Why you need to be a Carbon Literate packaging producer
Introduction
Packaging producers face growing regulatory pressure to reduce environmental impact. A solid understanding of the climate crisis - and the carbon impact of packaging - is essential to make informed, responsible packaging decisions.
What is Carbon Literacy?
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."
Individuals become Carbon Literate through a day’s accredited training developed by The Carbon Literacy Project, designed to build knowledge that creates a positive shift in how humanity lives, works and behaves in response to climate change. Think of it as essential learning that empowers people to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Carbon Literacy is rapidly expanding worldwide with more than 150,000 citizens completing the training across 16 sectors and 47 nations. Ecosurety has been a Carbon Literate Organisation since 2023.
Why is it important?
Packaging policy focuses mainly on reduction, recyclability and recycled content - it does not require producers to assess or understand the carbon impact of their packaging. As a result, choices made to cut EPR costs or reduce plastics don’t necessarily lead to lower emissions.
With the climate crisis accelerating, Carbon Literacy is essential, especially for organisations working toward Net Zero. When teams at every level understand carbon and its implications, “thinking carbon” becomes part of daily decision‑making and organisational culture.
Carbon Literate individuals and organisations will:
- Understand where to access resources to learn more
- Understand the history, science and impacts of climate change
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Change history
14 January 2026
We improved and simplified this article to make the information easier to digest.
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