Free Environmental Studies Courses & Certifications

Super-Earths and Life Certification is a course in introductory physics conducted through the platform of EdX by the online teaching forum of Harvard. The candidates enrolled in the course will learn about life on Earth and the various aspects that have constituted its evolution. It teaches about the life of aliens and the search surrounding them along with the process of searching for life outside the domains of the planet.

The students need to develop an understanding of the roles humans play in the subject of life on Earth and the place of each living being in the universe. Three decades ago, the idea about the existence of other planets in the universe was a blind spot to astronomers, but in recent times, huge advances have been made in the field of cosmology and contributed towards the discovery of thousands of new planets outside of our solar system that circles other stars. 

The programme enlightens the students on the subject of life with the help of different fields of biology, geology, and astronomy together, for the sole purpose of finding out whether life exists elsewhere too. 2 tracks of study can be chosen by the candidates, one is the Audit track and the other is Verified Track. During the Verified track, the course access is limited but in the case of the self-paced Audit track, the candidates will get limited period access.

This certificate course Environmental Pollution Events and Emergency Response Introduction is a beginner-level course programme in which the syllabus is framed to analyse and discuss the environmental issues both inside and outside China. The course uses several seminars and case studies for exploring incidents such as Rhine river pollution, London smog pollution, Beijing haze pollution and Tianjin explosion, etc, and analysing these cases. 

These courses will impart about the cause and consequences of pollution affecting the atmosphere. The course will explore the emergency management system for environmental conservation and students will gain knowledge about real-time pollution issues and enhance their ability to manage any environmental emergencies around them. The course will be run for a duration of 15 weeks and the schedule for the course will be mandated by the instructor. The programme requires the student to put a minimum effort of 2 to 3 hours every week into the curriculum.

The Water Quality and the Biogeochemical Engine course by Edx is an introductory course to environmental sciences. This course imparts knowledge to the candidate in concepts like urban metabolism, soil formation, water quality, heavy metals, atmosphere, rainwater, photosynthesis, and anoxic environments. 

In this programme, the candidate would learn about various biotic and abiotic mechanisms that control the quality of water that is used for industrial and drinking purposes. This course also talks about the role of microorganisms and soil in the maintenance of biogeochemical cycles. Case studies and real-time examples are also provided for better understanding. This course also speaks about the breakdown of mountains to the soil from where the civilization began.

The certificate provided at the end of the course is signed by instructors and verified by the institution. The certificate adds value to the resume of the candidate and it can be shared on LinkedIn. By pursuing this course, the candidates would gain intelligence in the natural water treatment process, biogeochemical cycling, microbial metabolisms, and aquatic chemistry equilibrium. 

The Age of Sustainable Development programme by edX imparts intelligence to all its learners in concepts like economic development, MDGs, planetary boundaries, human rights, universal health coverage, gender equality, education, sustainable food, sustainable cities, and climate changes.

Age of Sustainable Development course also provides knowledge to the candidate on basic concepts in sustainable development that would help the candidate to achieve their goals. The candidate will learn to safeguard biodiversity. The candidate will also learn about the importance of renewable energy resources. This course also speaks about gender equality and offers equal rights to every living being. Various human rights are also discussed in this programme. Pursuing the Age of Sustainable Development certification course will help the nations to flourish without harming the environment.

This online programme is offered in the self-paced mode. The candidates can pursue it either in the paid mode or free mode. In the paid version, the learners will have unlimited access whereas, in the fee version, they will have limited access to the course. 

edX is an educational platform providing quality education to learners everywhere, improving online and campus teaching and advancing learning using research. The Landscape Ecology course is being imparted by edX and ETHx.

Through this course, participants will learn the disciplines of Landscape Ecology, where natural and social sciences come together. They will gain knowledge about the theories, tools and methods for understanding the landscapes we live in. They will understand how the innovative approaches taken in Landscape Ecology enabled planners, land managers and the public to design landscapes for future societies. 

They will become skilled enough to use modern tools to address the fundamental research questions of landscape ecology and solve real landscape problems. Participants will be presented with case studies from worldwide by experienced landscape ecology professors, to highlight and make the participants proficient in the tools and methods of Landscape Ecology and how they can be used efficiently for solving environmental problems. This is a self-paced course and the learners can pursue it by paying for the course or free of cost to audit. While taking the course for free, the learners will have access only for a limited duration. 

The Swayam portal gives registered candidates access to the Environmental Studies course. The Indian government’s objective in developing Swayam was to make education accessible to even the most disadvantaged sections of society. 

The courses on Swayam are given free of charge even though the study material for the course is made by a handful of the best teachers around the country. However, candidates hoping to earn a certificate for the course from Swayam will have to finish all their assessments and pay the exam fees for the final exam. 

The course has been created by the Head of the Department of Life Sciences (Devi Ahilya Viswavidyalaya) at the Maharaja Ranjit Singh College of Professional Sciences, Indore, MP, Dr. Monica Jain.

The Environmental Studies course has also been introduced by UGC in the teaching module for undergraduate courses in all higher education institutions of the country. Students can learn about various environmental problems associated with the human population and activities. The environmental studies course enhances the knowledge of the students in a number of relevant topics like pollution, energy, and general awareness about the environment.

The Natural Resources for Sustainable Development course has been scrupulously designed to thoroughly guide the candidates on how to utilize the available resources without destroying the planet. Produced by the National Resource Governance Institute itself, the course is quite apt for all sustainable development practitioners as it meticulously covers all the theoretical aspects related to sustainable development in a very concise manner within a span of 12 weeks. 

The course thoroughly describes why communication between various industries, governments & citizens is critical to sustainable natural resource management. The course neatly describes the history & advent of all the major natural resources such as oil, and coal. It also explains the whole funnel regarding the extraction of a natural resource up to it being used as a finished product or with a finished product e.g. Petroleum as fuel in various industries & through various methods of extraction. It slightly covers the legal aspects as well, which might prove to be very beneficial.

The course offers two different tracks to join it; the paid and free modes. In the paid mode, the learners will have unlimited access and a certificate of completion whereas in the free audit mode, they will have access only for a limited duration. 

The Environmental Remediation of Contaminated Sites online course is an environmental engineering programme, developed by IIT Roorkee. Aspirants with a Bachelor’s or Master’s in Sciences can take up this curriculum. Assistant professor Bhanu Prakash Vellanki from IIT Roorkee instructs the course, through numerous interactive learning sessions and written assignments.

The Environmental Remediation of Contaminated Sites certification syllabus splits into four learning modules. It further divides into subtopics covered over 12 weeks. These include remediation processes, law, regulations, groundwater, solidification, and more. A prior understanding of biology, chemistry, and physics is crucial to enroll in this training. Moreover, the course supports industrial learning through Degremont, Nalco Water, Thermax, and Veolia Water, and other companies.

The Environmental Remediation of Contaminated Sites certification is an AICTE approved FDP (Faculty Development Programme). Students can also avail of a certificate if they opt for it. They will have to pay a nominal fee and meet the criteria mentioned for the certificate. This certificate will be verifiable on NPTEL’s website.

The Non-Conventional Energy Resources certification course will be providing the students with the key principles that will help the students to understand the primary concepts of the- operating principles that are being used in daily operations to work in a range of sectors that use the concepts of “non-conventional energy resources”. 

The online programme on Non-Conventional Energy Resources by Swayam will be helping the students to understand the key principles of- solar energy, batteries, geothermal conversions and fuel cells. The students will be made aware of both the disadvantages and advantages of the conventional sources of the energy sources.  

The twelve week programme will be dealing with multidisciplinary subjects that will be emphasizing more on the subjects of- environmental and energy related applications. After completing the online course the students will learn to frame the policies that are related to the energy sectors. The impact of solar energy will also be discussed in the course.

Wild Life and its Conservation Certification covers India's wildlife wealth, threatened species, and causes of the country's declining wildlife population. Methods and restrictions for wildlife conservation. Indian state and national mammals and birds.

The reasons we are uninformed of India's wildlife riches and their importance to human survival are discussed in Wild Life and its Conservation Classes. The habitat of wild animals is dwindling as a result of hunting, poaching, and the uncontrolled use of natural resources.

The distribution, status, habitat use patterns, and survival concerns for the Slender Loris, Musk Deer, Great Indian Bustard, and Olive Ridley turtle are covered in the Wild Life and its Conservation Certification Syllabus. 

All students get a Wild Life and its Conservation Certification by University of Mysore under the Swayam Initiative by the Government of India. 

By indulging themselves in the course of From the Ground Up Managing and Preserving Our Terrestrial Ecosystems by edX, candidates will be mastering the different concepts that are prevalent in the natural world helping in the discovery and understanding of the complex interactions taking place between humans and the ecosystem. The candidates will be exploring different ways to make sure that human actions do not leave the ecosystems of the future, mainly consisting of studies making sure the prevention of species extinction and mitigation of long-term environmental shift effects. 

The candidates will be exploring various scientific areas as well, including desertification and extinction. They will also be learning about the living habitats of the local people residing in various areas. The duration for which the From the Ground Up: Managing and Preserving Our Terrestrial Ecosystems course is going to be running is 10 weeks and can be completed by putting in just 2 to 4 hours of study each week. The programme is provided in the self-paced mode and can be taken by the leaners by paying the fee or free of cost. When pursuing free, the candidates will be provided access to the programme only for a limited duration. 

The Energy Within Environmental Constraints online course will teach individuals how to ask the right questions to make an educated choice regarding energy systems and environmental impacts. It will help candidates realize the environmental consequences of different energy productions and the economic cost they incur upon use.  

The course on Energy Within Environmental Constraints by edX places more emphasis on details of real-life devices rather than theory. It will help individuals realize whether installing an energy production system at a particular location is feasible. It will also cover the cascade of capital and operating costs related to the project from energy extraction to end usage, and comparing different systems and trade-offs.

The Energy Within Environmental Constraints is a ten-week course by edX in collaboration with Harvard University. It requires candidates to put in about three to five hours of weekly effort to complete the program. It is a certification course that promotes self-paced learning and offers video lectures and English transcripts for better understanding. Learners will be able to get into the course by paying a small amount or for free. If they want to learn the course without paying anything they may have to opt for the audit track where limited access is given. On the other hand, if they want unlimited course access they may opt for admission using the verified track for which they may have to pay a small amount.

Climate Change Education course will guide the teachers to help their students learn in detail about the various facades of climate change and the issues related to it. In the Climate Change Education training, the applicants will engage in various interactive assignments and activities that will help them build a strong base in the sector of climate change. 

The ten week session will thoroughly guide the participants in the global crisis and help them formulate strategies and plans to overcome the ongoing crisis. The students will get to explore the fundamentals and rudimentary science behind climate change and will also engage in learning about all the tools that will help fight it in the Climate Change Education by edX course.  

The session has incorporated video games and lesson plans to help the enrolled candidates bring considerable change within their school community. The way to formulate plans and mitigate policies will also be imparted to all the candidates.  This is a self-paced programme and it can be pursued by the learner in two different options; paid and free. In the paid mode, the learners will get unlimited access to the course and a certificate of completion. In the free mode, they will have a limited duration of access. 

The Mediterranean region is one of the world’s most biodiverse areas, home to an intricate patchwork of climates, cuisines, and cultures. Its food systems are considerably complex. However, today it cannot sustain its people well. This is because of various issues, including natural resources overexploitation, food loss, declining food culture, etc. The Sustainable Food Systems: A Mediterranean Perspective programme explains these hurdles as well as the Mediterranean basin’s opportunities for its agricultural sector.

The extensive Sustainable Food Systems: A Mediterranean Perspective certification syllabus covers essential topics. You will learn about the global-to-local obstacles to achieving SDG (sustainable development goals), the ‘Mediterranean diet’, agricultural data with a primary focus on value creation and rural development models, EU policy frameworks, international agreements, emerging opportunities, and much more.

edX’s Sustainable Food Systems: A Mediterranean Perspective training is a free, online, and intermediate-level curriculum. The free mode gives only a limited period of access to the course. It has no prerequisites and offers a self-paced schedule for convenient learning. Taught by the SDG Academy, this 10-week course also features video transcripts in three languages. Completing the programme, you can also get certified by purchasing the verified track.

Worldwide phenomena such as global warming, degradation of our natural resources, harmful emissions, etc., have affected our planet for decades. The Climate Action: Solutions for a Changing Planet certification course is a 10-week-long online programme meant to give you deep insights into the critical topic of climate change. You can either audit the curriculum for free or buy the certificate.

The Climate Action: Solutions for a Changing Planet online programme by edX focuses on the commitments to dampen the impact of climate change, such as the sweeping Paris Agreement. With this programme and its extensive modules, you will gain valuable insights into how these commitments can be transitioned into action.

EdX’s Climate Action: Solutions for a Changing Planet certification syllabus touches upon diverse climate change concepts. It is systematically divided into seven modules for an enhanced learning experience. You will learn from expert researchers and professors hailing from well-known institutions, namely, the Deep Decarbonisation Pathways Project (DDPP), and Columbia University's Earth Institute, among others. You can join the course in two varied programmes, namely, verified and free audit. In free of cost, the learners can audit the course for a limited period of time. 

The Climate Change Science and Negotiations certification course teaches the fundamentals necessary for saving the environment and restricting climate change. In this course, candidates will discover strategies to mitigate the effects of global greenhouse gas emissions and how these solutions can be applied in various national contexts improvements. This course was produced before the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference – COP21 – in Paris. 

Although the political environment has changed dramatically, this course provides a synopsis of the science behind climate change. It is a single-semester course during which candidates will learn different ways to stop environmental change by applying methods that minimize human activities and promote sustainable growth. Candidates can attain Climate Change Science and Negotiations certification by the end of the curriculum, which will further help them pursue this field in their academics. It is an online course that allows students to focus on self-paced learning along with the mentor support provided during the entire training. The self-paced programme has two options to pursue; verified and free audit. In the verified track, the learners can access the course content for unlimited duration and in the free mode, they can audit it for a limited period of time. 

The Tropical Coastal Ecosystem programme by edX allows candidates to evolve and expertise in their understanding of the field of tropical coastal ecosystems. The candidate will get to know how such ecosystems allow goods and services to millions of people and how the undertaking of human activities caused universal devaluation. You will get to know how these distinctive ecosystems face challenges like acidification, coastal pollution, ocean warming, and many approaches to solving these issues. 

This programme will draw the inference with a creative and innovative virtual ecology project where candidates will be asked to take part in the Citizen Science Project. 

The duration of the course will be 9 weeks and candidates need to give their efforts 4-5 hours weekly to complete the course. The programme is free of cost but the candidate has to pay those who want the institutional certificate which will be provided by the University of Queensland Australia, the world’s premier teaching and research institution. The mode of teaching will be online for Tropical Coastal Ecosystem courses. The candidates can take the course either free of cost or by paying the prescribed fee. While taking the course in the free audit mode, the learners will have access to the course only for a limited period. 

The Ecology and Environment course help candidates to learn the concept of how different systems and processes interact and behave in the environment. The curriculum also dives deep into how different types of urban planning structures adapt amid the varied components of the environment. It also offers the learners a course certificate.

The Ecology and Environment certification emphasise sustainability, which has been an important concept due to the constantly occurring changes in our environment. It also touches upon how sustainability can be achieved. The course is taught to evolve your thinking about the issues facing different facets of ecology and the environment.     

The Ecology and Environment online programme is taught by Professor Abhijit P and Ravi Krishna R, who are from the prestigious IIT Madras. The course is relevant for all candidates in the field of management and engineering and will enhance your sensitivity during the process of creation of products, systems, and processes.  

The session is specially designed and structured to provide students with more details about the scientific reasons behind the environmental phenomenon of global warming. The course will also be providing solutions and ways to tackle and deal with climate change. And will provide the techniques and methods to reverse the process of global warming from the environment. Though the course can be finished using self-paced programmes.

The Certification Course on Climate Change: The Science and Global impact by edX will cover the fundamental scientific principles and causes behind global warming and climate change. It will develop a better scientific temperament and understanding of how over the years the weather and climate have been changing their course. The nature and impact of these pivotal changes and their impacts on the human and natural ecosystem will be covered in the Climate Change: The Science and Global impact course curriculum.

The basics of- greenhouse gases, atmospheric pressure, ways to collect climate data and more will serve as the fundamentals. The candidates will be able to select 2 tracks during their course of study. One is the verified mode which offers unlimited access, and on the other hand, the candidates will get a limited access period during the audit mode.

The Application of ISO 14001 for Waste Prevention certification is mostly practice-based and includes real-life implications. Here, how ISO 14001 could be applied effectively for waste management and waste prevention is thoroughly taught. The insights could be used to enhance the environment and lead to sustainable modern development. The industries and companies will reach their desired goal with equilibrium. Another added benefit will be to know how to analyze data and stakeholders.

Application of ISO 14001 for Waste Prevention course contents are to the point and emphasizes the basic requirement for waste prevention. It contains a discussion forum, Lecture videos, practice sessions, readings, feedbacks. It is flexible because of the online mode. The learners can access the Application of ISO 14001 for Waste Prevention course in their free time. Another hallmark of the edX platform is its 90% financial assistance. For that, some information regarding the annual income and three essays of 200-300 words is required.

Application of ISO 14001 for Waste Prevention online course is verified by ITMO University. The Certificate will have ITMO University’s logo and signed by the instructors of the Application of ISO 14001 for Waste Prevention online course. 

Coursera’s Act on Climate: Steps to Individual, Community, and Political Action course is aimed at individuals who wish to learn, understand, and address the problem of climate change as individuals, or in partnership with organisations, communities, and political leaders. This course hosts an array of erudite climate change experts, who recite their experiences in dealing with the problem of climate change.

The Act on Climate: Steps to Individual, Community, and Political Action programme primarily focuses on translating the theoretical learnings and findings in the field of climate change into actionable reforms in areas of food, transportation, energy, and built environments. The course is co-developed and taught by Michaela Zint, Professor of Environmental Education and Communication at UMich. It also features video lectures by UMich students.

Moreover, along with the video lectures, the course also provides a ton of reading material to peruse. A fair share of practice exercises will also put your knowledge to test. Also, the training is a 100 percent online experience, which comes with flexible deadlines. Upon course completion, you will receive an industry-recognized Coursera certificate, which you can easily showcase on your resume or LinkedIn profile.

Netherlands’ leading technological academic institution, the Delft University of Technology presents before you the Zero-Energy Design: an approach to make your building a sustainable programme. The course curriculum features content emphasising the need for implementing active and passive measures to reduce energy consumption in buildings. The seven-week-long training from edX entails a weekly commitment of four to six hours from candidates.

The curriculum focuses extensively on zero-energy designs through thermal insulation, sun shading, heat pumps, photovoltaic panels, and more. Students who want to pursue the edX Zero-Energy Design online programme must be in the first year of pursuing a bachelor’s degree in any technical study. Learners will access various real-life case studies of buildings with zero energy climate concepts.

Candidates will master the art of erecting energy-efficient buildings in different climates. Applicants who finish the Zero-Energy Design: An Approach to Make Your Building Sustainable online certification course and pay a nominal charge will get a verified edX accreditation signed by their instructors. The intermediate-level programme is self-paced and allows students to learn through lectures with video transcripts in English. The two options to enrol in this programme are paid with the certificate and free audit. In the free audit mode, the candidates can get access to the course only for a limited period. 

KU Leuven has developed this certificate programme on As above, so below: An introduction to soils, ecosystems and livelihoods in the Tropics. This course will explore the variability of nature in soil properties for the sustainable form of management in farms and ecosystems. This course will help in understanding the soil properties that vary in different tropical landscapes and ecosystems. This will help the candidate understand the properties are affecting both livelihood and biodiversity. 

The candidate will be exposed to learn how to use the soils in a healthier way with basic knowledge of Lifesciences. The virtual form of excursions exposes the soils in five types and uses real-life examples using videos and appropriate case studies. As above, so below: An introduction to soils, ecosystems and livelihoods in the Tropics certification course spans a duration of 7 weeks with inputs from 3 instructors. With a required student dedication of just 4 to 6 weeks, the candidate will be able to complete the coursework with an intermediate difficulty level.  This self-paced course offers two options for learners to enrol in the course, paid with certificate and free without the certificate. In the free mode, the learners will have access only for a limited period. 

The Making Sense of Climate Science Denial course enriches the communication arena and dives deep into climate change, the psychology of denial, climate controversy, global warming, and future impediments. The myths regarding climate change, its causes, factors and the reactions of the public to scientific data are included in the Making Sense of Climate Science Denial course.

This course is structured in a way so that the learners can easily understand, comprehend, critically analyse and learn to debunk climate myths. This course is verified by the University of Queensland. The instructors in this course have years of observant experience in this field. The course is packed with lecture series, quizzes, Assignments, readings, activities, video interviews and interactive sessions with peers. This is a self-paced online programme. The learners can avail financial assistance if it is needed.

The certificate gained through this course is of high value.  The certificate will have a logo of the verified institution and will be signed by its instructors. The course is free but for certification, a certain amount needs to be paid. The certificate is easily shareable on online platforms such as Linkedin. If learners want only to audit through the free mode, they will have access to the course only for a limited period. 

The One Planet, One Ocean programme by edX imparts knowledge to all its learners in the fundamental concepts of marine science which includes economic models, coastal ecosystems, deltas under pressure, threats to the ocean, coastal hazards, nutrient management, coastal solutions, plankton, ocean health index, ocean management, range shifts, alien species, marine spatial planning, aquaculture, fisheries economics, and ocean evolution.

One Planet, One Ocean Course course also speaks about the ecosystem change and its impact in the ocean. The candidate will also understand the influence of humans on the oceans.  They will also explore non-renewable resources in the ocean. The candidate would gain knowledge about marine diversity and evolution of species in the ocean by the end of the course.

The course completion certificate offered at the end of the programme is shareable and it is verified by the institution. One Planet, One Ocean Course certificate can be directly shared to the LinkedIn profile of the candidate. It can also be mentioned in the CV.

The Evolution of the Human Sociality: A Quest for the Origin of Our Social Behavior course is very essential for rediscovering the history of primatology and human evolution. It covers a wide range of topics like the History of Japanese Primatology, the Evolution of primates and humans, aggression, mating, foraging, communication, family tree, social and cultural aspects, and so on.

EdX provides this course in connection with Kyoto University which is acknowledged as the finest research-centric university in Asia. The reason for such a reputation is that the researchers are Noble Prize Laureates who did intense research during their service. Also, the faculty members have won various awards including Gauss Prize and Field Medals. This is a self-paced course where the course curriculum is well structured which is divided into 6 weeks. This Evolution of the Human Sociality: A Quest for the Origin of Our Social Behavior

the certification course is an excellent opportunity for students who are fascinated with the evolution of humans and want to have a wider perspective on human society.

EdX's Salmon, People, and Place is a six-week online programme offered by the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The training emphasises the human-nature relationship between salmon and indigenous people from North America, especially Alaska Natives. The curriculum establishes how salmon are instrumental in defining the well-being and cultures of Alaskan societies.

The online Salmon, People, and Place programme also include observation of present-day critical issues. Students get familiar with climate change, habitat alterations, and management activities, disturbing the relationship between salmon-dependent Natives and salmon. The edX course will also stress the significance of a healthy salmon ecosystem, one of the only ones remaining on Earth.

The certificate programme in Salmon, People, and Place entails a quick online procedure on the edX website. Upon concluding the syllabus, students will be equipped with the know-how to host and facilitate dialogues outside the classroom. The introductory training from the environmental studies domain is instructor-led and will run on a fixed course schedule. The learners can pursue the programme in two varied tracks; paid and free. In the free mode, the candidates will be given access only for a limited duration. 

The Synthetic Aperture Radar: Hazards certification course is one of the first online courses on SAR remote sensing on the internet. The course is designed to teach the use of SAR for disaster management of hazards and for teaching the varied applications and uses of SAR remote sensing for disaster monitoring. The Synthetic Aperture Radar: Hazards program consists of techniques and applications that are used in the Remote sensing field today to map natural hazards like earthquakes, flooding, volcanic eruptions, and other such calamities. This has become an important tool for governments and other Disaster management agencies around the world.  The Synthetic Aperture Radar: Hazards certification introduces candidates to the SAR. This can work even in conditions of darkness, rain, and other visibility-hindering factors like smoke and clouds, making it essential for advanced control over natural hazards. The Synthetic Aperture Radar: Hazards by edX will provide candidates with experience in the context of monitoring disasters. EdX provides two enrolment modes, verified and audit track. In the audit track, the learners can access the programme only for a limited duration.