FSD Africa has launched a climate finance training program designed to expand access to funding for climate mitigation and adaptation on the continent. The training will be delivered through a coalition of global partners including the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and the Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute (ESAMI).
The training will also provide regional policymakers, regulators, academia, business leaders and financial market professions with the knowledge to access climate finance from global sources. With this, they will be able to fast-track capital mobilization for projects across Africa.
Commenting on the training program, Jane Marriott, British High Commissioner to Kenya, said, “The UK has a strong track record of working with Kenya as it leads on climate issues in the region, including on green finance. This training will support countries like Kenya to receive funding for projects tackling climate change.”
The training program will target 100 trainees annually with the first cohort of 50 joining in August and a subsequent class in September 2021. Through a combination of knowledge building and targeted investment, FSD Africa aims to help firms, regulators, and government ministries in Africa and beyond to analyze risks and opportunities.
As African countries grapple with the worst impacts of climate change, financing raised and invested in projects addressing climate change and supporting environmental sustainability is critical.
Julius Muia, PhD, CBS, Principal Secretary, National Treasury Kenya said, “This innovative training program has been long overdue for Africa. If we continue to pollute the air, water and soil that keep our ecosystems alive, and destroy the biodiversity that feeds us, no amount of money will save us. We have a choice now to build the capacity of African governments and financial institutions to make the continent greener, more climate-resilient, and a better place for all.”