Moving To Net Zero

According to the IPCC, limiting global warming to 1.5° C requires net human caused carbon dioxide emissions to fall by 45% by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050. The UNEP Gap Report recently suggested that emissions must fall 7.6% for year from 2020 to 2030 for the 1.5° C goal and 2.7% per year for the 2° C goal.

 

There is a stark difference in impact between 1.5 degrees and 2 degrees of warming. The IPCC has warned that going beyond 1.5° C will entail a huge increase in the frequency and intensity of climate impacts. A commitment to net-zero by 2050 or earlier therefore implies a target in line with the required trajectory for 1.5 degrees of warming. Setting science based target initiative is necessary for companies to adopt a target in line with climate science. These targets then need to be worked upon and followed through via the implementation of a robust plan.

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Ultimately, all sectors need to reach net-zero. However, each sector will face different challenges in decarbonizing: for some sectors it will be more costly or technically difficult than others, some will have to focus mostly on their operations and others on the full value chain. 

Given how crucial it is for your company to reach net zero by 2050 or earlier, Sustain Labs works with you to help your organisation set science based targets to reach net zero and implement your plans to achieve those targets. This work requires carbon emission mitigation within your operations. Currently, offsets are not recognized under this approach and can only be a helpful interim solution as part of a net-zero strategy.

 

Besides working with organisations on setting and implementing net zero strategies, Sustain Labs also leads and runs the Anant Fellowship for Climate Action to train high potential climate solutionaries who will be the next generation leaders in this field.  

 
Anant Fellowship For Climate Action

Sustain Labs has conceptualised and is running the Anant Fellowship for Climate Action which is funded by Anant National University The Fellowship is a unique international climate education program which began in October 2020. It is based on a mentor-mentee framework and is designed to help Fellows develop the skills required for them to lead large scale solutions to mitigate climate change.  Members from Sustain Labs are embedded within the client's internal team, working collaboratively in the management of the programme. 

Designed For Climate Change Solutionaries

The one-year Fellowship is open to all individuals irrespective of their age, degree or background, who are interested in working on solutions to mitigate climate change. to lead large scale solutions to climate change. 

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A Truly International Programme
Based On A Mentor-Mentee Framework

Anant Fellowship for Climate Action is based on a mentor-mentee framework. What this means, is that Fellows have the opportunity to engage with the board of mentors and learn from their rich experience as climate action leaders, through one-on-one interactions cultivated over the duration of the programme.

 

These interactions are led independently by the Fellows. The board of mentors comprises Dr. Arunabha Ghosh (Founder-CEO, CEEW India), Dr. Laurence Tubiana (CEO, European Climate Foundation Chair of Board of Governors, France), Mustapha Mokass (CEO, Beya Capital, Morocco), amongst others.

The founding cohort comprises 20 students from 7 countries, belonging to 4 nationalities. In the first year, we received 1600+ applications for the Fellowship. In the second year, within the first three months of inviting applications, we received 1400+ applications from 38 countries.

 

The faculty are subject matter experts who either come from some of the leading universities in the world, or are practitioners working across various areas of climate action - climate policy, construction industry, fashion, finance, food sovereignty, and energy access, to name a few. Some of the names are, Dr. Diana Mangalagiu (University of Oxford, UK), Dr. Scott Odell, (MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative), Dr. Debajit Palit (TERI, India) and Dr. Vandana Shiva (Navdanya, India).  

 

The Fellows learn about change management and leadership development through Indian and international perspectives. These courses introduce new ways of learning, working and living together to catalyse change for the good of society. They train under experts such as Devdutt Pattanaik (author, India) and Lise Anna Bruynooghe (Executive Coach, ProFound Consulting, Switzerland). The Fellows are also supported with personalised coaching from members of The School of Change, Switzerland.


The Fellowship is an official member of MIT Solve. As part of this relationship, the Fellows have the excellent opportunity to engage with like-minded individuals all year round, organise and participate in events organised by MIT Solve.

Innovation In Learning

The Anant Fellowship for Climate Action was adapted to a remote learning model in 2020-21 due to the restrictions imposed by COVID-19. To maintain the highest academic quality and engagement, we developed innovative solutions such as:

  • An online, intensive learning programme based on a flipped classroom model, curated jointly with Terra.do

  • Virtual café time (AFCA Cafe) for the Fellows to engage with each other outside of the classroom

  • Journal club 

  • Guest lecturers from from public, private and the education sectors from across the world 

  • Bi-monthly newsletter (Gravity) edited by the Fellows and circulated within the Fellowship community

Global Hubs

The Fellowship will be adapted into a hybrid model in the 2021-22 session. While academic modules will still be conducted online, Fellows will be part of local hubs in various cities across the world and will meet locally. We are curating these hubs such that each hub will have alumni from Terra.do, MIT Solver teams, AFCA Fellows and alumni. These hubs will be called ' AFCA Cafes' all over the world.