As governments and industries accelerate efforts toward net zero, it’s clear that reducing emissions alone won’t be enough. Large-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR) must play a central role. Yet despite this growing urgency, few professionals are trained to critically assess carbon removal options or understand how they fit into complex energy, industrial and policy systems.
To address this, Heriot-Watt University has launched the world’s first university-delivered online course dedicated to carbon dioxide removal: Carbon Dioxide Removal from a Systems Perspective. The course is designed for "professionals and graduates who want to stay ahead of developments in the fast-evolving CDR landscape."
Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is no longer a fringe concept - it is attracting serious investment and hiring activity across the energy, technology, finance, and policy sectors. In Europe alone, the CDR workforce is projected to grow by 196% by 2030, reaching 335,000 roles, while demand for CDR-relevant skills has surged by over 3,200% since 2019 (Lightcast, 2024).
Yet the talent pipeline remains severely underdeveloped.
“We are very excited to develop this course, because we’ve been working on carbon dioxide removal for such a long time, but we realised that there really wasn’t anything out there for professionals that want to transition to the CDR space,” said Associate Professor Mijndert van der Spek, who leads the course.
In a recent Nature article titled “Universities must lead capacity building in carbon dioxide removal”, Mijndert and colleagues emphasised the need for systems-level thinking - taking into account energy use, land requirements, lifecycle emissions, long-term storage liability and economic feasibility.
“We need to grow an industry that is larger than the oil and gas industry is currently. It’s going to be difficult. There are going to be hard times. People may lose faith. That’s all normal - and expected. Just stick with the course. Carry on developing solutions, scaling technologies, building policy. Without CDR, we’re definitely not going to make our climate targets," Mijndert added.
The course is designed to meet the global demand for flexible, high-impact upskilling. Developed in consultation with businesses, government and NGOs via workshops in Washington DC and Oxford, and created by a team with comprehensive expertise in CDR - including Mijndert, Phil Renforth, Susana Garcia, James Campbell, Spyros Foteinis and Amir Jahanbakhsh - the course directly responds to the need for trusted, technically competent leadership in this space.
It covers:
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Climate change and carbon dioxide removal
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Geochemical carbon dioxide removal methods including mineralisation and ocean alkalinity enhancement
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Life cycle and technoeconomic assessment for carbon dioxide removal
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Technological carbon dioxide removal, direct air capture and storage (DACS), CO2 transport and geological sequestration
The curriculum equips professionals with the tools to critically evaluate removal methods and contribute meaningfully to climate strategies and innovation efforts.
Key features:
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100% online and self-paced
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University credit (5 SCQF credits at Level 11)
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Free access to over 500 further professional development courses through Coursera Career Academy
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No application or formal prerequisites