Deakin Business School’s commitment to climate education and action has been recognised with Carbon Literacy Project certification as a Bronze Carbon Literate Educator.

The award certifies our commitment to Carbon Literacy as a tool for climate education and action along with our success incorporating it into our courses and research, supporting the cultural shift towards a zero carbon society.

A Carbon Literate Educator (CLE) is an educational institution accredited by The Carbon Literacy Project as being ‘culturally Carbon Literate’ – maintaining a substantial proportion of its students and staff as Carbon Literate and positively influencing the community and wider world.

Carbon Literacy is defined as, ‘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.’

As such it is a practical tool to help individuals make a difference in their businesses, workplaces and home lives.

CLE accreditation is a tiered system with Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels, requiring increasing levels of commitment to action on climate change and creating a low-carbon culture.

Across our courses and research, Deakin Business School focuses on sustainability practices for business and management. Educating our staff and students in Carbon Literacy is key to creating a positive impact.

Carbon Literacy Training (CLT) content is integrated into undergraduate units in economics and management and, at postgraduate level, Environmental Sustainability for Business is a core unit in multiple courses.

Our research centres, the Deakin Sustainable Business Centre and the Centre for Disaster Resilience and Recovery are conducting important research into sustainability reporting in business and understanding the impact of climate change through natural disasters.

Professor Amanda Pyman, Dean of the Deakin Business School says, ‘DBS is delighted to be recognised and certified as bronze carbon literate, joining two other Australian business schools.’

‘This recognition is testament to the importance of carbon literacy training for staff and students at Deakin Business School, and our commitment to the Principles of Responsible Management Education – as a PRME Champion. Carbon literacy training is a core component of our ambition to be a catalyst for positive change.’

DBS Associate Professor Ameeta Jain has led the CLT initiative, which is supported by the Dean and the Director of Principles for Responsible Management Education, Associate Professor Fara Azmat, and is working in partnership with several other Australian universities.

She says, ‘We have been delivering carbon literacy training for staff and students at Australian universities since 2022.’

‘The short course involves eight hours of dedicated education sessions designed to enable participants make informed choices driven by the urgency to address climate change. This training is supplemented by an assessment task which is assessed by the Carbon Literacy Project, UK, so that participants can be certified as carbon literate.’

She adds, ‘Those who have completed the training found it valuable both professionally and personally’

Dave Coleman, Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Carbon Literacy Project, said, ‘Carbon Literacy is an essential skill for any student to be properly prepared for the world of work and to thrive in a twenty-first century society. By becoming a Bronze Carbon Literate Educator (CLE), Deakin Business School has demonstrated a commitment to empowering its students through Carbon Literacy. This award recognises Deakin Business School’s efforts and success in facilitating the cultural shift to a positive low carbon future for us all.’

Learn more about Deakin Business School’s commitment to sustainability, ethics and social responsibility on our website.

The Carbon Literacy Project (CLP) launched publicly in November 2012 and has certified over 137,486 individuals from over 12,461 organisations worldwide.