ABTA is offering members, partners and the wider industry the opportunity to develop their understanding of climate change and carbon reduction through a new training course; Carbon Literacy for Travel and Tourism.

The course is accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project¹ which means the content of the course meets Carbon Literacy standards. Carbon Literacy is a term used to describe an awareness of climate change, and the climate impacts of everyday actions.

The accreditation also means that, after completing the training, delegates have the opportunity to take a short assessment to achieve certification as carbon literate. 

ABTA believes this is the only accredited training on carbon literacy in travel and tourism.

The course was developed in response to feedback from members that it would be helpful to have training which provides information on the terminology used around carbon and climate change.

The course ran for the first-time in November last year and all of the delegates who went on to take the assessment passed. 

With the course proving so popular with members, ABTA has scheduled two for the first half of this year, with the next one on 26th April and another planned for June. Discounts are available for ABTA members and partners. Full details about the course can be found here.  

The training is part of a package of support available for members and their staff to help them develop their knowledge and understanding around sustainability issues, as well as accessing practical advice and support.

ABTA’s offer on sustainability includes something for everyone – from a free online training course offering an introduction to sustainability to the Climate Action Guidebook² which provides leaders with technical information and understanding of carbon reduction and the practical steps their businesses can take. A full list of ABTA’s sustainability resources in the MemberZone. ABTA is also holding its Delivering Sustainable Travel Conference on 24 May 2023.

Carol Rose, Head of Sustainability at ABTA – The Travel Association said:

“We’ve developed this training course following feedback from members. They felt there was a gap in terms of those working in travel having the opportunity to get to grips with the technical language and commitments around carbon emissions and climate change.

“The course isn’t just for people who work in sustainability. As an industry we need to develop and grow our understanding on this topic if we’re to truly make the necessary progress – so no matter what your job is, whether its communications or procurement, you’ll find this course really helpful.

“Sustainability is a huge focus for our work, this training course is one of a number of ways ABTA is supporting members to develop a sustainability approach that is right for their business. We’re here to help members to encourage them to get in touch or look at the materials we have on offer.” 

Phil Korbel, Co-founder & Director of Advocacy, Carbon Literacy Project said:

“The Carbon Literacy for Travel and Tourism is a very impressive and engaging course - it's filled with well thought-out content, excellent activities and inspiring case studies within the sector. It's a wonderful resource. I'm confident that the course will empower learners to make excellent action pledges to help move the sector towards a greener future.”

Notes to editors

1 Carbon Literacy is relevant climate change learning that catalyses action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Carbon Literacy Project works to provide access to this learning to everyone who lives, works and studies and is expanding rapidly across the UK and beyond. https://carbonliteracy.com/organisation 
2 The Guidebook was a joint initiative between ABTA and Deloitte.

About ABTA

ABTA is a trade association for UK travel agents, tour operators and the wider travel industry. We’re the largest travel trade body, with over 3,900 travel brands in membership who have a combined pre-pandemic annual UK turnover of £40 billion. We work closely with our members to help raise and maintain standards and build a more sustainable travel industry, and provide travellers with advice, guidance and support.

Our members sign up to a code of conduct and commit to agreed service standards and fair trading. When you need clear travel information, and accurate and impartial advice relating to your trip, we’re here for you. We’ll help you understand your level of financial protection, and what to do next, in the unlikely event that an ABTA member goes out of business. So, whatever happens, when you book with an ABTA member, reliable advice comes as standard. This means that booking with our members brings peace of mind. Together with our members, we help you travel with confidence. www.abta.com