Carbon Literacy Action Day 2026
Carbon Literacy®: “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.”
The Carbon Literacy Project is an UN-recognised, multi-award-winning initiative at the forefront of certified climate learning globally. It exists to provide everyone with access to Carbon Literacy®: the recognised global benchmark for climate understanding and action. Delivered by UK charity The Carbon Literacy Trust, the Project empowers individuals, organisations and communities with the knowledge, skills and motivation to take real, measurable action on climate change.
12th November is the annual international Carbon Literacy Action Day (CLAD). This is the world’s largest climate education and action event of its kind, uniting individuals across the globe to collectively act against climate change. 2026’s CLAD aligns with COP31, so while the leaders talk, the people act; During CLAD, thousands of people from all walks of life, sectors, and nations across the globe unite to complete Carbon Literacy training, turning the knowledge gained into meaningful and effective collective action.
At UHP we are proud to run regular Carbon Literacy for Healthcare training sessions for our staff. This training pathway is designed to develop Carbon Literacy knowledge and skills, with the goal of delivering high-quality care whilst simultaneously reducing workplace contributions to climate change. The Carbon Literacy for Healthcare e-learning (step 1) is comprised of five e-learning modules that cover climate science, impacts, and policy. The e-learning then moves on to a climate change, health and communication focus. Upon completion of their e-learning, staff will then attend a follow-on in-person workshop (step 2) to complete their training and apply for their accreditation. Whilst the e-learning provides a national and global picture, the workshop focuses on practical emission-saving actions in your workplace setting.
In 2025-2026, we trained 22 additional staff members, improving on our 2024-2025 total of 21. The staff trained have been from more than twenty directorates including Pathology, Tissue Viability, Infection Control, Finance, Procurement, Site Services, Critical Care, Outpatients, Pharmacy, Research and Development, Digital and Information, and a wide range of clinical roles. This broad engagement is strengthening sustainable practice across the Trust, especially as the training requires participants to make two pledges to continue their climate action commitments in their day-to-day roles.
We have now booked 7 carbon literacy workshops for 2027 meaning a potential 70 additional colleagues could be Certified Carbon Literate by December 2027!
For more information and to book a staff training slot, contact the Sustainability team
