Whether at an individual, or organisational level, it’s easy to talk a good game when it comes to carbon reduction and environmental responsibility. It’s far less easy to put that talk into practice and begin to make the kinds of changes that will make a meaningful difference. It’s harder still to commit to those changes over the long term.
For Brightly Software, environmental responsibility has never been just about appearances. From reducing our own environmental footprint, to supporting our clients to do the same, we’ve always recognised the importance of taking practical steps to enact real change. We’re delighted that this long-held commitment has now been recognised by the Carbon Literacy Trust who have certified Brightly as a Bronze-level Carbon Literate Organisation. This accreditation recognises that Brightly is equipped to:
- Support staff and clients in identifying and implementing opportunities for carbon
reduction on an organisational scale. - Maintain a consistent low-carbon organisational culture.
- Drive faster action on climate change.
- Set a positive example of sustainability leadership.
What is CLO accreditation?
Recognised globally, CLO accreditation emphasises the collective role we all share in tackling climate change. It supports the development (both in new recruits and retained staff) of a Carbon Literate workforce. It supports and facilitates accredited organisations to help them to engage positively with their own employees and with external stakeholders in developing, and delivering, zero carbon behaviour. The accreditation is applicable to any organisation, from large corporations to SMEs.
What is carbon literacy?
The Carbon Literacy Trust defines carbon literacy 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 organisational basis.” Training for accreditation revolves around a day’s worth of learning and action on climate change – with the key being that individuals and groups within organisations, make on-the-record commitments to reduce their own carbon emissions and environmental footprint – commitments that the programme then holds them accountable for.
Brightly Software: taking environmental responsibility seriously
Brightly Software has long taken environmental concerns, and carbon awareness and reduction extremely seriously, offering a number of tools for clients to measure progress on reducing carbon emissions. Becoming accredited as a Carbon Literate Organisation (CLO) has underlined these credentials still further.
“Carbon reduction is easy to talk about, and most people recognise its importance, but it can be challenging to identify actions that can make a meaningful difference – and more challenging still to put those into practice,” says Zoe Stirling-Wall, Brightly’s newly-appointed Business Development Manager (Sustainability), who spearheaded the process to gain the accreditation for Brightly. “I’m delighted to have joined a company that doesn’t just talk the talk – but also walks the walk – and helps clients to do the same.”
She adds: “I joined Brightly in January 2025, as a Business Development Manager, with a sustainability focus, and it was immediately clear to me that Brightly took Carbon Literacy very seriously. Hannah Winstanley General Manager and Country Lead, UK recognised the value of the training, both for Brightly as a company, and for clients, leading her to arrange training for herself and colleagues in November 2024. Nineteen staff (nearly a third of Brightly’s UK workforce) are now carbon literacy trained, and as an approved carbon literacy facilitator myself, I can offer ongoing formal training to colleagues, and to clients. Providing tools to our clients to manage and track carbon commitments and to boost sustainability is already a significant part of Brightly’s offering. We’re thrilled now to be able to add even more value to our clients through Carbon Literacy training.”
With such a significant proportion of staff now Carbon Literacy trained, and with an approved facilitator in Zoe Stirling-Wall, Brightly qualifies as a Bronze-level carbon literate organisation for the next three years. When this term expires, Brightly intends to push for silver-level accreditation – with an even greater proportion of staff carbon literacy trained and accredited.
“We see this as just the beginning,” Zoe concludes. “Being carbon literate is not just about knowledge – it’s about action. As part of the training, all of us had to commit to both a personal and a professional change that we would make in order to reduce our environmental footprint. It’s about making meaningful changes and then tracking those commitments over the long term. I look forward to helping our team and our clients to continue to develop and maintain more and more environmentally responsible practices over the coming years.”
Dave Coleman, Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Carbon Literacy Project, says:
“Carbon Literacy is an essential skill, vital to every workplace, community, and place of study. It is the foundational knowledge, and a catalyst to empowering people to act on climate, however, Carbon Literacy is only the first step. The actions taken and pledged by learners as part of their Carbon Literacy have an immediate impact within their organisation, however it is the maintenance of these and further actions, supported by Carbon Literate organisational culture, that reaps the greatest rewards for both participants and their organisations. By becoming a Bronze accredited Carbon Literate Organisation, Brightly Software has demonstrated its commitment to genuine low carbon action, environmental and economic impact, and the
building of a low carbon future for us all.”
For more information on Brightly visit: www.brightlysoftware.com
