Digital Product Decarbonization
This four-week online course outlines techniques that digital product managers and builders can take to measure and reduce emissions from their products.
The course starts Feb 20, 2025. Enroll by Feb 19, 2025.
Live sessions: Thursdays from 8:00-9:30am PT
Course level: Intermediate
Taught by
François Burra
Co-founder, Climate Product Leaders, 3X product lead
- 4 weeks / 4 hours per week
- 100% online
- 4 instructor-led live sessions
- Create a climate-efficiencies action plan
- Class recording available
- Completion certificate
About this course
This course outlines tangible action that product managers and other seasoned operators in digital product companies can take in their roles to minimize their companies’ climate impact while driving their key OKRs. We’ll start by learning how to measure emissions for digital products. You’ll then explore several emissions reduction techniques both at the product design stage (such as reducing page weight, optimizing multimedia files, and minimizing data transfer) and the product development and delivery stages (such as promoting green user-behaviours and tactically pausing and deactivating services).
Importantly, you’ll learn about critical ways to engage and align stakeholders (i.e. your peers and customers) using metrics, processes, and mandates to implement these climate-efficient techniques. You’ll also build a strong network of peers in the field.
The course was initially created by Product for NetZero co-founders Chris Moisan and Dan O’Connell, with contributions from the Climate Product Management Playbook by François Burra, Co-founder of Climate Product Leaders, and Antoine Cabot, Senior Director of Product Management at Salesforce.
Who is this program for?
Product managers and leaders
Build climate-friendly digital products by integrating sustainability from the ground up and aligning stakeholders around it
Mid- and senior-level operators in digital product
Articulate climate-efficient value propositions and develop business practices in conjunction with key stakeholders, including the product team
Sustainability and ESG professionals
Understand the climate impact of digital products and identify effective strategies to reduce those impacts
What climate skills you'll learn
Digital emissions accounting
Tools and techniques for measuring the climate impact of digital technology
Designing digital products for climate efficiency
Techniques for minimizing climate impact when designing products, including mobile-first strategies, avoiding obsolescence tactics, and promoting green user behaviors
Minimizing climate impact of product delivery
Best practices for reducing the environmental impact of software and digital products, including choosing sustainable hosting providers, and responsive energy use
Aligning stakeholders using climate KPIs
Strategies to align your stakeholders on climate initiatives by establishing environmental standards and processes, such as including climate requirements in PRDs and RFPs and openly disclosing environmental commitments
event concluded
The Carbon Footprint of Digital Products
- Aug 15, 2024
- 8:00am PST
The Terra.do difference
Live lab groups
You will meet weekly with the instructor and fellow learners to share perspectives
Skills-based learning
You will engage in individual real-world assignments to immediately apply the skills you’ve learned
Personalized attention
Meet with the instructor 1-on-1 and get individualized feedback on your assignments
Asynchronous and synchronous learning
Flexible learning options to fit your learning style
Meet the course creator
François Burra
Co-founder, Climate Product Leaders, 3X product lead
François is a sustainable digital and low-carbon product consultant, mentor, and speaker with several successful turns as a Product Lead and UX Designer and 13 years of experience working with startups and agencies in Canada and the US. He helps digital companies reduce their digital emissions by delivering training, measuring digital emissions, and creating low-carbon experiences. He has trained individuals and teams in a variety of organizations such as Huge, ServiceNow, Planes, fruggr, Accenture Song, Cossette, etc. He recently wrote the climate product playbook “How to Become a Climate-Conscious Product Manager”. François is also a Terra.do fellow, completing Climate Change: Learning for Action in 2022
Course schedule
Pricing and expected commitment
Previous fellows say it best
Nelly Hempel
"Taking the Digital Product Decarbonization course at Terra.do has been a game-changer in my journey as a Senior Product Designer. As someone passionate about creating meaningful, user-centered experiences, I have always been aware of the environmental impact our digital products can have. This course opened my eyes to practical strategies for reducing the carbon footprint of the products I design, without compromising on performance or user experience."
Senior UX Designer / Product Designer
Nolwenn Godard
“This course gives a fantastic overview of how to decarbonize software and perfectly suits the Product Management audience. It's very practical and actionable as well. You can start "doing." You can start impacting.”
VP Climate at Mobioos
