The Net Zero Academy will consist of two days spent in the classroom at TD Synnex’s offices in Basingstoke and a further day of home or office-based learning and assessment.
The course will be accredited by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) and delivered by specialist consultancy, Arete Zero Carbon.
Sophia Haywood-Atkinson, business unit director, services for the UK, TD Synnex, said, “The Net Zero Academy will give channel partners a simple, quick and effective way to acquire the knowledge they need to take ownership of their responsibility to reduce their carbon emissions.
“It will equip them to make a proper carbon assessment of their own business and set out a realistic plan to reduce emissions – based on recognised industry standards – and move towards net zero.
“That’s increasingly important now as customers are looking much harder at the commitment of their suppliers to sustainability. Businesses that do not meet the requirements [of new regulations and directives] could find themselves at a significant competitive disadvantage.”
Dr Stephen Finnegan, managing director of Arete Zero Carbon, added, “There is a real need for IT channel companies to get an understanding of where they are with respect to their carbon footprint and exactly how far they need to travel to achieve net zero.
“The three-day course will give them the fundamental knowledge they need to make a good assessment and formulate a plan. It’s something we believe all IT businesses will need to do very soon now. As well as being the right thing to do, it will increasingly make commercial sense.”