Australia Awards South and West Asia

Twenty-five participants from Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka recently completed an Australia Awards Regional Short Course on Accessing Climate Finance. The participants were drawn from the government, non-government and private sectors, but all shared a desire to develop their understanding of how to access and provide funding for climate-focused projects.

The course had its origin at the Australia Awards 2023 Regional Alumni Workshop, which had the theme of ‘Building back better: Climate resilience and green economy recovery’. During the Workshop, alumni highlighted the need for more capacity building in South Asia and Mongolia focused on financing for climate projects. This challenge led to the development of the Regional Short Course on Accessing Climate Finance, reflecting Australia Awards’ commitment to providing engaging and educational experiences that build skills and networks.

The Short Course was delivered by Griffth University over three stages. The first of these, the Preliminary Learning Activities component, was run online. This component brought the participants together for the first time, provided them with an introduction to the facilitation team and gave the group an overview of the topics they would be covering.

Next, the Core Learning Elements component was delivered in Australia over two weeks from 17 February to 3 March 2024. It enabled the participants to meet each other in person, hear from Australian experts and see firsthand the outcomes of successful financing for climate projects.

Participants attending a special event hosted by Griffith Asia Institute featuring guest speaker Mara Bun, an expert in ethical investing, discussing innovative approaches to mobilise high impact climate finance.

This component started in Brisbane with participants completing modules on climate policy and frameworks, aligning projects with the funding criteria, public–private partnerships, and disaster risk reduction and reconstruction finance. Representatives of the Queensland Department of Treasury and the Queensland Investment Corporation provided a presentation on finance responses and risks in investment from the state government’s perspective.

The course then moved to Canberra, enabling participants to engage with representatives of Australian Government agencies such as the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Reserve Bank of Australia, the National Emergency Management Agency, and the National Adaptation Policy Office. While in Canberra, the participants also visited Solar Share, the largest community-owned solar farm in Australia.

Participants visiting Solar Share in Canberra, a community solar farm co-owned by local residents.

The Australian component of the Short Course concluded in Sydney, with presentations from private sector representatives engaged in climate finance.

At the end of their time in Australia, the participants presented the first versions of their Return-to-Work Plans. Each participant uses their Plan to outline a project through which they will put into practice the information and learning they gained from the course.

In his closing statement in Australia, Professor Christoph Nedopil Wang, the Course Co-Lead, reminded the group that while it may feel at times as if they are working on their own, they should keep pushing forward, confident that others will join them in their action on climate change. This sentiment was broadly shared by participants, who all agreed that they had been able to establish linkages with Australians and fellow course participants that they planned to maintain.

The final stage of the Short Course was the Applied Learning Activities component, which took place on 13–15 May. This online event enabled participants to share how they had progressed with their Return-to-Work Plans and celebrate their achievement in completing the course and becoming Australia Awards alumni.

Course leaders and participants came together online for the 3-day Applied Learning Activities online workshop, providing participants with an opportunity to recap key learnings and present projects which they developed throughout the course.

In a survey conducted following the Short Course, all participants said they were satisfied with the course, with 19 of the 25 noting they were ‘very satisfied’. All participants agreed that the Short Course had improved their understanding of climate financing.

One participant expressed the views of many in noting that “these courses are very important in opening up further opportunities for collaboration and networking among countries and with Australian experts and like-minded colleagues. It also helps in personal professional growth.”

Photo credits: All the photos featured on this page are courtesy of Griffith University.