Net Nero Heroes: Turning first-year students into climate decision-makers

A/Prof Jess Co, 2026

Purpose

Associate Professor Jess Co.

Most units introduce sustainability as a topic. Few make students live the genuine trade-off between environmental responsibility and commercial viability. Associate Professor Jess Co built Net Zero Heroes to do exactly that, developing measurable sustainability competencies by putting first-year students in the decision-maker's seat.

Practice

Built around the Sustainability Management Simulation: Net Zero, student teams take on the role of hotel general managers tasked with halving carbon emissions while staying profitable across multiple decision rounds. A simulation log, structured team debrief and individual reflection connect each strategic choice to sustainability competency development, informed by the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) i5 framework.

Output

Across three cohorts, 2,760 first-year students have completed the simulation. In the most recent cohort of 190 teams, average emissions fell by 47.7%, with 22.6% reaching the 50% target and 97.4% remaining profitable – turning the gap between aspiration and achievement into a genuine teaching moment.

Outcome

Matched pre-post analysis of 396 students shows statistically significant gains across all eight sustainability competency domains, with the strongest growth in systems thinking, implementation and values thinking. The approach earned a PRME Pedagogy Certificate of Excellence in 2026.

Impact

Post-simulation, 80.2% of students reported increased interest in sustainability and 52.2% said they would pay more for sustainably operated accommodation. Now shared through the PRME Commons, this design is available for educators everywhere seeking to embed experiential sustainability learning at scale.