Carbon Literacy training

Bristol Medical School offers Carbon Literacy training to its staff and students and has been accredited as a Bronze Carbon Literate Educator by the UN-recognised Carbon Literacy Project. The aim of the training is to educate and enable individuals to reduce their carbon footprints and to encourage others around them to do the same. 

What is Carbon Literacy?

Carbon Literacy is defined as "An awareness of the carbon dioxide costs and impacts of everyday activities, and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions, on an individual, community and institutional basis". It revolves around a day's worth of learning and action on climate change.

Outcomes of Carbon Literacy training

Here are some of the pledges our staff and students have made after the training to become officially carbon literate:

• Exploring climate impact of attending academic conferences and choice of travel
• Transitioning to a part or whole plant-based diet
• Investigating the carbon footprint of daily digital computing
• Commuting to work by cycling, running or walking
• Disposing of old and unwanted lab samples to reduce number of fridges and freezers in labs.

Improving biodiversity and green spaces

Bristol Medical School has committed to donate £5,000 every year to projects aiming to improve biodiversity and green spaces. We have supported the planting of 2.5 hectares of local wildflower meadow in partnership with Green the UK and Buglife. Our staff regularly volunteer with a day of tree planting for Avon Needs Trees and we have helped raise money to build a 420 acre permanent woodland. The School also holds yearly plant sales to raise money for local charities such as St Werburghs City Farm and Avon Wildlife Trust.