Advancing Sustainable Development: Smart Forestry and Carbon Neutrality Management

Using a tablet to harness AI for managing a carbon project

UBC Forestry Summer Institute

Advancing Sustainable Development: Smart Forestry and Carbon Neutrality Management

Course Dates: July 27 – August 14, 2026, 3 weeks
Course Duration: 60 hours
Leading Instructor: Prof. Nicholas Coops & Prof. Guangyu Wang

Course Description

Carbon neutrality has become a key approach to addressing climate change by limiting the negative impacts of carbon dioxide emissions on the environment, the economy, and society. Achieving carbon neutrality, however, is an intricate systems challenge that depends not only on technological innovation, but also on effective management approaches, reliable data, and informed decision-making across sectors. 

This course is designed to provide students with an integrated and holistic overview of carbon neutrality management, with a particular emphasis on forests and land-use systems. Adopting a problem-driven approach, the course moves from the fundamentals of climate change and carbon neutrality to applied solutions, including smart forestry technologies, forest carbon measurement and modelling, and data-driven approaches to carbon management. 

Students will be introduced to the practical application of smart forestry practices, remote sensing, artificial intelligence (AI), and big data in the context of achieving carbon neutrality. Through lectures, on-campus field demonstrations, academic field trips, guest speakers, and case studies, the course exposes students to real-world challenges in forest carbon measurement, decision-making tools, carbon markets, policy, and financing structures. By the end of the course, students will develop both practical and conceptual understanding of how advanced technologies and management strategies can be combined to support carbon neutrality and advance sustainable development in a changing climate. 

Course Objectives

  • Understand the causes, impacts, and trends of climate change.
  • Master the concept of greenhouse gases and their impact on climate change.
  • Discuss how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through carbon neutrality management.
  • Understand how forest carbon is measured and modelled in the forest 
  • Explore use of remote sensing tools to measure and map forest carbon over space and time 
  • Explore concepts of smart forestry and how they contribute to carbon management 
  • Enable learners to use their independent thinking skills, and apply smart forestry practices in the field  
  • Understand intelligent forestry equipment and its application for different operations 
  • Master how to evaluate the effectiveness of carbon neutrality management and its impact.
  • Analyze the role of artificial intelligence and big data in supporting carbon neutrality management, including their potential benefits and limitations for sustainable development.

Course Outline

Part I: Carbon Neutrality and Global Climate Change

  • Definition, causes, and trends of climate change 
  • The impact of climate change on human society 
  • Greenhouse gases and mitigation pathways 
  • Concept and objectives of carbon neutrality 
  • Role of forests and land-use systems in climate mitigation 

Part II: Smart Forestry Practices and Approaches

  • Smart surveying methods & sensing tools for forestry applications 
  • Forestry simulation and decision-making technologies 
  • Smart Forestry Equipment and its application in different forestry operations 
  • Smart forestry supply chain design using automation and AI 
  • On-campus forest field demonstration of basic forest measurement and surveying techniques 

Part III: Measurement and Modelling of Forest Carbon for global change studies

  • Field-based assessment of forest carbon stocks 
  • Development, use, and misuse of allometric equations 
  • Remote sensing of forest carbon – Active and passive approaches 
  • Lidar-based data capture in forests for carbon assessment 
  • Modelling and interpretation of 3D lidar point clouds   

Part IV: Carbon Neutrality Management, Policy, and Applications

  • Carbon accounting, MRV, and uncertainty considerations 
  • Carbon policy frameworks, markets, and carbon trading mechanisms 
  • Carbon financing instruments and investment perspectives 
  • Case studies of forest carbon projects and carbon-neutral companies 
  • Future trends and challenges in carbon neutrality management 

Learning Assessment

  • Classroom participation and discussion quality
  • Homework and group projects
  • Case analysis of carbon neutrality enterprises
  • Cultural and academic sharing with UBC students
  • Final presentation and research report

Choices for Field Practice

Malcom Knapp Research Forest, UBC forests, machine manufacturer John Deere in Langley, sawmill, Mosaic forests and BigCoast Forest Project

How to Apply

Please read “How to Apply” on the UBC Forestry Summer Institute page and submit your application by March 31, 2026 @ 11:59 pm PDT.