can find out more about the Toolkit here