Decarbonisation and Business (DEBU)

Why? Global climate action accelerates. Governments and businesses are setting de-carbonization targets that would have been unthinkable even three years ago. More than 3,000 companies have made net-zero commitments as part of the United Nation’s “Race to Zero” campaign. Capital markets are increasingly building emissions risk into asset prices, and venture investments in transition technologies are at an all-time high. At the same time, ,any companies are still ill-prepared because they lack data and analytical tools to inform their decisions about the future. Net zero transition is also an opportunity. Climate leaders can attract and retain better talent, realize higher growth, save costs, avoid regulatory risk, access cheaper capital and create new sources of value for customers.  The aim of this course is to equip the students with necessary knowledge and skills to develop effective and realistic decarbonisation strategies for corporations in a wide variety of economic sectors.

Topics

Module 1: Introduction to de-carbonization Corporate carbon footprint (Scope 1, 2 and 3)
Science-based de-carbonization Targets (SBT)
Analysis of de-carbonization options and marginal abatement cost curves (MACC)
Climate change risks assessment and climate resilience
Module 2: De-carbonizing industries Deep-dive into de-carbonization options for industrial sectors illustrated by case studies from specific industries
Advanced de-carbonization technologies for industrial sector:
 green hydrogen,
 energy storage,
 carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS)
Module 3: De-carbonizing buildings, cities, and transport Deep-dive into de-carbonization opportunities and solutions in the building, transport and urban infrastructure sectors illustrated by relevant case studies from Central Asia, Southern Caucasus, Western Balkan, Central and Eastern Europe. 
- energy efficient buildings
- renewable energy
- EVs and charging infrastructure
- Climate-smart waste and water management
Module 4: Financing de-carbonization Climate finance investment landscape: sources and modalities of deployment
Climate and transition bonds
Case studies:
- Financing building sector renovation by the Green Climate Fund
- Climate finance for sustainable forest management and other nature-based solutions

Module 5: Carbon offsetting and insetting Definitions and standards for carbon offsetting, insetting, Net Zero Carbon.
Voluntary carbon markets
Case studies of compensatory carbon offsets:
- Nature-based sollutions;
- Renewable energy and energy access