Claude Code feels like having a developer on your team — except it understands sustainability work. You do not need to know how to code. You do not need to be technical. You need to know what you want built.

I avoided the tool for weeks thinking it needs some coding experience until this happened

Here is your step-by-step setup guide. Not a generic one. Built for sustainability managers

1️⃣ Go to claude.com/download.

2️⃣ Click Download for Windows (or Mac). Open the installer. Done.

3️⃣ Sign in with your Claude account. You need a Pro or Max plan to access Claude Code features.

4️⃣ Once you are inside the app, look for the Claude Code tab or toggle. That is where you build.

Before you build anything, Claude Code needs a place to work. Think of this as your office desk, everything you build lives here.

1️⃣ Create a folder on your computer. Name it something clear, like:

SustainOS-Projects

Or more specific to what you are building:

Supplier-Engagement-Tool

2️⃣ When you start a new project inside Claude Code, point it to this folder. Claude Code will read from it and save everything it builds directly into it.

This keeps your work organised from day one — no files scattered across your desktop.

This is the most important setup step. Do not skip it.

Claude Code reads a file called CLAUDE.md at the start of every session. It uses this file to understand who you are, what you are building, and how you work.

Without it, you will repeat yourself every single session. With it, Claude Code already knows your context before you type a single word.

Think of it as onboarding a new contractor before they start. You brief them once. Then they can actually work.

1️⃣ Inside your project folder, create a new file called:

Claude.md

You can do this in any text editor — Notepad, TextEdit, VS Code, anything.

2️⃣ Write your context. Here is a template built for sustainability managers but be aware each project has to be different: