Empowering Future Sustainability Experts: Academic Access to the sustamizer®

Why real CO₂e data in classrooms can transform climate action

Sustainability starts with knowledge, but knowledge alone isn't enough. While climate goals become more ambitious, the tools used in higher education often lag behind. What if students could calculate real Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs), just like companies do? And what if that experience gave them a head start in tackling Scope 3 and ESG reporting challenges? Welcome to sustamize academic access.

Carbon education: the current landscape

In the transition toward decarbonized economies, the role of universities is becoming increasingly central. Future professionals must not only understand sustainability frameworks like ESG or the GHG Protocol, but also gain hands-on experience with real, actionable carbon data. However, academic institutions often lack access to high-quality datasets and practical tools that reflect the complexity of real-world decarbonization challenges.

What’s missing in sustainability education

Many university programs still rely on static or oversimplified carbon footprint examples in teaching. While theoretical knowledge is essential, students often graduate without exposure to the type of tools and data sets used in professional contexts such as procurement, product design, digital twins. This gap poses a problem not only for students seeking jobs in sustainability-focused industries, but also for companies expecting new hires to contribute to climate and ESG goals from day one. Sustamize has already identified that the importance of emission calculations is taught in isolated courses, rather than embedded in business, engineering, or design workflows.

How sustamize supports change

Sustamize offers a dedicated academic access program that addresses this gap directly. With two years of free access to the sustamizer® — Sustamize’s Product Footprint Engine — universities can bring dynamic, science-based CO₂e data into the classroom. Built on one of the largest CO₂e databases available, the sustamizer® enables students and researchers to calculate Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs) based on real industry logic, fully aligned with ISO 14067 and the GHG Protocol.

What students gain

• Use verified, machine-readable CO₂e data in seminar papers, theses, and case studies
• Develop practical skills in carbon footprinting, Scope 3 data handling, and life cycle assessment (LCA)
• Prepare for real-world roles in ESG reporting, supply chain management, product design, and sustainability consulting
• Hands-on experience with PCF calculation and LCA modeling, beyond the classroom

What faculty gain

• Integrate practice-based tools into interdisciplinary teaching across business, engineering, supply chain, and sustainability programs
• Support university goals around digitalization and climate education
• Align academic offerings with real regulatory and corporate decarbonization strategies

Why it matters

According to the UN, education plays a critical role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 13: Climate Action. Yet many programs still lack the digital and data-driven resources that modern sustainability careers demand.

A recent study highlights a critical disconnect: while 90% of executives recognize the importance of sustainability, only 60% of organizations have a formal strategy in place. This implementation gap reflects a broader lack of applied skills and systems thinking, and that gap often starts in education.

Example: Turning theory into practice

Imagine a group of business students using the sustamizer® to simulate supply chain carbon impacts of a product sourced from Asia vs. Europe. They compare results, optimize the design, and present a decarbonization strategy based on real CO₂e data. This is no longer theory, it's job-relevant sustainability training.

What makes sustamizer® different

• Built on over 150,000 data points across 169 regions

• Fully aligned with ISO 14067 and the GHG Protocol

• Covers real-life use cases: Scope 3 emissions, PCF simulations, and ESG compliance

• Used by sustainability managers, ESG consultants, product designers, cost engineers, and procurement officers who rely on precise CO₂e data to support decision-making and innovation

• Explore our Product Footprint Engine, the sustamizer®, in depth – including key features, integrated CO₂e databases, and how it supports accurate product carbon footprint calculations: sustamizer

Bridging the gap

By giving students access to real data and tools used in business, sustamize helps bridge the critical gap between theory and application. Universities benefit by strengthening graduate employability. Companies gain future employees equipped to contribute from day one. And most importantly, climate action gets a boost from a better-prepared workforce.

More about sustamize and product carbon footprints

• Learn more about the sustamizer®

• Scope 3: Why it matters

• CO₂e databases for LCA

Conclusion

Sustamize academic access empowers universities to prepare the next generation of climate professionals. Through hands-on use of the sustamizer®, students gain skills that matter, and faculty bring relevance and impact to their teaching. In a world where ESG and decarbonization are no longer optional, academic access to real CO₂e data is a game changer.

Take action now: Ready to bring real CO₂e data into your classroom or research program? Here’s how to get started:

• Students: Register today to access the sustamizer® and gain hands-on experience in carbon footprinting. Sign up for free: Academic Access
• Professors, faculty members, and university staff: Reach out to us directly at hello@sustamize.com for a personal introduction or to set up a pilot for your institution.

Empower your students to work with verified data, build ESG-relevant skills, and make a real impact on climate strategy, starting today.