1.802 tonnes so far
5.788 tonnes within a year
10.267 tonnes over the long term
These figures mean that this project has prevented 117.105 tonnes CO2 so far, will save 376.251 tonnes CO2 within the year, and will prevent 667.349 tonnes CO2 over the long term. All participants were asked to rate the ‘effectiveness’ of the course on a scale of one to ten following the final session, giving an average effectiveness rating of 8.4. In total, 97% reported that the course had had a positive effect on their environmental behaviours. ‘It was nice and relaxing to have the time for this set aside, because even if I’m aware of it in my normal life I wouldn’t normally go and reflect on it’ ‘To hear different perspectives on it was really interesting, different generations and different occupations can have different views and different problems, and I learned a lot from that.’ ‘…it has been a really powerful way of encouraging me to change my behaviour even further than I already had, in a very friendly and relaxed atmosphere.’ ‘Climate change is a complex topic. The Carbon Conversations programme provides an interesting pathway to navigate the issues and how to do things.’ ‘The course [Carbon Conversations] helped me understand my personal behaviour better; the whole process of thinking about what to say/what not to say (too shameful to share!) really made me see myself more from an objective point of view. I also found that I’d been much more generous when applying sustainability principle to the personal level than when I thought/talked about what ‘others’ should do.’ ‘As a foreigner, getting to know about the Scottish housing system/culture/food/local policy was fascinating…I guess many international students would find this course insightful.’ The programme brings together groups of people who might not normally interact, and has established a sense of community between past participants, and strengthened links between students and staff and different student groups within the university. The carbon conversations webpage had 332 page views (293 of which were unique). Learning and Reflection This project has proven to be very enjoyable for both facilitators and participants, and due to the strength of engagement is likely to show long-term carbon reductions. It does however tend to attract those who are already engaged with environmental issues (although they did report increased motivation to act due to the course). It is hoped that as Carbon Conversations continues the uptake amongst non-environmentally minded people will increase as word spreads about it being accessible to all. The course is however not aimed at transient student populations in rented accommodation, and it would be good if the course could be adapted in the future to be more relevant to students and to the socio-economic situation in Scotland/St Andrews. This would make the course content more accessible to participants and may lead to increased behaviour change as a result of the course. In addition, if information relevant to each section about what is going on in St Andrews through Transition and other groups was distributed in the appropriate session this might lead to participants becoming more engaged in on-campus action through the course. These recommendations have been passed on to the facilitators remaining at the University in the longer term. 29