I help sustainability professionals build AI tools that save a week out of every month.
Hey {{first_name|there}},
In one hour, at 10:00 CEST, I'm building a reduction project tracker live in our free workshop. There's still time to join →
The tool I'll use is Claude Code. And the question I get most before every workshop is: "How do I even set it up?"
So here it is. Four steps, about an hour, built for sustainability managers. You don't need to code. You don't need to be technical. You need to know what you want built.
Step 1: Install it
No terminal. No command prompt.
Download the Claude desktop app from claude.com/download (Windows or Mac).
Sign in with a paid Claude plan. Pro is enough to start.
Open the Code tab. That's Claude Code, and that's where you build.
Step 2: Create a project folder
Before you build anything, Claude Code needs a desk to work at. One folder per tool, with a clear name like Supplier-Engagement-Tool or Reduction-Project-Tracker.
When you start a session, point Claude Code at that folder. It reads from it and saves everything it builds straight into it. Your work stays organised from day one.
Step 3: Write your CLAUDE.md
This is the step people skip, and the one that matters most.
Claude Code reads a file called CLAUDE.md at the start of every session. It's your briefing: who you are, what you're building, how you want it to work. Without it, you repeat yourself every session. With it, Claude Code knows your context before you type a word.
Create a file called CLAUDE.md in your project folder (Notepad is fine) and start from this:
# My Context
## My Role
Sustainability Manager: ESG reporting, supplier assessments,
carbon accounting, sustainability strategy.
Industry: [e.g. pharmaceutical manufacturing / retail / chemicals]
## What I Am Building
[One sentence: who uses it, for which job, with what data,
and what they get out of it.]
## How I Want You to Work
- Ask me questions before building. Do not assume.
- Keep it simple and reusable.
- Explain what you built and why, in plain language.
- Flag anything that needs technical knowledge to maintain.
## Regulatory Context
CSRD / ESRS, GHG Protocol, SBTi, [others relevant to you]Step 4: Start building
You're not asking Claude Code for information. You're commissioning work. So brief it like you'd brief a contractor.
A prompt that works:
"I want to build a supplier data collection page. It should ask suppliers for their Scope 3 emissions, energy consumption, and whether they have an active sustainability policy. Collect responses in a format I can export to Excel. Ask me any questions you need before you start."
A prompt that doesn't: "Help me with supplier sustainability."
Say what the output looks like, who uses it, and what happens with the data afterwards.
What people have actually built this way
Across two AI Lab cohorts, none of them developers: an SBTi assessment wizard, a supplier engagement portal, a double materiality matrix, a decarbonisation pathway planner, an environmental performance dashboard, and a corrective action tracker for EHS.
One rule to remember
Claude Code is not a search engine. It's a builder. You don't need to understand the code it writes. You need to know what the tool should do, and whether it works for your workflow.
FREE VALUE
The build that changed my mind
By the way, I made this video back in May, when I was still convinced Claude Code needed coding experience. A complete net-zero roadmap, five branded deliverables, one session, zero code written. Make sure to check it out once your folder is set up.
Watch: Claude Code for sustainability professionals (actual project) →
Hit reply and tell me what's going into your CLAUDE.md. I read every one.
— Zyad
Setup takes an hour. A tool your team uses takes six weeks.
In the AI Lab we go from this setup to a live, documented tool, with database, login and user roles. Cohort 3 starts 2 November.
