Earn your graduate certificate in carbon management online
As governments and organizations across the globe take steps to reduce our collective greenhouse gas emissions, the emerging field of carbon management will continue to expand and evolve. Along with these evolving priorities, policies, and laws will come an increased demand for professionals with the skills to help organizations evaluate and manage carbon emissions.
Developed by CSU’s Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, this graduate certificate program provides you with the specialized knowledge to effectively analyze carbon production and manage and/or offset emission levels for government entities and large corporations.
Why study carbon management?
Clear scientific evidence shows that climate change is occurring and will have significant impacts on society if measures are not taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, carbon dioxide has already become a major business liability, decreasing an organization’s value by $212,000 on average for every 1,000 metric tons produced, according to KPMG, a global network of professional firms that provide audit, tax, and advisory services.
As a result, more organizations and regional governments are recognizing the need to lower emissions and keep an accurate account of these reductions. Several large multinational corporations such as Microsoft, Walmart, Tesco, and the Bank of America are developing strategies to progressively reduce their carbon footprints. Small, medium, and large businesses around the world are beginning to see the economic benefits of investing in sustainable, environmentally conscious practices. These benefits include new revenue streams, employee and stakeholder engagement and loyalty, and the many PR benefits of corporate responsibility.
How is carbon managed?
To begin addressing climate change, some governments have been implementing action plans that put taxes on specific products or caps on greenhouse gas emissions. According to the New York Times, more than 40 governments across the globe have adopted some variation of carbon pricing, either through direct taxes on fossil fuels (often called a carbon tax) or cap-and-trade programs. Canada has one of the most robust carbon management plans, which includes reducing overall oil and gas methane emissions by 40-45 percent by 2025, developing a clean fuel standard, phasing out pollution from coal-fired electricity by 2030, and making historic investments in green technology, transportation, and business solutions.
Prepare for a career that makes an impact
Very soon, carbon management will touch every sector and industry, from agriculture to finance, manufacturing to transportation. Subsequently, new career opportunities will become available for people with the right skills. Now is the time to start building the in-depth knowledge to understand, develop, and implement carbon management strategies, including the policies and technical tools needed to achieve and accurately report emission reductions.
After completing this program, you will be able to:
- Understand quantitative and qualitative methods applicable to the study of greenhouse gas emission management
- Explain greenhouse gas sources and sinks, and how they might be managed
- Discuss current issues in greenhouse gas policies and climate change
- Evaluate the linkages between socioeconomic and ecological processes that drive increases in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations
- Assess the costs, benefits, and co-benefits of emission reduction and offset purchase strategies.
- Work in a multidisciplinary setting or as part of a multidisciplinary team
- Carry out basic greenhouse gas assessments using systems approaches and integrative methods, including the application of life cycle analysis and other numerical quantification tools