Registration for the Climate Democracy Accelerator 2023 are now open. The Climate Democracy Accelerator (CDA) is a six-month, practice-oriented training and support programme that prepares members to plan and implement an inclusive and participatory process for a just climate transition. Participants will develop a project to implement a participatory climate-focused programme that responds to the needs and voices of local communities.
Climate change is a global issue that affects every aspect of our modern society, from declining agricultural productivity, rising sea levels, drought, forest fires and catastrophic floods. To tackle the climate crisis, governments have a mandate to enable and encourage citizens, civil society, activists and more to participate in the formulation and implementation of climate policies. By expanding public participation and bringing marginalised voices into decision-making, governments can create climate-focused policies that are equitable and responsive to community needs. People Powered is looking for government and civil society leaders to form a new cohort of innovators interested in launching participatory programmes to shape climate policy in the areas of clean transport, renewable energy, household decarbonisation and energy efficiency, air pollution, agroecology and more.
Benefits
Successful candidates will have access to a dedicated mentor to guide the development of their programme, along with:
- Step-by-step resources such as Participation Manualan interactive, online tool for creating participatory programmes.
- Practice-orientated live sessions and online courses.
- An implementation grant of US$ 10,000.
- The opportunity to apply for an additional prize of US$ 20,000 for the best project developed by the programme participants.
Eligibility
Applications from organisations or governments based in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean are especially encouraged. Members of the People Powered or Open Government Partnership will also be prioritised.
- Local government officials, staff members and policymakers who want to launch a participatory programme to make fair climate-related decisions. Note: If a governmental organisation is the applicant, it must have a partnership with a civil society organisation/non-governmental organisation, as the scholarship holder must be a non-governmental entity.
- Staff members of civil society organisations and/or climate advocates who wish to implement a participatory climate-focused programme in partnership with a government institution. Note: If a civil society organisation is the applicant, it must be in partnership with a government institution, as it must accompany the implementation of the action plan.
Expectations
This programme consists of four cohorts of 15 government and civil society leaders starting in September 2023 and ending in July 2025. In the first cohort:
- Participants can expect to spend an average of two hours a week from September to March 2024. If you are unsure about your availability for the programme or if you are not selected this time, the CDA programme will accept new applications next year
- Participants will also be asked to set aside some important dates in their diaries to attend the programme's live sessions.
Other expectations include:[
- Develop an action plan (project) to be implemented with the support of the programme's resources.
- Engage internal and external stakeholders to develop an action plan.
- Attend and participate in dedicated training and peer mentoring/support activities.
- Project progress report and lessons learnt.
Application
Questions about the application include:
- Do you have a formal partnership/support agreement, for example a memorandum of understanding (MoU), with your participation organisation?
- Upload a written contract (such as a letter of support or interest or MoU) between your organisation/institution and the partner organisation for the work you will be doing on this programme.
- Describe the participatory programme that your organisation and your partner organisation would like to create and implement to shape climate policy.
- What kind of participatory programme are you interested in developing an action plan for?
- Provide an example of your experience with local governments working or civil society organisations on environmental policies or planning to tackle climate change using participatory or deliberative processes? (maximum 1,250 characters)
- How have you engaged marginalised or excluded communities in your previous work?
- What are the biggest challenges you want to tackle? Describe the issue or theme that your plan/policy will address, making clear the context of climate change.
- How will this process support a just transition and/or climate equity? Climate equity can refer to the distribution of risks, impacts or costs of climate change itself OR to the policies being implemented to adapt to it or mitigate greenhouse gases.
- What kind of support do you need to help you achieve your goals?
- What will you try to achieve by participating in the CDA programme? Share how the grant will support your organisation in achieving its action plan goals. Be as specific as possible.
For more information, visit Climate Democracy Accelerator.
