Louise Brown, the Director of Triple Capital, awarded six young professionals with their certificates for the successful completion of a professional training programme on climate change policy and finance in Windhoek on 16th September 2022. The six graduates, selected through a competitive process out of 47 applicants, represent a diverse set of backgrounds and career paths, including finance, environmental consulting, government and research. The six-week course, requiring roughly 10 hours of work per week, provided the participants an understanding of the science, economics and political economy of climate change, and an overview of climate finance in a Namibian and international context. Participants learned about the international climate finance architecture and key political economy issues, as well as the various sources of climate finance and the financial instruments and structures used in climate projects.
The Certified Young Professionals and Candidates of the Professional Training with their Facilitator Ms Louise Brown
The course explored the role of governments in setting policy, planning and budgeting as well as the role of the private sector in advancing climate change mitigation and adaptation solutions, and provided an introduction to carbon markets. The training was highly interactive, encouraging participants to read, reflect, discuss and debate on key issues, with individual and group assignments designed to complement the taught material. Participants engaged in a mock climate change negotiation to reinforce learning on the multilateral response to climate change, and developed and pitched their own climate change project proposals to a climate fund. They also came up with advice for governments and companies on how to better integrate climate change risks and opportunities into planning and strategy.
The training received positive reviews from the graduates, who are now equipped with a new set of knowledge and skills that will enable them to engage on climate change policy and finance issues with confidence, provide informed input to national and organizational climate policies, contribute to the climate change negotiations and develop project proposals for climate funders that advance Namibia’s climate change commitments.
The course responds to an identified gap in the Namibian professional sphere, where expertise on climate change policy and finance is in short supply and there is growing interest in the subject. Funding for the development and rollout of the training programme was generously provided by the Financial Futures Centre. The Namibia Nature Foundation graciously availed its board room and facilities for the training. Triple Capital anticipates offering another cohort for young professionals in 2023, and also offers bespoke trainings to institutions. Graduates of the course form part of an alumni network that will continue to engage closely with Triple Capital on climate finance issues and opportunities.
For more information or to express interest in future cohorts, please contact info@triplecapital.com.na.