Navigating Climate Change Courses: A Guide to Specialisations and Career Opportunities

With the rising global temperature by approximately 0.2°C per decade, the impact of climate change is now hard to ignore. In India alone, over 30 million people are projected to be displaced by extreme weather events in the next decade, and the nation is expected to face 1-2% GDP losses annually due to climate-related damages by 2030. The stakes have never been higher, and the need for skilled professionals to combat this crisis is urgent. At the Anant School for Climate Action, India’s first-ever BTech in Climate Change, we are not just preparing students for jobs; we are preparing them for a critical mission to safeguard the planet’s future.

This interdisciplinary BTech program equips students with the technical expertise and practical skills to drive real-world solutions. Students dive into climate chemistry, studying the 9.5 gigatons of CO2 released annually into the atmosphere from fossil fuel combustion, and developing methods to mitigate harmful emissions. They also master fluid dynamics and mathematical modelling, which are essential for understanding atmospheric and oceanic processes that influence weather patterns and sea-level rise are pr, which is projected to increase by up to 1 meter by 2100 if global temperatures continue to rise unchecked.

Energy systems and environmental engineering are central to the curriculum. India needs to reduce its carbon footprint dramatically as the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases. The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) sets an ambitious goal for 40% of India’s energy to come from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030, with an additional target to reduce emissions intensity by 33-35% by the same year. Anant’s students will play a key role in fulfilling these targets, whether designing solar energy systems (India aims to deploy 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, as per the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India) or innovating energy storage solutions to address grid stability.

Specialisations in climate technology, climate in business, and climate entrepreneurship are designed to prepare graduates for diverse and impactful roles. The climate technology track focuses on developing carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, with the global CCS market expected to be worth 10billionby2030.Intheclimatebusiness,studentslearntonavigate1 trillion of global green investment projected over the next decade, focusing on green bonds and sustainable supply chains that are now a growing priority for businesses worldwide.

Those specialising in entrepreneurship are equipped to build startups that respond to the $5 trillion global clean tech market projected for 2025, focusing on innovations in everything from electric vehicles (EV’s) to sustainable agriculture.

India’s climate policies are increasingly shaping job markets. The PM-KUSUM scheme aims to provide 20 million solar pumps for farmers, creating a substantial demand for engineers skilled in solar power technologies. Similarly, the Smart Cities Mission, with an investment target of 20 billion dollars for climate-resilient infrastructure, requires engineers to design energy-efficient buildings and sustainable urban transport systems. The National Green Hydrogen Mission is poised to add over 6,00,000 jobs by 2030, with an expected market value of 25 billion dollars in green hydrogen by 2040.

Moreover, SEBI’s BRSR regulations require India’s top 1,000 listed companies to report on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. This is driving a demand for professionals who can audit and analyse the climate impact of business operations, creating new career paths in sustainability and climate data analytics. These shifts are reflected in the increasing number of job openings for climate professionals in engineering, policy, and business. The renewable energy sector alone employed more than 1.1 million people in India in 2020, which is expected to double by 2030.

Graduates from Anant are uniquely positioned to take advantage of these growth sectors. With climate science and engineering expertise, they will fill essential roles in designing

climate-resilient infrastructure, advancing green energy technologies, and creating climate-smart financial solutions. They will not just be professionals in a growing field but leaders in the global effort to combat climate change, taking action where it matters most.

The planet cannot afford to wait, and neither can we. The time to act is now; the world needs the next generation of engineers to lead the charge. Anant’s BTech in Climate Change is the stepping stone to a career that will change the world and shape it for future generations. Will you be the one to drive that change?

Read More: Anant National University Admissions