Open for the Climate

The course introduces you to the basics of the Baltic Sea, with its fragile and unique environment. Taking the course will help to better understand how human impacts are changing its marine ecosystems, but also how one can best reverse the negative trends of its destruction. Whether you take this course in your own pace, or within your university, we invite you to take part of the different lectures, and do the assignments for each topic. We hope you will learn something new about our beautiful semi-enclosed sea in Northern Europe. The course is built up with five chapters, each covering a new theme in several sections. Evolution, physical description and climateLife in the Baltic SeaPressures and challengesEnvironmental managementExamples from the region and future outlook The course takes approximately 50 hours to complete and if fully completed, students can request a digital certificate upon completing the course.

Toxic substances in recycled products, “forever chemicals” in batteries, unknown health effects of rare earth elements are all examples of potential risks arising from the development of climate-friendly solutions. The urgency of climate change requests for new solutions at a very fast pace, with the danger of dismissing other threats that can become equally impactful. This reminds of the industrial revolution where thousands of new products were invented in a short time but at high costs for human health and the environment. Integrating today’s knowledge on chemical safety into the green transition can prevent the reiteration of such mistakes. This course examines the health and environmental impacts of chemical toxicants in the environment that have emerged from technological advancements, focusing on both historical and recently developed chemicals. Students will explore the origins, actions, and regulatory frameworks for known toxicants, alongside emerging risks of new chemicals. In parallel, students will be presented with real-life success stories showing how innovative approaches to technology development can address chemical pollution challenges and contribute to building a healthier green transition. Topics Historical perspective on environmental contaminants and their health effects New toxicological challenges emerging from recently developed chemicals  Mechanisms of action of specific classes of environmental contaminants Regulatory frameworks and agencies addressing chemical contamination Databases related to detrimental effects, safety, and use of chemicals Good examples of safe transitioning, showing consideration of toxicological aspects in the product development stage Course structure This course is fully digital with pre-recorded lectures. You can take part in the course in your own pace.   You will learn By the end of the course, you will be able to: identify major classes of environmental contaminants, describe diseases that are known to be produced by environmental contaminants, formulate questions about chemical safety in relation to chemicals with unknown effects, access and understand information related to health effects of environmental toxicants, broadly describe of regulatory frameworks and agencies related to chemical safety. Who is the course for? This course is designed for any person involved in the development of new technologies, products, or industrial processes, for example engineers from different areas, R&D scientists, or entrepreneurs.

With concerns about climate and global environmental changes, extreme events, and increases in social, economic, and political shocks, the concept of resilience is proving popular across a range of sectors as a way to understand and respond to our surprise-riddled world. This concept is now presented in a course led by the Stockholm Resilience Centre and the Centre for Complex Systems in Transitions and includes the latest research and practice on resilience. Resilience thinking includes the ability to persist in the face of challenges, adapt to new realities, or transform to fundamentally new paths for development. Resilience thinking is more than a theory, more than a set of tools. It is a way of seeing the world, offering a new perspective of how change in the world happens. Resilience thinking provides a new approach for building understanding and taking action in a complex world that is deeply interconnected and ever-changing. A world where controlled, planned approaches, existing knowledge and current solutions are not enough to effectively respond to the challenges in a highly dynamic and uncertain future. Addressing poverty, injustice, and inequality, and advancing human well-being remains a major ambition and challenge for the 21st century, and it now needs to consider that development will happen in a context radically different from the past. This course includes case studies and examples from practitioners who are working with resilience concepts in diverse contexts around the world. It is supported by strong scientific evidence and committed to being a platform to bring together and spark collaboration between individuals and organizations from around the world who are driven to transform development. This course is for: Development practitioners, policymakers and managers within development agencies around the world, as well as those working in the field with an interest in resilience thinking as it relates to development policy and practice.Students who are interested in the intersection of resilience, sustainability and development, and with a general interest in both local and global sustainability challengesAnyone with an interest in development, resilience thinking, and sustainability

This open online course offers you useful insights as to how cities can speed up the change. It looks at how something as simple as the physical layout of cities can impact their ecological footprint. It shows the city’s crucial role in support of renewable energy and energy efficiency, as well as how urban planning and transport planning can provide benefits that go well beyond just the environment. The course has a focus on the science, methods and tools needed to reach the 1.5°C goal and it taps into WWF’s expertise from over a decade of supporting urban climate action through the One Planet City Challenge. The course exposes you to examples of ambitious urban climate action and helps highlight which actions can be relevant in your city. This course is produced by WWF in partnership with Lund University. Learning materials include best cases which come from the cities across the globe that partake in WWF’s global initiative the One Planet City Challenge, a written assignment, quizzes and a course compendium. The course content is structured as follows: Module 1: Cities & Climate Change / 1.5°C alignment in citiesModule 2: Urban Planning & Policy: Getting this right for climate & people            Module 3: Renewable Energy in cities - Renewable Energy Solutions are crucial for cities to meet the 1.5°C targetModule 4: Energy Efficiency in cities  

How can we work with nature to design and build our cities? This course explores urban nature and nature-based solutions in cities in Europe and around the world. We connect together the key themes of cities, nature, sustainability and innovation. We discuss how to assess what nature-based solutions can achieve in cities. We examine how innovation is taking place in cities in relation to nature. And we analyse the potential of nature-based solutions to help respond to climate change and sustainability challenges. This course was launched in January 2020, and it was updated in September 2021 with new podcasts, films and publications. The course is produced by Lund University in cooperation with partners from Naturvation – a collaborative project on finding synergies between cities, nature, sustainability and innovation. The course features researchers, practitioners and entrepreneurs from a range organisations.   

This course has an English version. Look for course with title "Why choose wood for the next high rise building?" KursbeskrivningOlika typer av biomaterial (t.ex. trä) är mycket viktiga i utmaningen att avkarbonisera byggmiljön och minska koldioxidavtrycket för byggnader och infrastruktur genom att ersätta material som stål och cement som har höga koldioxidutsläpp. Samtidigt får vi inte glömma bort att biologisk mångfald, natur och sociala värden i våra skogar är viktigt att behålla samtidigt som skogsbruk bedrivs. I kursens 13 moduler tas skogsbrukets kretslopp upp inklusive avverkningsmetoder, biologisk mångfald, skogsskötsel, logistik, skogens roll i klimatomställningen, kolinlagring, miljöfördelar med att bygga flervåningshus i trä mm. Syftet är att ni som deltar i kursen ska få en gemensam förståelse av det svenska skogsbruket för att ni sen ska kunna fatta välgrundade beslut om materialval vid nästa byggprojekt. KursperiodKursen kommer att vara aktiv under 3 år. InnehållSkogshistoria: Skogens nyttjande i Sverige genom historienSkogsbruksmetoder och skogsskötselSkogsföryngringVirkets egenskaperMätning av skog och virkeSkogsträdsförädling: nutid och framtidSkogens kolbalans och klimatetAffärsmodeller och marknadsutveckling: Fokus flervåningshus med trästommarNaturvård och biologisk mångfald i skogen Kursens uppläggKursen är helt digital med förinspelade föreläsningar. Du kan delta i kursen i din egen takt. Modulerna avslutas med quiz där du kan testa hur mycket du har lärt dig. Du kommer få kunskap omEfter avslutad kurs kommer du att ha lärt dig mer om olika skogliga begrepp, förvärvat kunskap om skogens nyttjande i Sverige genom historien, ökat dina kunskaper om skogsskötsel och hur olika skogsskötselmetoder påverkar den biologiska mångfalden i skogen, lärt dig om skogsbrukets kretslopp – från föryngring till slutavverkning mm. Vem vänder sig kursen till?Den här kursen är tänkt för dig som är yrkesverksam arkiktekt, anställd på kommun som arbetar med stadsplanering och byggande, verksam i bygg- och anläggningsbranschen samt verksam i andra relaterade yrken. Detta är en introduktionskurs och kommer att bidra till en kompetenshöjning i hela byggsektorns ekosystem vilket ökar branschens internationella konkurrenskraft, samtidigt som det ger viktiga förutsättningar för utvecklingen av framtidens hållbara, vackra och inkluderande städer. Eftersom kursen är öppen för alla hoppas vi att fler grupper, exempelvis studenter, doktorander, skogsägare och andra med skogsintresse tar kursen, tar del av inspirerande föreläsningar där vetenskaplig kunskap som producerats huvudsakligen inom SLU presenteras.För mer information kontakta kurskoordinator dimitris.athanassiadis@slu.se  

Course start: October 1, 2025 Hydrogen is gaining importance as a sustainable energy carrier in the ongoing green energy transition. Wind power plays a decisive role in producing green hydrogen. Integrating hydrogen production directly into wind farms makes it possible to capitalise on fluctuating electricity prices while contributing to the stability of an increasingly renewable-based power system. This synergy creates opportunities for cost-effective hydrogen production, energy storage in the form of hydrogen, and enhanced grid flexibility. The course explores the concept of integrated wind/hydrogen systems, introducing technical, economic, and systemic aspects of combining wind power and hydrogen production into a robust, long-term, sustainable, and competitive energy solution Topics Introduction to wind energy development Wind power technology, wind energy, and grid connection Introduction to hydrogen: properties and application Methods of hydrogen production Hydrogen storage Wind energy onshore/offshore – hydrogen production systems Technical, economic, and regulatory opportunities and challenges for integrated wind/hydrogen systems Course structure  This fully digital course includes pre-recorded lectures, interactive webinars and Assignments. Participants can access the materials at their own pace, enabling flexible learning. Specific components like live Q&A sessions or seminars will be scheduled to enhance interaction and in-depth understanding.  You will learn Upon completion, participants will understand how wind power and hydrogen can be combined into an integrated energy system. They will gain insight into the technical, economic, and regulatory factors influencing the feasibility of pairing wind energy with hydrogen production. Additionally, learners will deepen their understanding of energy storage and grid flexibility and the role these elements play in driving the green transition.  Who is the course for? This course targets professionals in the energy and environmental sectors, including policymakers, project managers, engineers, and consultants interested in renewable energy, hydrogen, and sustainable energy systems. It is also suitable for politicians, public administrators, and strategists involved in sustainability initiatives and energy planning. The content can benefit researchers and software engineers focusing on green solutions and digital tools. While no extensive technical background is required, a basic understanding of energy systems and sustainability concepts is recommended. As an introductory course, this program outlines a path for continuous learning. After completing the course, participants can pursue a deeper specialisation in topics related to wind power, hydrogen production, and integrated energy systems.

Lär dig mer om vindkraft, dess miljöpåverkan och tillståndsärenden på Vindkraftkurs.se Syftet med kursen är att öka kunskapen om vindkraft och specifikt om frågeställningar som är aktuella vid tillståndsärenden. Innehåll Kursen är uppbyggd av fyra moduler: 1. Vindkraftens förutsättningar 2. Miljöpåverkan 3. Prövning och tillsyn 4. Idébank & lokal nytta Kursupplägg Du väljer själv när samt i vilken takt du vill genomföra momenten. Samtliga delar av kursen är avgiftsfria. Att gå igenom hela kursen tar ca 3–5 dagar beroende på hur intensivt/extensivt du läser. Du kan även välja att läsa delar av kursen. Inne i modulerna finns både sökfunktion och kursöversikt, så att du lätt kan orientera dig genom kursens innehåll. Skapar du ett konto och genomför testerna så erhåller du ett diplom. Vem vänder sig kursen till? Vindkraftskurs.se riktar sig till handläggare i kommuner och länsstyrelser samt till alla som vill lära sig mer om vindkraft.

This course has a Swedish version. Look for a course with the title "Varför välja trä vid nästa byggprojekt?" Course DescriptionDifferent types of biomaterials (e.g., wood) are crucial in the challenge of decarbonizing the built environment and reducing the carbon footprint of buildings and infrastructure by replacing materials like steel and cement, which have high carbon dioxide emissions. At the same time, we must not forget that it is important to preserve biodiversity and the social values of our forests. The 13 modules of the course cover many forestry related subjects, including harvesting methods, biodiversity, forest management, logistics, the role of forests in the climate transition, carbon storage, environmental benefits of multi-story buildings with wood, and more. The goal is that participants will gain a shared understanding of Swedish forestry so that they can make well-informed decisions about material choices for their next construction project. Course PeriodThe course will be active for 3 years. ContentForest history: The utilization of forests in Sweden throughout the past yearsForestry methods and forest managementForest regenerationWood propertiesForest mensurationForest tree breedingThe forest's carbon balanceBusiness models and market development: Focus on wood high risesNature conservation and biodiversity in the forest Course StructureThe course is fully digital with pre-recorded lectures. You can participate in the course at your own pace. Modules conclude with quizzes where you can test how much you have learned.You will learn aboutUpon completion of the course, you will have learned more about various forest-related concepts, acquired knowledge of forest utilization in Sweden throughout the past years, increased your understanding of forest management and how different management methods affect biodiversity in the forest, and learned about the forestry cycle—from regeneration to final harvesting, etc. Who is this course for?This course is designed for professionals such as architects, municipal employees working with urban planning and construction, individuals in the construction and civil engineering sector, and those in other related fields. This is an introductory course and will contribute to upskilling of the entire construction sector, thereby increasing the industry's international competitiveness while also providing important prerequisites for the development of future sustainable, beautiful, and inclusive cities. Since the course is open to everyone, we hope that more groups, such as students, doctoral candidates, forest owners, and others with an interest in forestry, will take the course and engage with inspiring lectures where scientific knowledge primarily produced within SLU (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) is presented.For more iformation contact course coordinator dimitris.athanassiadis@slu.se