Sign Up for Our 5-Week Program!

The live program takes place once per year, and the next round is scheduled for October 28–November 25, 2025. It is free of charge, and we will award you with a named certificate after the training is complete.

The live program combines the self-paced materials of the e-course with weekly interactive online sessions. Over the course of 5 weeks, there will be 10 hours of live sessions through Zoom, and we propose that you spend an additional 10 hours studying the course materials. You can attend selected sessions only, but we strongly recommend you participate in the entire program or catch up through the video recordings.

To attend the live program, please follow the two-step registration process:

1. Create an account for the NBI Academy or log in with your existing credentials

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2. Navigate to the 5-Week Live Program page and fill in the Zoom registration form

5-Week Program

If you have any questions, please send an email to nbicentre@iisd.org.

In the live program, you will learn how NBI contributes to climate adaptation and sustainable development. You will be able to make a compelling case for NBI by explaining its economic, environmental, and social benefits and comparing it to conventional grey infrastructure.

The program will explain how to use a variety of different methods to value NBI, as well as present real-life NBI case studies from around the world. With this knowledge, we hope that policy-makers, infrastructure planners, and investors will be better equipped to make informed decisions about infrastructure investments and utilize NBI for climate adaptation and mitigation.

 

In 2025, the 5-week live program will run from 28 October to 25 November, with one Zoom session each Tuesday. Each session lasts two hours and covers one of the five course modules of the NBI Academy in a more interactive format than the e-course. The program includes guest speakers and group exercises to apply the content in real time.

Sessions will take place from 15:00 to 17:00 Central European Time. On 28 October, this corresponds to 15:00 in Berlin, 8:00 in Mexico City, 10:00 in Washington DC, 17:00 in Addis Ababa, and 19:30 in Delhi.

You can learn about the following topics:

1. Nature-Based Infrastructure and Climate Adaptation

In this first session, we introduce you to NBI and its value for meeting infrastructure needs in adapting to climate change. We will look at the potential of NBI for various environments: Cities, Forests, Rivers, Coasts and Wetlands, as well as guidelines for planning NBI. The session includes a case study from Freetown, Sierra Leone, with a focus on nature-based approaches to urban resilience. You will also get a chance to meet fellow participants in a first group discussion.

2. Systems Thinking for Infrastructure Decision-Making

In this session, we examine how systems thinking and integrated valuations can support infrastructure planning. We introduce the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology and explore how systems maps can help identify the complex social, environmental, and economic outcomes of NBI projects.

3. Integrated Cost-Benefit Analyses Using Excel-based Models

This hands-on session focuses on how to conduct integrated cost-benefit analyses (CBAs) for NBI using Excel-based models. Participants will be guided through the modelling process, from identifying relevant indicators and collecting data, to integrating qualitative insights and performing scenario analysis. The session includes an interactive group exercise about cost-benefit analyses as well as case studies.

4. Climate Data and Spatial Analysis for NBI

The performance of NBI and their economic value in cost-benefit analyses is highly location-specific and depends on climate impacts. Session 4 explores how to use climate data to model the benefits of NBI projects under different climate scenarios. It also explains how the SAVi methodology uses spatial modelling to map and quantify ecosystem services from NBI.

5. Financing Analysis and Solutions for NBI

In our final session, we turn to the financial dimension of NBI project development. Participants will learn how to evaluate project bankability using an Excel-based financing model and explore a range of financing instruments and strategies. We will hear from a guest speaker about the financing of NBI and discuss how integrated valuations can support investment decisions.

You can register for the 2025 edition or log in to access materials from previous years using the buttons below.

 

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