ACCO CC-P® Requirements Checklist & Validation Form

Resumes

Meeting Your Elective Requirements (updated 2024)

In addition to passing the 4 above-referenced exams, you will need to take 14 hours of elective training in order to earn the Certified Climate Change Professional® (CC-P®) credential.  All elective courses must have a clear set of learning objectives covered under the scope or relating to the Core Competencies for Climate Change Officers and Professionals and should not be redundant to subject matter and competencies covered by the 4 exams.  All electives must be oriented toward executive or professional development (e.g. undergraduate/graduate courses, conference plenary sessions and site visits/tours may not be applied toward elective requirements).

About the Sector, Regional & Role Requirements:

For this requirement, there is a strong preference for satisfying 3.5 hours oriented toward your geographic region or region type (e.g. coastal community, high altitude, desert), 3.5 hours oriented toward your employer's sector and 3.5 hours toward your occupation or professional responsibilities. 

• Not sure what sector is applicable to you? You may consult the following resources to identify which sector(s) might best apply to you:

  • Economic sectors

  • Critical infrastructure sectors

• Note for professionals working in client or service oriented positions: You may use the sector or region of the organizations you consult or support as long as that experience is documented in the resume or CV submitted in your CC-P application.

Electives must be taken within 1 year of the date of the final CC-P® application. For webinar recordings, the content must have been recorded within 2 years of the final application submitted.

• Taking coursework through ACCO: ACCO offers a robust suite of training modules through live online and on-demand programming and in-person training programs. Course content and programs that have not been identified as recommended prep materials for exams can be leveraged to meet elective requirements.

• Satisfying electives through ACCO Accredited Providers and Events: ACCO will be designating a group of events and organizations as accredited providers. Course offerings and training activities that meet the above-referenced elective requirements are eligible for satisfying the elective requirements.

• Satisfying electives through other third-party providers: Candidates are welcome to satisfy elective requirements through third-party institutions, though will be required to provide sufficient documentation reflecting provider, venue, date, content and instructors. ACCO reserves the right to decline any training that does not meet its guidelines for relevance and rigor. Note that training organized, administered or provided by your employer may not be used for elective requirements. Consult ACCO for more information.

Documenting Your Electives (updated 2024)

1. Courses satisfying elective requirements must be structured learning activities (e.g. executive education, workshops, conference breakout sessions with a clearly described objective). Undergraduate and graduate courses, tours, site visits, keynote speakers and interviews may not be used toward electives. Learning activities used toward electives may not be self-study or self-taught.

2. All electives must take place within 12 months of the date of your application.

3. Any training that has not been pre-approved by ACCO (i.e. ACCO courses, training by ACCO accredited providers) must be accompanied by official documentation (e.g. web page description, event agenda/syllabus) enabling ACCO to approve usage as an elective.  If that documentation is not available, please use the Elective Validation form to provide that information.
   > Note: You may NOT copy and paste descriptions into a blank Word document. All documentation should be either a PDF or screenshot copy of the course provider’s official materials (e.g. web site, email announcement, marketing/class materials) with the course provider’s branding/design elements incorporated.

4. You will need to provide ONE of the following means of validating your participation in the training activity:
   > Registration confirmation
   > Copy of a sign-in sheet
   > ACCO Elective Validation form (attached)