Oxford’s Smith School, CEEW Launch ‘Reaching Net Zero’ Course for Indian Leaders

The Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford, and independent think tank Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) have launched a first-of-its-kind course, ‘Reaching Net Zero’.

The online self-paced certificate course, hosted by the global learning platform Apolitical, is designed especially for the Indian market, and has commenced on 13 February 2025.

It is suitable for policymakers, senior executives in public-sector banks and financial institutions, decision-makers, corporate social responsibility (CSR) teams, and sustainability officers from India's banking, corporate, and public sectors who seek to develop confidence in researching, discussing, and connecting their work to the net zero efforts as well as academia and training institutes.

India's net zero policy is set to transform the economy, reshaping industries, creating green jobs, and attracting investment in sustainable technologies. It will also strengthen energy security and build resilience against climate risks. The Reaching Net Zero for India course provides a comprehensive overview of the net zero target, equipping Indian policymakers and industry leaders with the knowledge and tools necessary to make informed decisions ahead of the curve on climate and sustainability challenges.

The transition to a green economy, which continues to gather pace in India, presents a wealth of opportunities for jobs, growth, and sustainability. The Smith School and CEEW-designed course will cover, among other topics, the meaning and science of net zero, the political ramifications of climate change, and net zero policies, examining their specific implications for India’s development trajectory, energy security, markets, job creation, and climate risks to investments.

Participants will explore the science underpinning net zero and engage with policies designed to reach it. They will also gain an insight into how they can manage net zero in their context.

Dr. Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, CEEW, said, “The climate is the economy now, and the road to net zero will have far-reaching implications on all levels of government, portfolios of banking institutions, quality of life, and balance sheets of businesses. This course on net zero comes at a critical time and decade — it will build the capacity of Indian decision-makers and equip them for a unique developmental trajectory where growth must happen with decarbonisation.”

Dr. Radhika Khosla, Associate Professor at the Oxford Smith School, commented, “Our shared ambition is for this course to support India’s progress towards net zero and sustainable development, as well being a key global actor on addressing climate change. As long as human activities continue to add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, global temperatures will keep rising with countries like India often being the most vulnerable to devastating climate impacts. We hope this course will make the latest science on achieving net zero and sustainable development accessible across policy and decision-makers, to inform decisions that unlock progress.”

The course will feature the expertise and content of the Smith School’s Indian academics, including Dr. Radhika Khosla, Associate Professor at the Smith School and Director of the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development, Dr. Anupama Sen, Head of Policy Engagement for the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, Ranjita Rajan, Business Fellow, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, leaders and subject matter experts from CEEW, including Dr. Vaibhav Chaturvedi, Senior Fellow who specialises in low-carbon economies and carbon markets.