Net Zero and Decarbonisation Training Course

Duration 10 days 20 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Sustainability Managers, Energy Managers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-ETR-010

Before you join: Participants should understand basic business finance, operational processes or sustainability reporting and be comfortable working with simple quantitative assumptions in spreadsheets.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Organisations face rising pressure to cut greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining reliable energy, controlling costs and meeting customer, investor, lender and regulatory expectations. Net zero commitments often fail when targets are disconnected from emissions data, asset decisions, procurement, capital planning and accountable delivery. Professionals need to translate climate commitments into quantified transition plans that can withstand internal challenge and external disclosure.

This course develops the methods needed to design, govern and deliver a credible decarbonisation programme. Participants work through GHG Protocol emissions accounting, Scope 1, 2 and 3 boundary setting, baseline development, target setting, marginal abatement cost curves, renewable electricity procurement, energy efficiency, electrification, supplier engagement, carbon pricing and transition finance. The course also addresses residual emissions, carbon credits, climate risk, disclosure requirements and the governance needed to track delivery.

Teaching combines focused instructor briefings, sector cases, facilitated calculations, group decision-making and structured application to participants' own organisations. Cases include industrial facilities, commercial property portfolios, transport fleets, public infrastructure and financial institutions. Participants progressively build a net zero transition plan, supported by emissions inventories, abatement options, investment cases, delivery milestones and performance measures. They leave with a reusable planning pack and a certificate of completion.

The course suits sustainability, energy, operations, procurement, finance, risk and strategy professionals who contribute to emissions reduction decisions. It is particularly useful for teams moving from ambition statements and annual carbon reporting towards funded, measurable decarbonisation programmes.

What you will be able to do

  • Calculate a corporate greenhouse gas inventory using GHG Protocol organisational and operational boundaries
  • Develop an emissions baseline and data-quality assessment for Scope 1, 2 and 3 sources
  • Set science-based emissions targets using the SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard
  • Prioritise decarbonisation measures through a marginal abatement cost curve
  • Evaluate renewable electricity procurement options using cost, risk and emissions criteria
  • Prepare investment cases for energy efficiency, electrification and low-carbon energy projects
  • Design a governed net zero transition plan with milestones, owners and performance indicators
  • Present a complete decarbonisation roadmap supported by quantified assumptions and decisions

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Ability to build defensible emissions baselines and reduction roadmaps
  • Confidence challenging unsupported net zero claims and weak offset strategies
  • Practical skill in comparing decarbonisation projects using cost and emissions data
  • Stronger credibility in discussions with engineers, financiers, suppliers and executives
  • Reusable evidence for sustainability, energy or transition-planning responsibilities

For your organisation

  • Clearer prioritisation of emissions reductions against capital and operating constraints
  • More consistent Scope 1, 2 and 3 data for targets and disclosures
  • Better renewable electricity and energy-project procurement decisions
  • Stronger governance over transition milestones, budgets, owners and delivery risks
  • Reduced exposure to unsupported claims, stranded assets and poorly targeted offsets

Course modules

20 modules over 10 days

Participants can distinguish net zero from related claims and frame a credible transition-planning mandate.

  • Net zero, carbon neutrality and climate neutrality claims distinguished precisely
  • Paris Agreement temperature goals and emissions reduction implications explained
  • Corporate transition plans linked to strategy, capital allocation and governance
  • Material emissions sources identified through value-chain and asset screening
  • Avoidance, reduction, substitution and removals placed in mitigation hierarchy
  • Transition-plan scope defined through decisions, boundaries and accountability

Participants can identify the physical and economic drivers behind organisational emissions profiles.

  • Greenhouse gases, global warming potentials and atmospheric lifetimes compared
  • Energy demand decomposed into activity, intensity and fuel factors
  • Electricity grids assessed using marginal and location-based emission factors
  • Fossil fuel combustion emissions calculated from standard conversion factors
  • Industrial process emissions separated from stationary energy emissions sources
  • Demand growth, asset lifetimes and lock-in risks tested quantitatively

Participants can establish reporting boundaries and an inventory structure aligned with GHG Protocol.

  • GHG Protocol corporate standard principles applied to inventory decisions
  • Equity share, financial control and operational control approaches compared
  • Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 sources classified
  • Organisational changes handled through base-year recalculation policies
  • Emission-source register structured by entity, asset, activity and owner
  • Materiality thresholds documented without excluding decision-useful emissions sources

Participants can build an auditable emissions baseline from operational and value-chain data.

  • Activity data collected from meters, invoices, fleet records and suppliers
  • Emission factors selected using source hierarchy and geographic relevance
  • Data-quality scoring applied for completeness, accuracy, timeliness and traceability
  • Spend-based estimates compared with supplier-specific emissions data methods
  • Baseline year emissions calculated with transparent assumptions and units
  • Data gaps prioritised through materiality, uncertainty and controllability criteria

Participants can identify and assess direct-emissions reduction measures for major operational sources.

  • Stationary combustion reduced through efficiency, fuel switching and electrification
  • Fleet emissions analysed using duty cycles, mileage and fuel consumption
  • Refrigerant emissions managed through leak detection and replacement planning
  • Process emissions assessed using feedstock substitution and technology options
  • Methane sources prioritised using measurement, repair and capture methods
  • Asset replacement schedules aligned with emissions reduction opportunities

Participants can apply dual Scope 2 reporting and select suitable renewable electricity instruments.

  • Location-based and market-based Scope 2 methods calculated separately
  • Residual mix factors applied where contractual instruments are absent
  • Renewable energy certificates assessed for quality, vintage and retirement
  • Power purchase agreements compared with tariffs and on-site generation
  • Additionality, deliverability and temporal matching evaluated for procurement claims
  • Electricity procurement strategy matched to load profile and risk appetite

Participants can prioritise Scope 3 categories and design proportionate supplier data requests.

  • Fifteen Scope 3 categories screened using GHG Protocol guidance
  • Purchased goods emissions estimated through spend, mass and supplier methods
  • Use-phase emissions modelled using product lifetime and customer assumptions
  • Supplier segmentation combines emissions materiality, spend and relationship influence
  • Data-request templates specify boundaries, evidence, factors and reporting periods
  • Supplier decarbonisation requirements embedded within sourcing and contract processes

Participants can formulate target structures consistent with recognised net zero criteria.

  • Near-term and long-term targets differentiated by time horizon and purpose
  • SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard requirements translated into target design
  • Absolute contraction and sectoral decarbonisation approaches compared carefully
  • Scope 3 target coverage determined through significance and data availability
  • Base years, target years and recalculation triggers documented clearly
  • Public claims checked against evidence, terminology and delivery status

Participants can screen energy-efficiency opportunities and quantify their emissions and financial effects.

  • Energy audits structured around end uses, losses and control settings
  • Energy performance indicators normalised for weather, output and occupancy
  • ISO 50001 energy management cycles linked to operational improvement
  • Measurement and verification plans follow IPMVP option selection principles
  • Behavioural measures separated from technical controls and capital projects
  • Savings estimates tested against baselines, rebound effects and persistence

Participants can assess electrification and low-carbon heat options for relevant assets.

  • Heat demand mapped by temperature, load profile and operating hours
  • Heat pumps assessed using coefficient of performance and electricity demand
  • Electric boilers, thermal storage and hybrid systems compared economically
  • Process heat options screened against temperature and reliability requirements
  • Grid capacity, connection times and demand charges incorporated early
  • Fuel-switching emissions assessed using current and projected grid factors

Participants can evaluate on-site renewable energy projects from feasibility through operating risk.

  • Solar photovoltaic yield estimated from irradiance, shading and system losses
  • Wind project screening considers resource, setbacks, permits and curtailment
  • Battery storage sized against load peaks, tariffs and resilience needs
  • Project economics model capital costs, operating costs and degradation
  • Ownership, lease and energy-service contract models compared for control
  • Interconnection constraints assessed before committing renewable project budgets

Participants can design emissions reduction pathways for fleet, freight and business travel.

  • Fleet transition plans segment vehicles by route, payload and replacement cycle
  • Total cost of ownership compares electric, hybrid and combustion vehicles
  • Charging infrastructure planned through dwell time, power and depot capacity
  • Freight emissions measured using tonne-kilometres, mode and load factors
  • Modal shift and route optimisation quantified using logistics emissions data
  • Business travel policies address trip purpose, class and virtual alternatives

Participants can build and interpret a marginal abatement cost curve for investment prioritisation.

  • Abatement measures defined with scope, lifetime and implementation dependencies
  • Annual emissions reductions calculated against consistent baseline assumptions
  • Marginal abatement costs include capital, operating and energy savings
  • MACC charts rank measures by cost, potential and delivery timing
  • Interactions between measures prevented through sequencing and adjusted baselines
  • Non-financial criteria added for resilience, feasibility and strategic fit

Participants can prepare decision-ready investment cases for decarbonisation initiatives.

  • Internal carbon prices set using shadow, implicit and fee models
  • Net present value incorporates energy prices, maintenance and residual value
  • Discount rates tested against project risk and corporate investment policy
  • Scenario analysis examines carbon costs, electricity prices and policy change
  • Funding sources compared across capital budgets, leases and green finance
  • Investment papers state assumptions, sensitivities, benefits and decision requests

Participants can apply a disciplined approach to residual emissions and carbon credit use.

  • Residual emissions defined after feasible reduction measures and target pathways
  • Avoidance credits distinguished from carbon dioxide removal credits clearly
  • Additionality, permanence, leakage and verification assessed during credit selection
  • Credit registries, methodologies and retirement records checked for evidence
  • Claim language matched to credit type, boundary and retirement timing
  • Offset procurement governed through quality criteria, approvals and disclosure

Participants can integrate climate risk, adaptation needs and workforce considerations into transition plans.

  • Physical and transition risks identified using asset and value-chain exposure
  • Scenario analysis tests demand, policy, technology and commodity assumptions
  • TCFD-style governance links climate risks to board oversight and controls
  • Adaptation measures assessed alongside mitigation investments and operational continuity
  • Workforce impacts considered for skills, safety and employment changes
  • Stakeholder engagement plans address communities, customers, workers and suppliers

Participants can establish disclosure-ready governance, controls and performance monitoring for decarbonisation delivery.

  • ISSB IFRS S2 disclosures mapped to governance, strategy and metrics
  • ISO 14064-1 requirements applied to inventory documentation and evidence
  • Assurance readiness strengthened through audit trails, controls and approvals
  • Transition-plan governance assigns executive sponsors, owners and escalation routes
  • Key performance indicators track emissions, energy, investment and milestones
  • Management reviews convert performance variances into corrective actions

Participants can tailor decarbonisation pathways to sector-specific emissions sources and constraints.

  • Industrial facilities prioritise process heat, efficiency and feedstock changes
  • Commercial property plans integrate retrofits, tenant engagement and electrification
  • Public-sector estates balance procurement rules, service continuity and budgets
  • Financial institutions assess financed emissions, engagement and portfolio targets
  • Consumer businesses address product design, packaging and distribution emissions
  • Transport operators sequence fleet replacement, charging and route redesign

Participants can convert abatement priorities into accountable implementation roadmaps and engagement plans.

  • Roadmap milestones sequence data improvement, pilots, procurement and scale-up
  • RACI matrices assign decision rights, delivery tasks and approval responsibilities
  • Programme risks logged with likelihood, impact, owners and mitigations
  • Change plans address operating procedures, incentives and capability needs
  • Supplier and employee communications connect actions to measurable requirements
  • Quarterly review cycles refresh forecasts, budgets and implementation priorities

Participants can build, review and present a complete, quantified net zero transition plan for a defined organisation or business unit.

  • Baseline inventory assembled with boundaries, sources, factors and data-quality ratings
  • Target pathway reconciled with science-based criteria and operational assumptions
  • Abatement portfolio ranked through cost, timing, feasibility and emissions impact
  • Renewable procurement and electrification choices justified through decision criteria
  • Investment case integrates carbon pricing, financial returns and funding options
  • Implementation roadmap presents governance, milestones, risks and performance indicators

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. GHG inventory boundary and data-quality template
  2. Scope 1, 2 and 3 baseline model
  3. Science-based target and claims checklist
  4. Marginal abatement cost curve model
  5. Renewable electricity procurement decision matrix
  6. Net zero transition plan pack

Who should attend

  • Sustainability Managers — responsible for translating emissions commitments into delivery plans
  • Energy Managers — prioritising efficiency, electrification and renewable energy investments
  • Operations Managers — reducing emissions from facilities, fleets and production assets
  • Procurement Managers — addressing supplier emissions and renewable electricity contracts
  • Finance and Investment Managers — assessing transition capital, carbon prices and project returns
  • Risk, Strategy and Reporting Professionals — linking transition actions to governance and disclosure

Skills and tools covered

GHG inventory designTarget settingAbatement cost analysisRenewable procurementTransition planningClimate disclosure

Tools and standards

GHG Protocol Corporate Standard, SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard, ISO 14064-1, IPMVP

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short technical briefings followed by worked examples, sector cases, facilitated calculations and small-group decision exercises. Participants test emissions boundaries, assess data quality, build abatement cost curves and compare energy procurement choices using realistic assumptions. Simulations address executive challenge, supplier engagement and capital-allocation trade-offs. Application planning links each method to participants' own assets, value chains or reporting responsibilities. Trainers adapt cases and discussion emphasis for public-sector, industrial, financial services, property, transport and multinational cohorts.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should understand basic business finance, operational processes or sustainability reporting and be comfortable working with simple quantitative assumptions in spreadsheets. Familiarity with carbon accounting, energy markets or climate disclosure is helpful but not required. The course assumes participants can interpret energy bills, activity data, procurement information or project proposals relevant to their role. No engineering qualification, environmental science degree, specialist software expertise or prior certification in greenhouse gas accounting is required. Participants from non-technical functions are welcome where they influence investment, sourcing, reporting or implementation decisions.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

You should understand basic business operations, finance or sustainability reporting and be willing to work with quantitative assumptions. Prior carbon-accounting or engineering experience is helpful but not required.

Bring a laptop for calculations and planning work. If permitted by your employer, bring non-confidential energy, emissions, fleet, procurement or project data relevant to your role.

It is designed for professionals who influence emissions reduction through sustainability, energy, operations, procurement, finance, risk or strategy roles. It also suits cross-functional teams preparing a transition plan together.

Carbon accounting courses focus mainly on measuring and reporting emissions. This course includes inventory methods but moves further into target setting, abatement choices, capital cases, renewable procurement, governance and implementation.

You will use the same templates and decision methods to assess your organisation's emissions sources, reduction options and delivery constraints. The capstone provides a structured transition-plan format that can be adapted after the course.

The first half establishes emissions accounting, targets and major reduction pathways while participants begin building practical work. The second half focuses on investment choices, credits, risk, disclosure, implementation and the final transition-plan capstone.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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