Yale Emerging Climate Leaders Fellowship

This five-month, three-part initiative is based out of Yale’s International Leadership Center with partnerships throughout the university.

About Yale Emerging Climate Leaders Fellowship

Opportunity Details

Date Published: June 20, 2025
Application Deadline: August 01, 2025
Category: Fellowship
Oppotunity Locations: United States

The Yale Emerging Climate Leaders Fellowship offers an opportunity for 16 young climate and clean energy practitioners from across the Global South to broaden their technical skills, deepen their professional networks, and exchange views with top global clean energy and climate change leaders.

The mission of the Emerging Climate Leaders Fellowship is to create a community of committed clean energy and climate change leaders from emerging and developing countries, enriched by engagement with top Yale faculty and researchers, and leading global authorities in the clean energy transition from the International Energy Agency and beyond.

Climate Fellows are drawn from a wide variety of professions, ranging from public servants to entrepreneurs, energy company professionals, financiers, journalists, educators, researchers, civil society representatives, legal advisers, and legislators.

This five-month, three-part initiative is based out of Yale’s International Leadership Center with partnerships throughout the university. Fellows engage with prominent Yale faculty and a network of top practitioners to explore key issues in the global clean energy and climate change agenda.

This five-month fellowship begins with a one-week, in-person orientation program at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, from February 16-20, 2026.

Fellows will engage in a series of interactive sessions with prominent Yale faculty and practitioners to set the terms of the global climate change debate.

Fellows will explore the wide range of climate change initiatives housed at Yale and delve into cutting-edge scholarship on a broad range of clean energy and climate issues.

From March through June 2026, Climate Fellows will organize and carry out a series of interactive remote sessions with top international experts on the full range of policy issues associated with climate change and the clean energy transition. Sessions are spirited journeys allowing for development of communities of practice in specialties and extensive mentoring opportunities.

Possible topics include:

strengthening global climate change governance, including the UN process
exploring decarbonization pathways, including the IEA Net Zero 2050 scenario
accelerating renewable electricity growth and addressing challenges of system integration
strengthening innovation and uptake of promising clean energy technologies
promoting energy efficiency and behavioral change
investigating the challenges of a people-centered clean energy transition
developing and deepening financial vehicles to advance the clean energy transition
exploring market-based climate policy tools, including carbon pricing
exploring regulatory policy tools to support uptake of clean energy solutions
improving climate change communication
closing energy access gaps with clean energy technologies
developing cost effective negative emissions technologies, including direct air capture
exploring the role of nature-based climate solutions
broadening and deepening corporate and investor initiatives on climate change
tackling energy security issues, including the role of fossil fuels in the energy transition
exploring supply chain and related geopolitical challenges of the clean energy transition
analyzing challenges of reducing methane emissions in emerging and developing countries

School: The Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs

Benefits of Yale Emerging Climate Leaders Fellowship

The fellowship concludes with an in-person week in Paris, from June 15–19, 2026.
Fellows will meet with top international climate change analysts; share perspectives gleaned throughout the program; and consolidate professional and personal contacts developed through peer learning and exchanges of views.
Fellows will have networking opportunities with staff members from the International Energy Agency and the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), French central government and municipal officials, and representatives of civil society organizations, think tanks, academia, and the private sector.
Fellows will also present policy recommendations on specific clean energy and climate-related challenges to a global advisory board, publish those findings, and maintain contacts through an alumni network.

Yale Emerging Climate Leaders Fellowship Requirements

Applicants should be between five and 10 years into their professional careers, with demonstrated accomplishments at a regional, national, or international level. While there is no minimum or maximum age requirement, we are looking for young leaders who are still on the rise in their careers.
Applicants must be representatives of the Global South. We look forward to welcoming a diverse representation from developing Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America/Caribbean.
Applicants must be fluent in English. An excellent command of the English language is essential to successfully participating in the program.
Climate Fellows must be available to fully participate in all parts of the program, including in-person for two weeks of the program: the Yale Orientation week (February 16-20, 2026), and the Paris closing week (June 15-19, 2026). Fellows must also be available to participate in the five remote learning journeys and to work on a collaborative group project between March and June 2026.

Selection Criteria

An established record of achievement in a profession linked to clean energy and climate change. We seek to identify a diverse group of Fellows from across multiple stakeholder groups, ranging from government officials, to entrepreneurs, energy company/utility professionals, bankers/financiers, journalists, educators/researchers, civil society representatives, legal advisors and legislators.
A commitment to making a positive impact at the local, national, or international level.
Demonstrated promise of a future career in leadership at both the national and potentially global level.
An eagerness to expand and deepen professional networks and to benefit from exposure to top global leaders in the clean energy and climate change space.

Application Date and Process

Admission is highly competitive. Each cohort of fellows is geographically balanced and represents a wide range of professions, talents, experience, cultures, people, and perspectives.
The application process for admission to the Climate Fellows Program is done entirely online. There are no paper forms to complete or mail.
There is no application fee or other cost to apply or participate. All fellows’ costs for Yale Orientation week and Paris closing week will be covered by the program (round-trip airfare, hotels, transfers and per-diem).
Prior to the deadline, you may work on your application at any time and submit it when you are ready. After creating an account and accessing the online application, you can upload materials and request your letters of recommendation.
Applicants are required to submit a résumé/curriculum vitae (maximum three pages), a brief video statement, a personal statement (maximum 600 words), and one letter of recommendation.

Apply Here