Become a Certified Climate Change Professional Today!
Live Online Training
Summer 2020 CC-P® Prep Programs —
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Daytime Program:
Classes Begin: June 29, 2020
Last Class: August 13, 2020Evening Program:
Classes Begin: July 8, 2020
Last Class: August 24, 2020
Upcoming Climate Fundamentals Academies
Note: In-person training programs have been postponed until Fall 2020 or later depending upon the evolution of the COVID-19 virus.
On-Demand Video Training Store
Recommended Exam Prep Course (Climate Science & Vulnerability Assessment)
Estimated Time: 3h 20m
This course provides participants with an overview of the current state of knowledge about Earth’s climate system, how climate is projected to change this century, practical implications of these projections for different socioeconomic sectors, and the basics how effective communication and engagement can help mobilize your organization for action. Attendees will learn how to use climate projections to identify climate related risks and vulnerabilities, and understand how science-based information and tools are being used for strategic planning. Participants will go through an interactive demonstration to apply what they have learned throughout the course.
Learning Objectives
- Distinguishing between weather, climate variability, and climate change
- Describing observed recent decadal-scale changes in climate and their impacts
- Paraphrasing types and trends in climate forcings, their relative importance, and uncertainty
- Summarizing projected climate changes and how climate projections are made
- Explaining some major impacts of projected climate change and their corresponding uncertainty
- Understanding public opinion about climate change and effectively communicate about climate science to different audiences
- Classifying public opinion based on scientific studies to select communication strategies
Elective
Estimated Time: 1h 6m
There is inherent variability built into the Earth's natural systems, but anthropogenic disruption of the atmosphere, biosphere and oceans is leading to longer-term climatic changes that cannot be ignored. More frequent and more extreme occurrences of certain types of weather events associated with climate change also increasingly challenge resilience and recovery. This Bootcamp gives participants an understanding of current climatic trends and shorter-term consequences that is critical to ensuring the stability and long-term success of an organization. Participants will learn about longer-term natural climate trends as a baseline for understanding current human disruptions to the climate system.
Learning Objectives
- Discerning the difference between climate variability and climate change
- Understanding the difference between climate and weather
- Assessing probability, magnitude and returns of extreme events
- Understanding uncertainties and limitations of climate projections, and how and when extreme weather events might change:
- Understanding IDF curves (intensity, duration, frequency)
- Attributing extreme events or weather patterns to climate change
- Understanding of regional / local examples as well as global data
- Distinguishing between climate change and modern climate variability, and communicating these issues
- Placing modern climate change in the context of long-term climate records
Recommended Exam Prep Course (Climate Science & Vulnerability Assessment)
Estimated Time: 1h 13m
This course will provide a basic overview of sea level rise in the context of climate change, including the basics of temporal and regional changes, the forcing mechanisms for sea level rise in the past and projections for the future. Attendees will gain a fundamental understanding of the observing systems used to measure sea level change, and how various government agencies are planning for the impacts of sea level rise. Learners will also get an overview of the concept of risk management in the face of sea level rise, looking at various adaptation strategies, and discussing the concept of how to build resilience. Attendees will participate in an instructor-led discussion on what steps they might take to help mitigate impacts of sea level rise in their communities.
Learning Objectives
Gaining experience with water level measurement techniques, both coastal and global, and how the data they generate is merged and tracked over time
Understanding recent sea level rise trends
- Using the latest visualization tools to explore sea level rise along the US coast
- Learning the basics of SLR vulnerability and coastal flood risk assessment techniques through real life examples from around the country
- Understanding impacts on coastal infrastructure in vulnerable areas
- Articulating the difference between storm surge and sea level rise
Elective
Estimated Time: 1h 33m
This course examines how climate change is already affecting human health from the perspectives of social and behavioral sciences, epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, and health services management and policy. Attendees will learn how climate impacts on food, water and air quality, along with weather events create risks for human health. Course content will include implications of degraded air quality, disease transmission and vectors, vulnerabilities to asthma and allergies, and changes to traditional norms. The course will also address the nexus of climate change impacts with other underlying health, demographic, and socioeconomic factors.
Preliminary Learning Objectives
- Understanding the public health implications of climate change
- Assessing trends in public health likely to take place as climate impacts increase
- Leveraging resources to identify impacts likely to be experienced in certain geographic regions or region type
- Effectively and persuasively communicating climate change and public health considerations
Recommended Exam Prep Course (Climate Science & Vulnerability Assessment)
Estimated Time: 1h 21m
Course participants will receive an introduction to available community-relevant information sources and tools, climate data sets, and a template to help assess an organization's (or region's) climate risks and current resilience. Attendees will learn how to define climate-related hazards, recognize differential impacts of those hazards, identify existing and future risks, fully understand their current vulnerabilities and strengths, identify and utilize stakeholder partnerships to inform the decision making process, and evaluate the most critical vulnerabilities for their organization.
Learning Objectives
- Clarifying relevant terminology
- Understanding the importance of doing cross-sector, cross-discipline and whole community analysis
- Understanding the basics of risk analysis framework and risk management approaches (i.e. defining criticality, prioritizing vulnerabilities), and incorporating climate change into risk analysis activities, strategies and portfolios
- Learning how historical data on climate hazards and community indicators are accessed and used (including socioeconomic and health data)
- Evaluating gaps in data and vulnerability knowledge
- Learning about vulnerability assessments and natural catastrophe modeling, and the resources necessary to undertake vulnerability assessment work
- Grasping timeframes and frequency of different climate hazards, aligning these with decision making processes, and effectively communicating about these issues
Elective
Estimated Time: 1h 59m
There is a wealth of publicly available climate data in addition to internal data gathered by your organization. How do practitioners effectively organize and apply this data to learn from it, pinpoint organizational risks and opportunities, and inform and motivate colleagues? This Bootcamp builds your climate knowledge by surveying the full range of available tools and strategies to help you take full advantage of climate data.
Learning Objectives
Learning about existing climate data, modeling and tools available to practitioners, and where and how to access these resources
Understanding sources of and reasons for uncertainty (at different timescales, due to measurements, due to politics, downscaling, etc.), and making strong organizational decisions in this context
Translating data into actionable information for your organization, and understanding thresholds for action
Using case studies to understand how subsets of these data and tools have been used in the past
Identifying critical gaps in data and knowledge
Recommended Exam Prep Course (Materiality, Risk Management & Economics)
Estimated Time: 3h 33m
Climate change is already having profound effects on world economies. Disruptions and costs associated with extreme events, sea level rise, heat waves, ecological degradation and resource scarcity will only increase as global warming progresses, and far outweigh any short term costs of meaningful climate action. In this Bootcamp, instructors will lay out the basic economic argument for businesses and governments to tackle climate change mitigation and adaptation, and show such action can safeguard the stability of our societies in generations to come.
Learning Objectives
- Fundamentals of economic theories and concepts
- Climate change impacts on global economies and markets
- Quantifying disruptions and costs associated with climate change, climate variability and extreme events
- Accounting for the economics and future prices of energy, water, air, and other natural resources
- Cost/benefit analysis of climate action (or inaction)
- Leveraging microeconomic tools
- Collecting and integrating information from a variety of sources
Elective
Estimated Time: 2h 18m
Energy efficiency is a key component of any organization’s climate change strategy. This bootcamp will provide an overview of how to approach and finance energy efficiency projects and incorporate efficiency into broader management programs. Attendees will learn how energy efficiency benefits are monetized, understand various types of audit approaches and tools, assess the strengths and weaknesses of these in the context of their organizations, and link energy metrics to GHG accounting metrics. They will leave with an understanding of where their organizations lie along the energy efficiency spectrum as well as how to make energy efficiency programs last beyond initial projects by integrating them into organizational processes and culture.
Learning Objectives
- Establishing an energy efficiency management strategy for your org, including setting boundaries and assessing creating an action plan, implementation, and establishing criteria for success
- Communicating the financial benefits of emission and energy reduction projects
- Leveraging tools and resources to support initiatives and recruit supporters
- Learning strategies for measuring results and expanding programs
Elective
Estimated Time: 1h 57m
This course will help attendees assess, scope and define renewable energy opportunities and strategies for their organizations. Key issues to be covered include: categories of renewables; long-term procurement options; mapping the internal approval process; assessing economic hedging and risk; contract structures; policy landscapes of different states and regions and how organizations tie in to these; working with developers/consultants, and more. Participants will engage in exercises and discussions of real-world best practices and tactics for jumpstarting a leading renewable energy program.
Learning Objectives
- Identifying key value drivers of renewables for your organization
- Analyzing and evaluating different renewable energy opportunities, and related purchasing and financing options
- Establishing a renewable energy management strategy for your org, including setting boundaries, planning, implementation, and establishing criteria for success
- Mapping key internal and external stakeholders to engage
- Accessing concrete guidance and specific resources to help identify and overcome barriers to utilization of renewable energy
- Navigating the first steps toward onsite or offsite renewables procurement
Recommended Exam Prep Course (GHG, Energy & Water Management)
Estimated Time: 2h 54m
Understanding and managing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is foundational to reducing an organization’s footprint and managing its resource utilization and risks. This course will provide participants with an understanding of the value proposition for GHG management, fundamental accounting principles, disclosure, verification and reporting frameworks, and common practices for leveraging GHG data.
Learning Objectives
- Understanding the value of conducting a GHG inventory
- Accounting for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and understanding common protocols
- Differentiating between common regulatory and voluntary reporting frameworks
- Establishing boundaries for accounting and reporting
- Collecting, measuring, reporting and disclosing GHG emissions
- Leveraging GHG inventories to drive operational improvements/change
- Verifying and improving inventory accuracy
Recommended Exam Prep Course (GHG, Energy & Water Management)
Estimated Time: 2h 2m
Energy, water and food/agriculture systems are inextricably linked. Understanding the intersection of these three systems is important since a disruption can present serious risks to an organization and lead to cascading impacts. This session will cover the linkages of these systems as well as the impacts, risks, and opportunities associated with the energy, water and agriculture/food nexus, and how it relates to greenhouse gases. Bootcamp instructors will provide examples of how these interdependencies can play out in a warming world.
Learning Objectives
- Understanding the relationship between water, energy, and food systems
- Identifying the cascading implications resulting from shortages or disruptions in these systems
- Appreciating the complexities of the interconnected relationships
- Examining implications of an organization’s resource use
- Recognizing the unintended consequences of addressing one aspect of the nexus without addressing the others
- Understanding how changes in climate affect these systems, and the relationship to greenhouse gases
Recommended Exam Prep Course (Climate Science & Vulnerability Assessment)
Estimated Time: 2h 36m
This course guides participants through the process steps required to establish and implement a GHG reduction goal. The instructors will provide brief case studies highlighting how their respective organizations adapted process elements to meet their business objectives. Key questions that will be addressed include determining objectives, establishing a baseline, establishing a business as usual forecast, setting GHG reduction targets, selling to senior management, and how to devise a viable implementation plan. The instructors will also provide direction on applicable tools and references, and they will lead discussion on how to overcome some of the most challenging obstacles.
Learning Objectives
- Determining GHG management objectives, baselines, and ‘aggressiveness’ benchmarks
- Forecasting business as usual emissions and setting reduction targets
- Selling reduction targets and management goals to management
- Communicating goals and progress internally and externally
- Developing and implementing an initiative for reduction goals
- Identifying the right approach for an organization
- Understanding the methods available for developing targets
- Engaging in peer benchmarking/comparison as well as best practices
- Examining the structure of reduction goals (absolute vs. intensity, etc.)
- Understanding the inter-annual variability in emissions and how it affects goal parameters
Recommended Exam Prep Course (Governance, Law & Policy)
Estimated Time: 2h 42m
Climate change impacts all decision-making and operating functions across organizations and sectors. Strategically planning organizational change and engaging internal and external stakeholders dramatically increases the success of climate change initiatives. This course will teach you the basics of organizational change, how to identify and engage stakeholders, and the fundamentals of systemic approaches to actively managing and leading change in your organization.
Learning Objectives
- Understanding the fundamentals of organizational and behavioral change strategies and tactics
- Identifying strategic internal and external stakeholders, understanding their motivations and value, and mobilizing action
- Gaining a realistic understanding of options, possibilities, organizational structures and processes
- Establishing a framework for driving systemic change in climate action
- Fostering a culture of adaptive capacity within an organization
Recommended Exam Prep Course (Governance, Law & Policy)
Estimated Time: 2h 0m
Achieving organizational climate strategies requires a broad understanding of the legal/policy landscape of and related to climate change and energy. This bootcamp will help attendees think through how the current legal/policy landscape and stakeholder perspectives relate to an organization's interests and to inform its practices.
Learning Objectives
- Understanding the international, national and local legal/policy landscape on climate change;
- Engaging internal and external stakeholders around a climate strategy;
- Structuring a climate action plan/strategy, and identifying policy related risks and opportunities for an organization;
- Leveraging policy tools to drive and implement GHG reduction, resilience and climate adaptation initiatives;
- Understanding climate implications for an organization/business and related cost/mission impacts;
- Assessing existing internal/external goals, objectives and related policy strategies; and
- Identifying conflicting policy initiatives.
Recommended Exam Prep Course (Governance, Law & Policy)
Estimated Time: 1h 10m
Numerous occupations require practitioners to possess special licenses and responsibilities that hold them to higher standards, as well as demand special knowledge and skill, when undertaking their professional responsibilities. Those practitioners working on climate change related considerations must discern between fact and fiction, and engage in difficult, realistic assessments of risk. This course examines ethical duties, legal liability considerations, and one's professional responsibilities and aspirations in the context of climate change.
Learning Objectives
- Understanding the need to make distinctions between fact and risk, and the implications on the duties of professional competence
- Considering how ethical standards apply to numerous occupations working on climate change initiatives, including how to locate relevant provisions of professional codes
- Understanding the elements of professional negligence and malpractice, exploring actual legal cases involving professional negligence, and discussing how disclosures and contracts and defenses, such as caveat emptor and sovereign immunity, can minimize liability in various professional disciplines
- Recognizing how the mandates of ethical codes do, and do not, influence civil or criminal liability, and distinguishing between the risks of professional discipline and the risks of professional negligence
- Thinking about aspirations of professionalism, and whether and how non-mandatory documents associated with various professions should influence climate change professionals
Recommended Exam Prep Course (Materiality, Risk Management & Economics)
Estimated Time for Online Course: 2h 17m
From global supply chain disruptions to local power outages, from rising commodity prices to facilities flooding, climate change hazards and their cascading effects can have major consequences on companies’ financial results. This course addresses whether and how climate risks should be included in public disclosure and reports. Course curriculum includes a methodical breakdown of climate impacts, and an overview of legal requirements and best practices in disclosure and reporting through a combination of interactive discussions and scenario analyses.
Learning Objectives
- Categorizing and analyzing impacts (e.g. regulatory, market, physical, investments, insurance, direct and indirect losses)
- Understanding materiality (e.g. legal definition, reporting frameworks) and the value of the materiality assessment process
- Leveraging tools, methods and techniques for quantifying climate change impacts
- Assessing reporting and disclosure options
- Identifying resources and best practices to support climate risk reporting and disclosure
Elective
Duration: 1 hour 46 minutes
The complex and evolving systems implications of climate change require institutions to work together across organizational boundaries to effective reduce emissions, enhance adaptive capacity and improve resilience to extreme events. Each organization is accountable for its own actions, but no organization will successfully prepare for and take responsible actions without meaningful collaboration with peers and neighboring institutions. This course module will examine the critical aspects of shared understanding, securing commitment, incentives and urgency in driving cross-organizational climate action.
Learning Objectives
Understanding when and how to collaborate with other organizations and institutions
Identifying the right organizations and people to engage
Building a shared value proposition for collaboration and securing institutional commitment
Choosing the right methods and models for implementation
Establishing benchmarks and metrics to determine success