Purpose

Climate change poses risks to society and the demand for carbon literacy within small and medium-sized enterprises is increasing. Skills and knowledge are required for organizational greenhouse gas accounting and science-based decisions to help businesses reduce transitional risks. At the University of Copenhagen and the University of Northern British Columbia, two carbon management courses have been developed to respond to this growing need. Using an action-based co-learning model, students and business are paired to quantify and report emissions and develop climate plans and communication strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on surveys of businesses that have partnered with the co-learning model, designed to provide insight on carbon reductions and the impacts of co-learning. Data collected from 12 respondents in Denmark and 19 respondents in Canada allow for cross-institutional and international comparison in a Global North context.

Findings

Results show that while co-learning for carbon literacy is welcomed, companies identify limitations: time and resources; solution feasibility; governance and reporting structures; and communication methods. Findings reveal a need for extension, both forwards and backwards in time, indicating that the collaborations need to be lengthened and/or intensified. Balancing academic requirements detracts from usability for businesses, and while municipal and national policy and emission targets help generate a general societal understanding of the issue, there is no concrete guidance on how businesses can implement operational changes based on inventory results.

Originality/value

The research brings new knowledge to the field of transitional climate risks and does so with a focus on both small businesses and universities as important co-learning actors in low-carbon transitions. The comparison across geographies and institutions contributes an international solution perspective to climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.

中文翻译：

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丹麦和加拿大的共同学习伙伴关系和碳管理

目的

气候变化给社会带来风险，中小企业对碳素养的需求日益增加。组织温室气体核算和科学决策需要技能和知识，以帮助企业降低转型风险。哥本哈根大学和北不列颠哥伦比亚大学开发了两门碳管理课程来满足这一日益增长的需求。使用基于行动的共同学习模式，学生和企业配对量化和报告排放量，并制定气候计划和沟通策略。

设计/方法论/途径

本文借鉴了对与共同学习模式合作的企业的调查，旨在提供有关碳减排和共同学习影响的见解。从丹麦 12 名受访者和加拿大 19 名受访者收集的数据可以在北半球背景下进行跨机构和国际比较。

发现

结果表明，虽然碳素养共同学习受到欢迎，但公司也发现了局限性：时间和资源；解决方案的可行性；治理和报告结构；和沟通方法。调查结果显示需要在时间上向前和向后延伸，这表明合作需要延长和/或加强。平衡学术要求会损害企业的可用性，虽然市级和国家政策及排放目标有助于形成对这个问题的普遍社会理解，但对于企业如何根据清单结果实施运营变革，没有具体的指导。

原创性/价值

该研究为转型气候风险领域带来了新知识，并重点关注小企业和大学作为低碳转型中重要的共同学习参与者。跨地域和机构的比较为减缓和适应气候变化战略提供了国际解决方案视角。