Climate Talent Initiative (CTI)

Climate Talent Initiative (CTI)

Overview

The Climate Talent Initiative (CTI) is an innovative new set of programs designed to meet urgent talent needs within the climate change sector, with a focus on the energy transition. Codesigned in partnership with Growald Climate Fund, this is the first climate program housed within IREX.

Climate change is the most critical issue facing humanity today. To ensure a habitable planet, we must urgently and strategically invest in climate change strategies, including moving the global power sector away from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Civil society organizations are doing crucially important work to address climate change. However, these organizations are currently experiencing talent and leadership gaps that prevent them from meeting the moment and achieving their transformative potential. 

CTI supports organizations and individuals promoting the climate change movement around the world by bringing new talent into the field and fostering existing talent therein. In doing so, the program equips organizations to accelerate and scale their work and creates pathways to enter and advance within the climate change ecosystem.

Project Activities

Currently, CTI consists of five programs: 

The Climate Finance Fellowship de-risks the transition of midcareer finance professionals from the Global South into the nonprofit climate finance ecosystem through a 12-month professional placement, as well as climate and leadership development training, coaching, and community building. This fellowship launched in late 2023 with 19 fellows placed in 11 countries worldwide. 

The Just Energy Transition Fellowship nurtures existing senior talent in the just energy transition ecosystem. This fellowship launched in April 2024 with 5 fellows worldwide.

The Existing Campaigners Fellowship provides climate campaigners and energy policy professionals in Asia a project-based secondment opportunity at an international NGO to grow and apply their skills and bring learning back to their home organizations. This fellowship will launch in September 2024.

The African Climate Legal Fellowship Program, co-designed with Foundation for International Law for the Environment (FILE), brings experienced lawyers to the environmental public interest sector in Africa and providing pathways for new talent to enter the public interest sector. Fellows will also benefit from mentorship, coaching and leadership development, training in environmental and climate change law and science, and community building. This 12-month fellowship will launch in Fall 2024 with approximately 10 fellows.

The Clean Energy Incubator activates diverse, influential communities committed to accelerating clean energy adoption at a national scale. This program empowers talented leaders by helping them to develop new skills, shape innovative ideas, access mentorship support, and unlock collaboration to drive transformative change within their countries. The 4-month global incubator will launch in Fall 2024 with approximately 10 participants.  

Quick Facts

Goals

  • Develop new pathways to expand and diversify talent and leadership in the climate change and energy transition ecosystem; creating, accelerating, and scaling organizations leading the way on climate change.
  • Invest in new and existing talent within the climate change sector through fellowship placements, leadership development, and other skill-building, networking, and community-building.
  • Support a growing movement that sees workforce development and job opportunities as a key leverage point in building popular support for climate action.
There are huge talent opportunities in the energy transition. The Climate Talent Initiative is a philanthropic collaboration aimed at de-risking the entry of experienced professionals to the civic sector and enabling rapid progress on climate goals. Growald Climate Fund

Partners

GCF Logo

People

Contact

For more information, email contact.CTI@irex.org.