Climate Action Planning

This UBC micro-certificate equips professionals in local governments, nonprofits, and businesses with the tools to initiate climate action planning in their organizations. Through applied, flexible online learning, you'll gain the confidence to assess impacts, engage stakeholders, and take the first steps toward a climate action plan.

By the end of this program, you’ll be able to:

• Understand the foundations of climate action planning, including the science, policy, and justice-based drivers for organizational action.
• Assess your organization’s climate impact and readiness, identifying key areas of influence and opportunities for change.
• Engage internal and external stakeholders effectively to build support, awareness, and shared responsibility for climate action.
• Identify and gather key data, resources, and funding opportunities to support the development of a climate action plan.
• Develop a clear roadmap to kickstart climate action, including a draft terms of reference to guide your organization’s planning process.

This program is designed for professionals in local governments, nonprofit organizations, and businesses who are ready to take the first steps toward climate action but need guidance on where to start. It’s ideal for planners, policy advisors, sustainability leads, operations managers, and anyone tasked with initiating or supporting climate action planning within their organization. No prior experience in climate planning is required—just a commitment to making change

The total cost of the program is $1,950. Save 20% earlybird fee

All fees are in Canadian dollars, subject to change and to GST (where applicable). For details on forms of payment accepted, please see How to pay.

Find more details on refunds, cancellations and transfers.

This micro-certificate program is 10 weeks long and takes approximately 50 hours to complete.

Required course

Required course

Course name	Format	Next start date	Learn more
Climate Action Planning: Foundations, Finance and Implementation (0395)	Online	Oct 1, 2025	Details

This part-time 100% online program is instructor supported and combines real-time online sessions with independent study.

Outside of the live virtual sessions, participants will be guided through self-paced weekly learning including reading materials, videos and podcasts, and reflective exercises. There is a strong focus on applied knowledge and students are encouraged to incorporate real-life climate action planning mandates into their offline exercises.

Case studies are also used extensively throughout the program and may be presented by guest speakers who are engaged in active climate action projects.

Expected effort

Each weekly module includes approximately 3.5 hours of self-paced learning, and a 1.5 hour facilitated live virtual session. Expect to spend approximately five hours a week completing all learning activities, including attending the real-time online sessions

Technology requirements

To take this program, you need access to:

• an email account
• a computer, laptop or tablet, using Windows or macOS
• the latest version of a web browser (or previous major version release)
• a reliable internet connection
• a video camera and microphone (to access real-time sessions)

Textbooks and materials

All course content is provided in the online courses.

Assessment

You are assessed on successfully completing weekly quizzes and a series of short assignments designed to produce a terms of reference for your climate action plan.

You must achieve an overall grade of 75% or greater to pass and earn a micro-certificate

While you’re not assessed on your attendance of the real-time online sessions, we encourage you to attend so you don’t miss the opportunity to learn and interact with your instructors and other participants. All sessions are recorded in case you miss one.

This micro-certificate program was made possible by funding from UBC's Continuous Learning and Advancement Fund (CLAF) and the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS).

Our program instructors are experts with extensive industry and adult education experience.

Sara Elder, PhD is a senior policy advisor, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and an Adjunct Professor at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at UBC.

Milind Kandlikar, PhD, is Professor (and past Director) at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, with a cross-appointment at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at UBC.

John Madden is Director of Sustainability and Engineering for Campus and Community Planning at UBC.

Eric Mazzi, PhD, is a consultant and educator focusing on technology and policy for industrial and commercial demand-side energy systems.  He provides technical analysis, measurement & verification (M&V), policy studies, and educational services.

Additional program team members include:

• Niki Afshar-Pour is the Project Assistant for the Climate Action Planning Micro-certificate and has worked at the UBC Sustainability Hub for over 2 years while taking a BS in Environmental Sciences and a minor in Creative Writing.
• Brock Endean is the Principal Partner of RedPier Consulting and brings extensive experience of facilitation, planning, and engagement with youth, rural and Indigenous communities, and public institutions.
• Oliver Lane, BBE, MF, is a Manager, Teaching and Learning at the UBC Sustainability Hub, and brings 20 years of diverse experience in environmental education, program management, poverty reduction work and non-profit organizational leadership.
• Cait Murphy, BS, MA is an Engagement Specialist (Regional and International Engagement) at the UBC Sustainability HUB and currently leads its’ Regional and International Engagement program.
• Stefan Storey, PhD is an Assistant Professor at the New York Institute of Technology, Vancouver, British Columbia. Our program instructors are experts with extensive industry and adult education experience.