The "(e)mission (im)possible" project aimed to develop climate action skills of Development Cooperation and Humanitarian aid (DC&H) professionals , strengthening NGDOs’ role in climate leadership. The goal was to provide flexible and certified learning opportunities that equipped current and future professionals with key climate neutrality competences. A MOOC ensured broad accessibility, while an advanced training scheme offered in-depth knowledge, fostering the creation of a new professional profile: the DC&H Climate Strategist. The project also developed a replicable methodological framework to facilitate the integration of climate neutrality skills into higher education and NGDOs. By fostering collaboration between HEIs, NGDOs, and climate experts, the project enhanced sector-wide capacity, empowered professionals to implement sustainable strategies, improved their organizations’ climate footprint, and contributed to systemic change in international cooperation and humanitarian aid.
The "(e)mission (im)possible" project was launched to address the urgent need for climate action, as highlighted by the IPCC 1.5°C Special Report (2018). In 2024, the EU presented the 2040 climate target, reaffirming the determination to reach climate neutrality by 2050, but 2024 was also the first year with an average temperature clearly exceeding 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level. In this scenario Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) still lack adequate tools to improve their climate footprint and enhance the climate impact of their projects. The project addressed the need to bridge the skills gap among development cooperation and humanitarian aid professionals, students, and volunteers by providing knowledge-based solutions to mitigate their professional climate impact. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) play a key role in this transition, yet dedicated training programs remain scarce. The project was designed to develop academic qualifications and flexible learning pathways focused on climate neutrality, empowering professionals to lead climate action within NGOs, also providing a methodological framework for the implementation of the project training schemes to enable its replicability and exploitation.