Carbon Literacy for Congregations 2026
Certificated by the Carbon Literacy Project
In 2025 Carbon Literacy training was introduced at St James’s, and 21 members of staff, clergy, PCC and community signed up to be trained. We’re delighted that all 21 were formally accredited and are actively engaged in reducing their personal and institutional carbon footprints.
Dee Hetherington (churchwarden) and Diane Yarde – both certified Carbon Literate in 2025!
On Saturday 18th April 2026, we will offer the new Carbon Literacy for Congregations training as a whole-day course. Read on to see if this might be for you.
Context
The Church of England General Synod has set a target of achieving net zero carbon by 2030, and every parish has a responsibility to do what they can to support this. Eco Church is the C of E’s chosen framework for this work, so as a Gold Award Eco Church, St James’s has a particular responsibility to both keep developing good practice, and to support other churches. Every individual has a role to play.
“We believe that responding to the climate crisis is an essential part of our responsibility to safeguard God's creation and achieve a just world. Climate change hits hardest the poorest countries and poorest people of the world. Meantime, the widespread destruction of the natural world is a crisis for creation. Our Environment Programme exists to enable the whole Church to address this — in faith, practice and mission. This includes tackling our own carbon emissions (aiming for Net Zero Carbon by 2030) and our wider work.“
Church of England Environment programme
Course structure, Content and Requirements
The course has been developed by the National Church as a bespoke version of the Carbon Literacy Trust training programme. There are 7 hours of contact with an accredited trainer (delivered on one day), plus some pre-course homework. At the end of the training, participants will be required to make personal and professional pledges to support carbon reduction in their own lives. We will provide lots of support for this.
The course trainer will be Deborah Colvin supported by Dee Hetherington. The course is certificated by the Carbon Literacy Project for a fee of £15 for each trainee. We are grateful to the Diocese of London for covering this fee for the first 60 trainees this year, so there will be no charge to individuals for the training on 18th April.
A brief outline of the course is below. The sessions are interactive with plenty of time for discussion. Within this structure, the course will be adapted to suit our local circumstances.
Session 1
About Carbon Literacy and this course
Why is Carbon Literacy relevant for Christians?
The Science of climate change
All or Nothing? Game
Session 2
Personal Carbon Footprints
Carbon Footprint of our church
Climate Justice
Action: Food
Co-benefits of tackling climate change
Session 3
How is climate change affecting us?
Climate anxiety and grief
Action: travel
Introduce pledges
Session 4
Talking about climate change
Action: Buildings
Action: Stuff
Pledge ideas
Session 5
Action: Declaring a Climate Emergency and Net Zero Targets
Action: Money
Hope for the Future
Pledges: write them
Joining Instructions
To book your place on the course, please email churchwardens@sjp.org.uk .
When: Saturday 18th April, 9.30 – 5.00.
Where: In person in the Church Hall at St James’s Church, 197 Piccadilly W1J 9LL . Entry through the glass doors on Church Place.
Any Questions?
For general logistics and to book a place on the course, please email churchwardens@sjp.org.uk . For queries about the course itself , please email ecochurch@sjp.org.uk . You can also find out more by talking to members of the Sustainability group who completed Carbon Literacy training last year: Trevor Lines, Gwenda Walters, Audrey da Costa, Dee Hetherington and Deborah Colvin.
The Carbon Literacy Project offers everyone a day’s worth of Carbon Literacy® learning, covering – climate change, carbon footprints, how you can do your bit, and why it’s relevant to you and your audience.
Find out more at carbonliteracy.com