Africa Climate Finance Leadership Programme

The world faces a triple and interconnected crisis: a climate emergency, rapid biodiversity destruction and entrenched poverty. The next ten years are crucial to prepare, adapt and transform our societies, economies and ecosystems. The financial sector plays a defining role in both mitigating the potential damages brought by a carbon-intensive, ‘business as usual’ global economy, as well as in finding new, innovative and catalytic approaches for adapting to a changed climate. The economic models show the cost of meeting the Paris agreement will be far less than the cost of damages incurred as we move beyond 2°C. Businesses must engage now, to operate effectively in the future. The aim of this programme is to build the knowledge and capabilities of national and local leaders in policy, government, training service providers and financial institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, to support a climate-resilient economy. The programme is designed to raise awareness of the need, and equip delegates to develop, appropriate policies and financial products to mobilise and redirect capital flows to mitigate the economic, social, and environmental impacts of climate change in the region. Decision makers will gain an understanding of the prospects and processes for unlocking private sector capital through international climate funds, focusing on the opportunities public climate finance can provide in reducing the barriers for mobilizing private climate finance for action on climate change. New and existing alliances and partnerships on climate finance will be facilitated and leveraged to inspire investor confidence in climate-smart projects, by ensuring the availability of locally trained professionals to champion delivery of appropriate climate finance products.