Deadline: July 15, 2023
Applications for the Climate Democracy Accelerator 2023 are now open. The Climate Democracy Accelerator (CDA) is a six-month, practice-oriented training and support program 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 climate-focused participatory program that addresses the needs and voices of local communities.
Climate change is a global issue affecting every aspect of our modern society, from declining agricultural productivity, rising sea levels, drought, forest fires and catastrophic flooding. To tackle the climate crisis, governments have a mandate to enable and encourage citizens, civil society, activists and more to participate in shaping and implementing climate policies. By expanding public participation and bringing marginalized 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 programs to shape climate policy in the areas of clean transportation, renewables, decarbonization and energy efficiency homes, air pollution, agroecology and more.
Benefits
Selected applicants will have access to a dedicated mentor to guide the development of their program, along with:
- Step-by-step resources such as the Participation Playbook, an interactive, online tool for designing participatory programs.
- Practice-oriented live sessions and online courses.
- A US$10,000 implementation grant.
- The opportunity to apply for an additional $20,000 award for the best project developed by program participants.
Eligibility
Applications from organizations or governments based in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean are especially encouraged. People Powered or Open Government Partnership members also will be prioritized.
- Local government officials, staff members and policymakers who want to launch a participatory program for making just climate-related decisions. Note: If a government organization is the applicant, they must have a partnership with a civil society organization/non-governmental organization, as the grant recipient must be a non-governmental entity.
- Civil society organization staff members and/or climate advocates who want to implement a participatory program focused on climate in partnership with a government institution. Note: If a civil society organization is the applicant, they must be in a partnership with a government institution as they must follow up with the implementation of the action plan.
Expectations
This program 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 per week from September to March 2024. If you are not sure about your availability for the program or if you are not selected this time, the CDA program will accept new applications next year
- Participants also will be asked to set aside a few key dates on their calendars to participate in the program’s live sessions.
Other Expectations include:[
- Develop an action plan (project) to be implemented, with the support of the program resources.
- Engage internal and external stakeholders to develop an action plan.
- Attend and participate in dedicated training and mentorship/peer support activities and discussions.
- Report on project progress and lessons.
Application
Application questions include:
- Do you have a formal partnership/support agreement, for example, a memorandum of understanding (MoU), with your partenering organization?
- Upload a written agreement (such as a letter of support or interest, or MoU) between your organization/institution and the partnering organization for the work that you will be developing in this program.
- Describe the participatory program your organization and your partner organization would like to create and implement to shape climate policy.
- What type of participatory program are you interested in developing an action plan for?
- Provide an example of your experience with working local governments or civil society organizations on environmental policy or planning for addressing climate change using participatory or deliberative processes? (maximum of 1,250 characters)
- How have you engaged marginalized or excluded communities in your previous work?
- What are the biggest challenges that you want to address? Describe, for example, what the issue or theme is that your plan/policy will address, making clear the climate change context.
- How will this process support a just transition and/or climate equity? Climate equity can refer to the distribution of risks, impacts, or costs from climate change itself OR the policies being put in place to adapt to it or mitigate greenhouse gasses.
- What kind of support do you need to help reach your goals?
- What will you try to accomplish by participating in the CDA program? Share how the grant will support your organization to achieve your action plan goals. Be as specific as possible.
For more information, visit Climate Democracy Accelerator.
