Postgraduate Course: Baseline-and-Credit Methods and Applications (CMSE11363)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 15 |
ECTS Credits | 7.5 |
| Summary | The baseline-and-credit method is a highly flexible and widely used method for quantifying the change in emissions caused by projects, policies or any other form of climate change mitigation intervention. This method forms the basis for emission reduction project crediting, policy appraisal/evaluation, and results-based payments. The course aims to provide students with practical experience in using this method through the design and validation of an emission reduction project, e.g. Clean Development Mechanism project, using real-world data. Students will also come away from the course with an understanding of the broader applicability of the baseline-and-credit method. |
| Course description |
This course is intended to provide students with the relevant knowledge and skills to quantify and validate the emission reductions caused by projects, policies, or any other interventions aimed at climate change mitigation.
The course focuses on emission reduction project development, e.g. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) methodologies, but the lessons learned can be applied to any other type of intervention ranging from internal organisational carbon management to government policy. The CDM provides a useful starting point for exploring key concepts such as baselines, additionality, and emissions factors. The course is structured around weekly lectures, in which key concepts are introduced, followed by workshops in which the concepts are put into practice.
The course also involves a number of guest lectures to discuss cutting-edge developments in the use of baseline-and-credit methods. Guest lectures are arranged each year to provide up-to-date content, and may include organisations such as the World Bank, Gold Standard, Carbon Clear, and Plan Vivo.
Syllabus
1. Overview of baseline-and-credits methods
2. Emission reduction product development cycle
3. Methodologies
4. Baselines
5. Additionality
6. Quantifying emissions and reductions
7. Validation
8. Applications of baseline-and-credit methods to projects, policies and beyond
9. Recent developments under the Paris Agreement
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Recognise and describe a generic baseline-and-credit development cycle;
- Understand and apply the key concepts within baseline-and-credit methods to quantify the changes caused by a project, policy or other intervention.
- Critically discuss the different rules and procedures within major baseline-and-credit standards;
- Understand the range of applications for baseline-and-credit methods.
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Reading List
| A full weekly reading list is posted on Learn via an online Resource List. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Knowledge and Understanding
After completing this course, students should have:
* Detailed knowledge and understanding of the key stages in the development of an emission reduction project.
* Detailed knowledge of the key concepts and terms associated with baseline-and-credit methods.
* An understanding of the broad applicability of baseline-and-credit methods.
Practice: Applied Knowledge, Skills and Understanding
After completing this course, students should be able to:
* Prepare the necessary documentation for an emission reduction project and be able to take it through the key stages of the project cycle.
* Undertake the validation of a project design document.
* Quantify the change in emissions caused by an emission reduction project policy or other intervention.
* Assess the additionality of an intervention or emissions outcome.
Cognitive Skills
After completing this course, students should be able to:
* Critically evaluate project design documents.
* Make informed judgements based on the application of a procedure or methodology
* Offer creative solutions and insights to complex issues.
Communication, ICT, and Numeracy Skills
After completing this course, students should be able to:
* Communicate technical, conceptual and critical information clearly and concisely.
* Develop emission factors and apply them to activity data to calculate greenhouse gas emissions.
* Co-operate with others from different professional, educational and cultural backgrounds to produce group analysis and present the results of group work.
* Understand, speak and write the language of carbon offsetting, results-based payments, and baseline-and-credit methods. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Matthew Brander
Tel: (0131 6)51 5547
Email: Matthew.Brander@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Kelly-Ann De Wet
Tel: (0131 6)50 8071
Email: K.deWet@ed.ac.uk |
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