ENVR E-116A Measuring and Mitigating Indirect Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Semester: 

Fall
  • Professor: Michael Macrae, Marlon Robert Banta, Richard Goode
  • Term: Fall
  • Days: Th
  • Time: 5:10-7:10PM
  • School: Harvard Extension School
  • Course ID: 16165

The impact of supply chains on an organization's overall greenhouse gas emissions is becoming an increasingly relevant topic as more and more companies outsource manufacturing, logistics, and other key functions to third parties. Waste, water use, and greenhouse gas emissions are still incurred in bringing products and services to consumers, but they are often not fully accounted for. Proper accounting for the emissions that are known contributors to climate change is coming under increasing scrutiny. This course allows students to investigate the best approaches to measuring and mitigating scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions. Scope 3 emissions, for the purposes of the course, include all indirect emissions that occur in the value chain of a typical organization. Students investigate how to gather data from disparate sources, how to calculate or estimate emissions, and how the procurement of supplies, services, and travel can be managed to mitigate or even reduce scope 3 emissions. The course also investigates scope 3 emissions reduction efforts that are underway at several leading Fortune 500 companies as well as universities and government agencies.

Note: This course meets via live web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time.

Requirement: ENVR E-116 is encouraged but not necessary.