Carbon Accounting and Business Climate Strategy

This course provides attendees with practical skills related to carbon strategies for businesses and organizations. Attendees will examine how organizations are materially impacted by climate change and how they strategically respond to help minimize risks and maximize opportunities. New opportunities may include reduced costs, increased operational efficiency, new product opportunities, enhanced supply chain engagement, and improved brand image. Learn how companies integrate climate-related strategies within the context of their broader organizational business strategy. Explore best practices in emissions reporting and the common ways organizations report their GHG emissions and environmental impacts (e.g. CDP, TCFD, etc.). Examine real-world examples and case studies that demonstrate the numerous ways organizations respond to climate change from a wide variety of industrial sectors.

• Supervisors, Business managers, Business Owners
• Consultants who offer sustainability and carbon-related services
• Individuals who work in sustainability-related fields
• Any individuals interested in applying Carbon Strategy in their organization
• Federal agencies and military bases

The course will be offered as a live online course, with recordings made of each session so that participants can watch them at other times if they are not available at the meeting time. Therefore, this course can be flexible and accommodate a variety of schedules. The course meetings will take place twice a week over a 5-week period, for a total of 10 sessions. Each session will be approximately 1.5 hours.

At the completion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the origin and background science of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and climate change
2. Understand the process of GHG accounting and reduction target establishment
3. Recognize the pros and cons among an array of climate solutions.
4. Better integrate climate concerns into business strategy
5. Improved capacity to work with businesses on climate issues

Module 1: Review Business Climate Fundamentals

• Climate science
• Business drivers for climate action
• Implications of business drivers
• Carbon cycle

Objective: Understand why businesses seek to reduce GHG emissions

Significance: Knowing why businesses take climate action informs the rationale for proceeding through the course

Module 2: Measure and Report GHG Emissions

• Terms and Definitions
• Why accounting?
• GHG Protocol and scopes 1, 2, and 3
• Boundaries
• Emission factors and GWP
• Measurement tips and tricks
• Reporting programs and systems

Objective: Learn the mechanics of carbon/GHG accounting and measurement. Become acquainted with GHG reporting platforms.

Significance: GHG accounting lies at the heart of the course, allowing for the development of informed carbon strategy. Reporting platforms provide standards around how businesses communicate the accounting findings

Module 3: Set Goals and Targets

• Proliferation of terms
• Metrics and KPI
• Science-based targets
• GHG reduction, removals and offsets
• Related goals and target programs
• Economic growth vs. decarbonization

Objective: Understand the processes and programs through which carbon reduction targets are set.

Significance: Reduction targets are commonly the mechanism through which businesses seek to improve their climate performance, so understanding how they are set is important

Module 4: Action Planning

• Identify GHG reduction actions
• Integrate with business process
• Cost-benefit analysis, scenario analysis, and price on carbon
• Implement actions

Objective: Identify reduction actions. Translate measurement and targets into a short and long-term action plan.

Significance: Operationalizing the learning to date is critical for a business to succeed in reducing its carbon footprint

Module 5: Final Projects

Objective: Present final projects

Significance: Provides an experiential component to learning

David Jaber

David Jaber is the Founder of Climate Positive Consulting, a firm that measures carbon footprint, crafts business climate strategy, and drives greenhouse gas reduction. Over the last 20 years, David has worked with over 100 companies on GHG reduction strategy and carbon footprint measurement. He is a GHG accounting instructor with the University of California at Berkeley, University of Wisconsin at Madison and Terra.do. David is also the author of "Climate Positive Business! How You and Your Company Hit Bold Climate Goals and Go Net Zero" (http://www.routledge.pub/ClimatePositive). David holds engineering degrees from Rice University and University of California-Berkeley.

Leila Nattagh

Leila Nattagh is the owner and founder of the carbon consulting business, W2R Solutions. Since starting W2R, she has been helping businesses to measure and reduce the environmental impact of their products and services. By doing this work, Leila helps her clients to attract value-aligned customers, gain a competitive edge, and build brand confidence while taking climate action. Leila holds a degree in Masters in Sustainability, Bachelor's in Biology & Pharmacology, and certification in project management.