-Shreyosi Chakraborty

As planet Earth gets warmer day by day, the need for a specialised career in Climate technology and Climate change solutions is of utmost importance. According to National Geographic, since 1906, the global average surface temperature has risen by more than 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit (0.9 degrees Celsius) and figure is even more skewed in the polar regions. The unprecedented heat waves across Europe and the United Kingdom this year, that killed almost 15,000 people and the Pakistan floods that led to around 1,500 fatalities and displaced millions are all manifestations of it. 

Anant National University’s (AnantU) latest initiative Bachelor of Technology focussing on Climate Change is a four-year, full-time, undergraduate engineering programme where students become part of MIT Solv(ed) initiative. MIT not only offers a course on social innovation for climate change solutions, but also provides micro-grants to all AnantU students for their student projects, and counsels them on how to spend the micro-grant wisely.

It is the only undergraduate degree programme in India offering students the opportunity to specialise in climate technologies and seamlessly integrate into the $23 trillion global climate economy. At the AnantU’s Climate Lab students are taught to leverage engineering tools as part of a practical application-oriented learning & implement them within industry, government, research laboratories to create technology-driven solutions for climate change. The inaugural cohort of students began on 15 September 2022.

Dr Miniya Chatterji, founding director of the Anant School for Climate Action and CEO, Sustain Labs Paris talks to EducationWorld

Is this course equivalent to B.Tech in Climate Engineering?

This is more nuanced and specialised than an engineering course. Rather than a B. Tech in climate engineering, it is a degree that is geared toward providing urgent solutions to help Developing countries fight climate change and its effects.

What would the students learn from the course in these four years?

Students will deep dive into learning the climate crisis and ways to tackle them efficiently. This course will shed light on a variety of contexts, including finance, conservation, agriculture, loss & damage, and the disproportionate impact on marginalised and indigenous communities. Statistics and Data Analysis are also part of the curriculum to achieve better preparation, recovery & reporting – which are crucial to fight environmental disasters.

The course will provide students with the skills to use computer programmes like (Python), Simapro to create climate models that include atmospheric, oceanic and land processes. They would learn how to design infrastructure for climate resilience and equip communities with the necessary tools to withstand and rapidly recover from disruptions caused by extreme weather events, and to adapt to changing conditions. Students will also learn geoengineering and fossil energy options & consequences.

Development studies, urban planning, affordable housing, and circular economy would also be part of the course. Examinations would be held to assess how urban planning can play a role in reducing carbon emissions through prioritising efficient energy use, and large-scale utilisation of renewable energy. 

What are the future job prospects?

The demand for climate engineers has increased exponentially while the supply of talent continues to dwindle. Approximately 1,20,000 people globally, and less than 5,000 people in India, are formally trained to adequately cater to the $23 trillion global climate industry opportunities expected to arise between now and 2030. The IFC projects that in India alone, there is a potential to create 3 million renewable energy jobs by 2030. The World Economic Forum also supports the tremendous scope for jobs in the climate industry by forecasting that India’s transition to a green economy could potentially create 50 million jobs by 2070. Students would be employed as Climatologist, Geoscientist, Environmental Engineer, Environmental Scientist, Renewable Energy Technician, Renewable Energy Scientist.

Would students be offered campus jobs?

The programme has mandated Sustain Labs Paris for 100% placements of all students in India and internationally. 

What is the eligibility criteria to enrol in this course?

High school graduates, having studied any three of the following subjects, viz. Computer Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology during their 10+2 will be eligible to apply for this course.

What is the general fee structure for the course?

For Indian nationals, the Annual fee would be INR 2,90,000 while for Foreign nationals it is INR 8,65,000.

Are workshops or practical field experience included in the course curriculum?

Students will be placed on industry projects during semester 8. They will work on live climate technology projects within external organisations, co-guided by an academic and industry partner. This will enable a smooth transition of the student from the university to the surge of jobs within the $23 trillion climate industry.

Expected salary package for students passing out?

As these skills are rare, employees in the climate industry currently receive an annual package of minimum INR 11,00,000, while the maximum stretches to INR 84,00,000. 

Does the course ensure prevention of climate change? If yes, how?

The course recognises the need for new technologies, technical research, and engineering in the field of climate change. Hiring people with the skills provided by this course will be crucial for companies, government, the scientific community, and not just in India, but globally. Increasing compliance regulations mandates organisations to be climate resilient. No organization can escape the transformation and hence their need for skilled engineers to transform products, services, and processes to be climate positive is imperative. AnantU’s Bachelor of Technology focussing on Climate Change would thus help prevent climate change by provisioning the skilled engineers needed to implement climate technologies both in India and the world.

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