Carbon Conversations started as a project at Cambridge Carbon Footprint.  It arose from the conjunction of Ro Randall’s work as a psychotherapist and her prior background in creating distance learning materials for the Open University.  Aware that the factors that stop people engaging with difficult subjects like climate change tend to be psychological and social rather than practical, she set about creating a project that would help people past these defences rather than reinforce them.  There is a long tradition in health and social work of ‘using groups to help people’, creating safe, non-judgmental spaces where people can explore a common problem and work out a personal solution.  Ro brought this principle of using small, facilitated groups as the catalyst for change into environmental work.  Aware also that carbon reduction is an area of confusion and misinformation for many people she drew on her prior background with the Open University’s Community Education team to create the attractive, participatory learning materials that are an important part of Carbon Conversation’s appeal.

The first, pilot groups were run in Cambridge in 2006-7 and the system of training and supporting volunteer facilitators was quickly developed.  Carbon Conversations was nominated as ‘one of the 20 most promising solutions to climate change’ in 2009 for the Guardian’s Manchester Report.  The scheme is now used nationally and since 2011 has been run by the Climate Outreach and Information Network (COIN).

Carbon Conversations is now used by a growing network of organisations across the UK. Facilitators in these organisations use this website to keep in touch with each other and access online resources.  They form part of a growing Carbon Conversations Community.

COIN's Oxford office is responsible for: 

• Producing and distributing Carbon Conversations materials
• Training Carbon Conversations facilitators and designated trainers
• Organising national meetings of Carbon Conversations facilitators and user groups
• Quality control and evaluation