Net-Zero Planning in Universities, Cities, and Industries

About This Course

As the urgency for climate action grows, the need for organizations and institutions to achieve net-zero emissions is more critical than ever. This course provides actionable frameworks, technologies, and policy tools to help universities, cities, and industries reduce their carbon footprint and align with global climate goals and ESG standards.

In this hands-on course, you’ll learn how to assess and reduce carbon emissions through sector-specific tools, understand the science of net-zero planning, and create data-driven, scalable strategies. The course combines emissions modeling, decarbonization strategies, and real-world case studies to ensure participants leave with the skills and knowledge to operationalize net-zero plans.

Aim

To equip stakeholders across academia, municipalities, and industries with the frameworks, tools, and skills needed to design, implement, and track net-zero carbon strategies, ensuring alignment with global climate goals and ESG standards.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will:

• Gain a strong understanding of net-zero and carbon accounting

• Learn how to operationalize net-zero strategies across universities, cities, and industries

• Be able to design scalable, data-driven decarbonization strategies

• Understand how to integrate technology, behavior, and governance into emissions reduction

• Gain practical skills in emissions modeling and reporting progress through dashboards

Course Structure

Module 1: Understanding Net-Zero and Carbon Accounting

• Net-Zero Science and Definition:

  • What does net-zero mean in practice?

  • The science behind achieving net-zero emissions

• Scope 1, 2, 3 Emissions:

  • Understanding direct and indirect emissions (with real-world examples from universities or factories)

• Data Requirements for Carbon Accounting:

  • Key data sources: energy, mobility, waste, and water usage

• Demo Activity:

  • Calculate emissions using sample Scope 1 & 2 data for a real-world organization (e.g., university or factory)

Module 2: Strategies, Tools, and Data Modeling

• Decarbonization Strategies:

  • How to approach decarbonization with strategies like renewables, efficiency improvements, and offsets

• Python Modeling for Emission Reduction:

  • Learn to model emission reductions over time using Python

  • Visualizing emission reductions using matplotlib and plotly

• Demo Activity:

  • Simulate GHG reduction scenarios for a university campus

  • Understand how renewable integration and efficiency measures impact long-term emissions

Module 3: Case Studies and Dashboard Reporting

• Case Studies:

  • Review international and Indian case studies of net-zero implementation in different sectors

• Framework for Net-Zero Roadmap:

  • Learn to create a net-zero roadmap for your institution or organization

• Demo Activity:

  • Build a basic net-zero dashboard using Python and Streamlit

  • Track emissions reductions and visualize progress on a real-time dashboard

• Group Discussion/Q&A:

  • Discuss local challenges and strategies for net-zero action in your context

Who Should Enrol?

• Sustainability officers and climate action coordinators

• Urban and environmental planners

• University administrators and green campus leaders

• Industry CSR/ESG teams and operations heads

• Climate researchers, consultants, and policy professionals