Our mission

Advancing sustainable urban development

Led by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) in partnership with World Resources Institute and ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, the program aims to raise the global talent base of city climate planning professionals through training and professional certifications.


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Why City Climate Planner

Cities are key in tackling global climate change

Implementing climate change responses today at the city scale will benefit future generations.

rising populations

Rising populations

More than half of the world’s population lives in cities and that number is expected to jump by 1.5 times to six billion by 2045.

economic populations

Economic powerhouses

Cities generate over 80 percent of the world's gross domestic product (GDP).

energy

Energy

Cities consume almost two-thirds of the world's energy and account for 70 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).

support

Support

Few developing cities have comprehensive climate action plans or green growth strategies based on reliable data.

The City Climate Planner program ensures city staff are equipped to support local climate action planning.

Learn more about the City Climate Planner program


Cities & climate change

Why should cities act now on climate change?

Health and quality of living

Reducing pollution and emissions directly impact health and quality of living. Switching to clean, sustainable fuels and technologies offers new opportunities and require new skill sets.


Costs of inaction are high

The costs of inaction are high, with rising, expensive solutions that will be needed later.


Strong need for qualified professionals

The global focus on city action will increasingly attract private and public investment and a need for qualified human resources.


Share best practices

Leading cities of any size can share best practices with other cities worldwide to benefit everyone.



About City Climate Planner program

City Climate Planner professionals can help guide cities

The City Climate Planner program ensures urban professionals are equipped to support local climate action planning, including developing greenhouse gas (GHG) emission inventories; climate action planning (low emission development planning); and climate adaptation planning. These efforts are essential building blocks of local planning and policy development efforts of local governments in addressing climate change.

The Urban Greenhouse Gas Inventory Specialist credential is City Climate Planner program's first professional certification. It focuses on GHG emission inventories, recognized as a key building block in developing quality climate action plans.

Learn more about the Urban Greenhouse Gas Inventory Specialist credential

The City Climate Planner program represents distinct professional areas of practice that offer:

Professionalized career path
A professionalized career path for those interested in tackling climate change at the local level

Quality assurance
A quality assurance mechanism and recognition of expertise to employers

Technically sound practices
A set of practices to enhance the overall quality of climate action planning and policy development

Global professional network
Ability to foster communities of practice or professional associations

Guide policy
Ability to guide policy and promote city scale sustainable development and climate action by linking inventory findings to broader local and national climate goals



Urban Greenhouse Gas Inventory Specialist

Specialize in measuring community-scale greenhouse gas emissions

Reliable and quality GHG emissions data is key in guiding the planning of effective city-level climate action. Our Urban Greenhouse Gas Inventory Specialist credential is designed for individuals to help local governments identify, measure and track GHG emissions in their cities. The credential is ideal for those working on GHG emission inventories, including:

city government professionals
Local government professionals
consultants
Consultants
academic/nonprofit groups
Academic/nonprofit groups


How to become an Urban Greenhouse Gas Inventory Specialist

Eligibility

In order to achieve the Urban Greenhouse Gas Inventory Specialist credential, all candidates must meet the eligibility requirements and pass the exam. View eligibility requirements.


About the exam

Application fee: $50 USD
Exam fee: $400 USD

The exam was constructed by experts in GHG emissions inventory accounting and is intended to test a candidate’s competency to perform the job functions of an Urban Greenhouse Inventory Specialist. Learn more.

There are now two ways to take the Urban Greenhouse Gas Inventory Specialist exam. You have the option to take the exam at a Prometric Testing Center or as a remotely proctored online exam. To learn more, download the English version of the Urban Greenhouse Gas Inventory Specialist Candidate Handbook.


Resources

The Urban Greenhouse Gas Inventory Specialist Candidate Handbook covers current exam eligibility, renewal requirements and policies and procedures for the exam. The exam draws on the Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories.

View the handbook in English (PDF) / View the handbook in Spanish (PDF)


Credential maintenance

Renewal fee: $100 USD

The Urban Greenhouse Gas Inventory Specialist credential requires ongoing maintenance every five years. Learn more.


Apply for the exam


Education & training

Climate planning resources & education

In-person GHG
Inventory Training

Learn how to build a GHG inventory from beginning to end. Our training covers inventory creation, how to market inventory benefits to city leaders and executives, data collection, management, and quality assurance. It ends with connecting GHG inventories to broader climate action planning. Each module features presentation slides, interactive exercises and case studies.

Online learning & support

Greenhouse Gas Inventory Training is available on the USGBC course catalog. Access the course a la carte ($99) or via an course catalog subscription (available for $199, and discounted at $175 for USGBC members). View available courses.

All USGBC courses are approved by GBCI. Automated reporting for GBCI and AIA continuing education credits are available whenever you take a course and complete the quiz.

The City Climate Planner program hosts an online Community of Practice where you can find climate planning resources, engage experts, and network with practitioners to learn from shared experiences.



Customer support

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Thank you to our partners & supporters

The City Climate Planner program is administered by Green Business Certification Inc. in partnership with World Resources Institute and ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability. The program was developed by the World Bank and global partners with funding from the Korea Green Growth Trust Fund.