Sustainability training
Specialist training is available which can help you reduce your carbon emissions and operate in a more efficient way.
Find out what kind of courses are offered and where you can sign up for one.
Sustainability training
Sustainability means operating your business in a way that protects the environment as well as keeping your business economically viable.
Training topics can include:
- carbon footprint analysis and management
- waste management
- energy awareness and action
- renewable technologies
Do an online search to find out about sustainability training courses offered nationwide.
Most courses are offered online. Both accredited and non-accredited options are available.
Green Skills Bootcamps
Green skills are the broad range of technical skills, knowledge, behaviours and capabilities that we need to develop and support a sustainable society.
Green Skills Bootcamps are designed to provide industry relevant training and sector-based skills to support net zero carbon targets. They are part of the UK Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee.
The bootcamps are flexible training courses up to 16 weeks, with a guaranteed job interview (where a candidate is being recruited to a new job) or new opportunities.
Training is free to individuals or those who are self-employed as long as they are:
- over 19 as of the 31st August 2022
- have the right to live and work in the UK
For SMEs, the training cost is 90% funded, requiring a 10% contribution.
Visit GOV UK to find a green skills bootcamp in your area.
Employers can use the list of Skills Bootcamps training providers to find local colleges and providers to work with.
Online sustainability-related courses
You can also choose from free online courses on sustainability offered by state funded universities and colleges and private companies.
Courses offered by state funded universities and colleges are inspected and approved by the government. Private companies offering online learning are not, so you’ll need to check to make sure that courses are of good quality.
- Business Energy Scotland Green Champions Training Course – a free continuous professional development (CPD) certified online training course for Scottish organisations.
- Climate Fit is a free online training course to help SMEs reduce their carbon emissions and join the collective race to net zero.
- Coursera offers offers free climate change learning resources, such as the University of London’s Global Energy and Climate Policy.
- EdX is a massive open online course (MOOC) platform that offers courses related to climate change, sustainability, and environmental sciences. It collaborates with renowned educational institutions like Harvard and MIT.
- Free Courses in England offers fully-funded online courses on environmental sustainability.
- Heart of the City’s Climate for SME’s: 4 Steps to Action is a free online toolkit especially for SMEs. Businesses can use the practical resources to measure their carbon footprint and create an action plan to get them to net zero.
- Heart of the City’s ‘Net Zero Accelerator’ is a 10-week programme consisting of four expert-led workshops, tools, guidance, and one-to-one support for SMEs to measure their baseline carbon footprint and create a net zero action plan, with expert guidance. It’s free for SMEs based in or operating within the City of London, and funded by the City of London Corporation as part of their Climate Action Strategy. The programme will run from 14 January to 25 March 2025. The deadline to apply is 7 January 2025.
- The Open University offers free OpenLearn courses such as Sustainable innovations in enterprises.
- The One UN Climate Change Learning Partnership (UN CC:Learn) offers free climate change learning resources, with e-learning courses like Introduction to Sustainable Finance.
- Scottish Business Climate Collaboration’s Climate Action Hub Learning Pathway is a free e-learning series containing 12 short modules for Scottish enterprises.
- Sustainable Development Goals Academy offers free online courses on various sustainability topics, including climate change, renewable energy, sustainable cities.