In Part 1, we covered what Claude Code actually is and why the hype is real. The short version: Claude Code is not a chatbot. It is a build environment. You give it context, a brief, and access to your data. It delivers structured, professional, multi-file output.
Now you need to set it up. And this is where most guides lose you.
They assume you are a developer. They send you to a terminal, ask you to install packages, run commands. It feels like it is not for you.
The good news: there is a better way. And it is the one I recommend to every sustainability professional I work with.
There Are Four Ways to Run Claude Code
Claude Code runs in four different environments. Here is what that means for you practically:
The bottom two are for developers. Skip them entirely.
The desktop app works perfectly, and it is indeed a preferred path, here is the full setup guide for desktop app [link]
Why the Web Version Is the a Good Starting Point
No terminal. No installations. No command line. — You open a browser, sign in, and you are in. That is the entire setup.
Your work lives in the cloud. — Not on one laptop. Accessible from any device. Start something at your desk, continue it on your phone.
Sessions keep running even if you close the tab. — On the desktop version, close the window and the session ends. On the web, close the tab and Claude keeps working in the background. You come back to a finished result.
Everything is organized in GitHub. — GitHub is the cloud storage for your Claude Code projects. If you have never heard of it, think of it as Google Drive for your build work. Each project gets its own folder. Your files are versioned and safe.
A Quick Word on GitHub
GitHub is where developers store and manage code. You do not need to understand any of that.
For our purposes, think of a GitHub repository (repo) the same way you think of a project folder on your desktop. Each project gets one repo. Your files live inside it. Claude Code reads from it and writes back to it.
Creating an account takes two minutes. Go to github.com, sign up, and you are done. You do not need to do anything else before the setup steps below.
Setting Up Claude Code on the Web
This is a one-time setup. Once it is done, you are in every time you open your browser.
Step 1 — Go to claude.ai/code — You need a Pro or Max plan to be able to access it. Type in claude.ai/code in your chrome. then you are in.
Btw, if you have Claude team license, the normal seat license dese not include Claude code, therefore, you might need to discuss with your boss or IT department having access to high tier.
Step 2 — Click "Continue to Web" — This confirms you want the web version, not the desktop version.
Step 3 — Connect GitHub — Claude will ask you to connect with GitHub. Click Connect to GitHub and follow the prompts. If you do not have a GitHub account yet, create one first at github.com. Free, two minutes.