What is the Life Cycle Assessment of Clean Fuels Micro-Certificate?
The Life Cycle Assessment of Clean Fuels (LCACF) Micro-Certificate is a flexible 8-week online program that provides professionals from various backgrounds and sectors an understanding of life cycle assessment (LCA) modeling and application for the transportation fuel industry.
Why choose the Life Cycle Assessment of Clean Fuels Micro-Certificate?
The transportation sector is the second largest emitter of Green House Gases (GHGs), accounting for 21% of national emissions. Existing regulatory programs such as the BC Low Carbon Fuels Act (LCFA), and newer programs such as the Clean Fuels Regulations (CFR) require fuel producers to reduce the environmental footprint of the fuels they produce through innovation and significant investment in research. The need for education in this area will only grow stronger as regulations become more stringent by 2030 and 2050. This program aims to provide training to Canadian professionals working or looking to work in the growing clean fuels sector. Due to the size of the transportation sector and the volume of GHG emissions needed to be reduced, the market demand for professionals in LCA of clean fuels will continue to grow for the foreseeable future. This program creates a unique opportunity for professionals, working in the engineering, science, consulting or auditing fields to acquire the necessary skills to transition to a career in the clean fuels sector.
Organizations such as the Canadian Fuels Association, BC Government and Environmental and Climate Change Canada have identified the need for increased education in this area. There is an urgent need to increase LCA literacy and expertise to provide the required reporting to meet compliance obligations by fuel producers set forth in the LCFA and CFR.
This micro-certificate program offers science-based, practical hands-on training for professionals, including those currently working and those seeking to gain additional skills to better their employment opportunities. This program creates a unique opportunity for professionals, working in the engineering, science, consulting or auditing fields to acquire the necessary skills to transition to a career in the clean fuels sector.
“This course provides a knowledge base for life cycle assessment of clean fuels whereby participants will learn to evaluate pathways for decarbonizing transportation fuels.“
What will you learn?
Course 1: Introduction to LCA of Clean Fuels
- Fundamentals of LCA and how they apply to clean fuels
- Clean fuel LCA and carbon intensity
- Interpretation of fuel LCA results and why they differ
Course 2: Introduction to LCA within Clean Fuel Policy, Part 1
- Clean fuel policy landscape in North America
- LCA use in fuel policy
- LCA in the Fuel LCA Model and carbon intensity under the CFR
Course 3: Introduction to LCA within Clean Fuel Policy, Part 2
- LCA in GHGenius and carbon intensity under the BC-LCFA
- Areas within a fuel’s life cycle that have the biggest impact on the carbon intensity
- Assessment of the value and costs of GHG reduction projects within a fuel’s life cycle to support business decisions
Who should enroll?
The program is designed to accommodate professionals from both a non-technical and technical background. Potential candidates include:
- Early career builders such as recent graduates or entry-level professionals who want to acquire applicable skills to kick-start their careers
- Career enhancers who are more experienced
- Established professionals who want to enhance their capabilities to improve career satisfaction and success
- Mid-career changers looking for in-demand and applicable skills to make a shift in their career path
Employment Opportunities
- Energy sector – Particularly the transportation fuels industry who are required under the BC-LCFA and Federal CFR to reduce the carbon intensity of the fuels they sell.
- Natural resource management – Forestry, environmental professionals.
- Government – Policymakers, planners, management.
- Non-government organizations – Non-profit organizations, industry associations, environmental organizations.
- Professionals – Consultants from the engineering, forestry, agricultural, LCA, and environmental sectors.
