Hello and welcome. Let’s begin by defining what Carbon Literacy is. Being Carbon Literate means: “being aware of the impact of everyday activities on the climate, and knowing what steps can be taken to reduce emissions as an individual, a community group, or an organisation, and why it’s important that we all take these steps”.
Essentially, our planet has been warming worryingly fast since the time of the industrial revolution and we’re starting to experience the effects by way of more and more extreme weather events.
Before you continue with this article, we should agree that something needs to be done about this and that everybody has a role to play.
Good. On the basis that we need to do something, a wise woman, Climate Scientist, Katharine Hayhoe, once said:
“The most important thing you can do to fight climate change is to talk about it. Why? Because no action ever began without some form of communication preceding it.“
I could just leave this article right there, but that would be a bit lazy so let’s dive into this.
Most people are concerned about climate change
You’re not the only one. According to various surveys, around 80% of people in the UK, Europe and the US are concerned about climate change. This means it is highly likely that the majority of any given company’s customers are worried. On the grounds that it is a marketers job to know about and respond to the concerns of their audience, it’s clear that sustainability should be a high priority.
But, marketers are getting it wrong
There are 2 problematic scenarios that I see time and again:
- Marketing teams put out sustainability content and unwittingly fall into the trap of greenwashing (sidenote: most greenwashing is unintentional).
Client Earth defines greenwashing as: “Where a company uses advertising and public messaging to appear more climate friendly and environmentally sustainable than it really is. It’s also a technique used by certain companies to distract consumers from the fact that their business model and activities actually do a lot of environmental harm and damage.”
- Marketers don’t know how to engage their audience on the subject so rather than say something they’re not sure about, they do the opposite – they greenhush.
Keystone Law defines greenhushing as “a concerted policy of not discussing activity with positive environmental impact, or not declaring environmentally-friendly credentials, through fear of the legal and social consequences of getting it wrong.”
Both are dangerous because they hold up progress in the fight against climate change. Both occur because marketing professionals lack the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to communicate sustainability effectively.
Why are greenwashing and greenhushing problematic?
Greenwashing is detrimental to efforts to combat climate change because it muddies the waters. It prevents people and companies from making informed choices about the products and services they are buying or investing in.
Greenhushing is equally dangerous for the same reasons. If companies are taking action to reduce their environmental impact, but aren’t talking about it, how can people make informed choices about what to purchase or where to invest?
The risk doesn’t stop there.
Corporate risks of greenwashing
That’s right, it’s not just the planet that could suffer. There are a few costly risks to businesses too:
- Reputational risk – getting your green communications wrong is a quickfire way to erode trust in your business. Environmental campaigners are quick to jump on greenwashing and use social media to create viral content to trash your brand.
- Financial risk – legislation to combat greenwashing is on the rise. From 6 April 2025 the Competition & Markets Authority in the UK has powers to fine companies for greenwashing. The financial burden can be considerable too, with fines up to 10% of global turnover (4% in the European Union).
The benefits of GOOD sustainability communications
As the Institute of Sustainability Studies says, “Communication serves as a link between increasing awareness and motivating action”. By communicating the work you are doing to reduce your company’s environmental impact in an engaging way, you can educate, inspire, involve, build trust, promote innovation and drive collaboration and investment. In short, it can improve your company’s commercial prospects.
About Carbon Literacy training for marketing professionals
Annie Soulsby (Sustainable Life Coach) and I have created a Carbon Literacy course especially for marketing professionals. It applies to freelance, in-house company or agency-based marketers. Participants come away with an understanding of:
- the science behind climate change and carbon emissions
- how business operations and individual choices contribute to climate change
- the Green Claims Code and Advertising Standards guidance
- the jargon, what you can and can’t say, how to say it and how to back it up
- strategies for reducing emissions individually and professionally
- how to measure the carbon footprint of an advertising campaign
- communications strategies to build engagement around climate and sustainability
The training takes place online over two half-day sessions. At the end of the course participants must submit a short form confirming they have understood the course content. They must also submit two pledges – one to pledge how they will reduce their personal carbon footprint the other to pledge how they will help reduce the carbon footprint of their organisation. If these are accepted by the Carbon Literacy Project, the participant is certified Carbon Literate.
With more and more companies incorporating sustainable practices, being Carbon Literate is a necessary tool in the belt of any marketing professional.
Click here for more information and to book on our next open course taking place in June 2025. Alternatively, contact me to find out how we can provide a course bespoke to your organisation by emailing hello@smallfootprintagency.com.