The Growing Need for Climate Literacy in Consulting

In 2020, Dalberg announced a climate commitment to reach Net Zero by 2025. Pursuing this goal led them to focus on climate-specific projects and apply a climate-centered approach to all client engagements. However, they soon encountered several challenges:

• Rising Demand for Climate Expertise: With customer demand for climate-related projects growing, Dalberg sought to strengthen its climate advisory capabilities by expanding its climate expertise.
• Lack of Specialized Knowledge: Although the team had a general understanding of climate issues, they recognized the need for deeper foundational expertise to offer effective solutions and climate strategies to their clients.
• Difficulty applying a climate lens: Consultants found it challenging to integrate a climate perspective into projects, especially when the connections were less obvious.

To overcome these challenges, Dalberg needed to equip their consultants with more than just basic climate knowledge. They sought to equip r their teams with the skills to seamlessly integrate a climate perspective into every project.

Terra.do’s Climate Action for Organizations Program

To achieve this, Dalberg partnered with Terra.do to launch a pilot cohort through the Climate Action for Organizations program. This four-week program combined asynchronous learning, weekly live sessions led by instructors, and a customized workbook tailored to Dalberg's climate goals.

Anahitaa Bakshi, Manager of Dalberg’s Climate and Environment Practice, praised the program for its engaging and digestible content, which presented a stark contrast versus typically dry scientific material. She added; "I appreciate that this training allows you to customize your learning experience, letting you focus on what matters most to you."

The cohort also established internal knowledge-sharing with their colleagues across Dalberg, sparking a chain reaction of climate initiatives throughout the business. This had lasting, compounding impact on the organization's climate strategy and efforts.

Creating Lasting Impact and Value 

"Terra.do's 'Climate Action for Organizations' program has been transformative for us at Dalberg. Beyond providing targeted climate education, it has empowered our teams to take immediate and impactful action,” said Bakshi.

Like winning climate projects with new clients. Following their participation in the program, Dalberg secured a significant contract with the Indian public sector, presenting the opportunity to provide essential climate training to millions of Indian public sector employees.

But their success extended beyond business gains, with additional benefits including:

• Scalable Transformations: Dalberg employees initiated changes on both macro and micro levels, from reducing single-use plastics in their offices to exploring cleaner energy sources.
• Enabling Increased Collaboration: The program facilitated collaborations on sustainability projects, enhancing their work and enabling more effective contributions in the development space.

“I’m excited to see the continued effort our employees create as the internal knowledge transfer continues to new teams across Dalberg, and take up new climate initiatives,” Bakshi said. “I would highly recommend this program to any organization that is committed to meaningful climate action and wants to empower their employees to drive this change.”

Curious how the Climate Action for Organizations program can help your organization?
Explore the course designed to help you upskill and mobilize your teams for climate action. Ready to learn more?