How to Become a Carbon Coach

Become a carbon coach to help reduce pollution by educating businesses and individuals.

Carbon coaches help others increase their enthusiasm and effectiveness in living environmentally sustainable and responsible lives. Coaches are responsible for educating others, problem solving and encouraging the environmental movement in easily approachable ways for the general public. Finding and successfully completing a coaching program emphasizing carbon footprint-education can help a person become an effective carbon coach.

Things You'll Need

• Internet
• Telephone

Instructions

Becoming a Carbon Coach

1. Search the Internet to find carbon coaching programs. Find others who are currently employed as carbon coaches and start a dialogue with them to learn even more. There are few carbon coaches worldwide, so your carbon coaching education may consist of training from other carbon footprint organizations.

   Make a list of pros and cons about each program. Things to consider include program duration, cost, depth and method for program delivery (online or in-class instruction). If already familiar with the concepts of environmental education, you may want to look for a program that has less emphasis on things you already know and more emphasis on subjects you may not be as familiar with such as marketing locally or marketing over the Internet.

2. Develop systems related specifically to the coaching process. Consider how you want to appraise homes, businesses and other assets of daily life in terms of a carbon footprint. Develop your own way to analyze carbon footprints and research different ways in which carbon footprints are measured. Practice using your systems on a couple of friends before going public. Develop newsletters, create interest groups and associations such as environmental education programs or non-profits that pertain immediately to your goals as a carbon coach.

3. Develop a list of carbon coaching services for individuals and businesses. Consider the types of carbon coaching services to provide so consumers have an idea of what they are buying when they sign up.

4. Stay current with changing technology related to the environment. This field is constantly changing and keeping up with the latest technology helps reassure others that you know what you are talking about. Pay special attention to groups, such as consumer reports and other organizations, that track and measure the effectiveness of new technologies. Find simple, easy and cheap ways clients can implement changes and integrate new technologies in their lives.

5. Walk the walk and talk the talk. Adopt a policy of transparency about what your own carbon footprint is and openly discuss possible future changes you plan on making to be an inspiration to others. The idea of transparency is especially important within the environmental movement.

6. Research what other carbon coaches are doing to learn more about the services they provide. See if there is any way that you can differentiate yourself from their services. If there are things they are doing that work well, think about ways to adapt the same practices into your carbon coaching business.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that offering constructive advice can be a delicate process. Be aware of how others might perceive you and how components of your coaching process are affecting others emotionally.

• Using metaphors and models can be helpful in getting others to grasp concepts and ideas such as carbon footprints that are less tangible.

References

• Office of Sustainability and Environment
• Seattle Climate Partnership
• Wall Street Journal; Emission Impossible? 'Carbon Coach' Dave Hampton Helps ... ;Almeida; 2009

Resources

• carbon footprint calculator