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GreenLyf 2025 Climate Mentorship Programme Outline

Welcome to the GreenLyf Climate Career Mentorship Programme 2025! This transformative journey into climate action is a structured and comprehensive mentorship programme to enable you gain the much-needed knowledge, skills, and certifications to create meaningful impact on global sustainability challenges.

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Programme Outline

For all Clusters: Beginners introductory courses for climate Action

Course One: Climate Change: From Learning to Action

  • Objective: Understand climate change, its impacts, and actionable solutions.
  • Duration: Six modules, 1 hour 20 minutes each (1 day per module).
  • Outcome: Certificate, knowledge for action, career development. 
  • Start Learning

Course Two: Climate Responsive Budgeting

  • Objective: Integrate climate risks into budgeting for impactful policy-making.
  • Duration: 1 tutorial (1 hour, 1 day).
  • Outcome: Certificate, knowledge for action, career development.
  • Start Learning 

Cluster 1: Climate Finance

Course One: Financing Local Adaptation to Climate Change

  • Objective: Introduce performance-based climate resilience grants for local governments.
  • Duration: 1 tutorial (1 hour, 1 day).
  • Outcome: Certificate, knowledge for action, career development.
  • Start Learning

Course Two: Finding the Money: Financing Climate Action

  • Objective: Equip participants with tools to access climate finance sources.
  • Duration: 1 tutorial (45 minutes, 1 day).
  • Outcome: Certificate, knowledge for action, career development.
  • Start Learning 

Course Three: Carbon Taxation

  • Objective: Understand market dynamics, policy design, and carbon pricing strategies.
  • Duration: Five modules, 1-2 hours per module (2 days total).
  • Outcome: Certificate, knowledge for action, career development.
  • Start Learning 
  •  

Cluster 2: Climate Policy and Advocacy

Course One: Mastering National Adaptation Plans (NAPs)

  • Objective: Develop and implement NAPs to address climate risks.

  • Duration: Three modules, 1 hour each (1 day per module).

  • Start Learning

Course Two: International Climate Change Negotiations

  • Objective: Understand UNFCCC mechanisms and negotiation strategies.

  • Duration: Three modules, totaling 3.5 hours (1 day each).

  • Start Learning 

Cluster 3: Agriculture, Energy and Engineering

Course One: Sustainable Consumption and Production in Africa

  • Objective: Explore sustainable production and consumption tailored to Africa.
  • Duration: Five modules, 1–1.5 hours each (1 day per module).
  • Outcome: Certificate, knowledge for action, career development.
  • Start Learning

Course Two: Keeping the Taps Running in Climate Change

  • Objective: Integrate water resource adaptation planning into climate strategies.
  • Duration: Three tutorials, 15 minutes each (1 day per module).
  • Outcome: Certificate, knowledge for action, career development.
  • Start Learning 

Course Three: Climate-Smart Agriculture in South Africa

  • Objective: Strengthen capacities for implementing climate-smart agriculture.
  • Duration: Four modules, 1 hour each (1 day per module).
  • Outcome: Certificate, knowledge for action, career development.
  • Start Learning

Cluster 4: Afforestation

Course One: Fundamentals of REDD+

  • Objective: Provide an understanding of REDD+ principles and implementation.
  • Duration: Six modules, 2 hours each (2 days per module).
  • Outcome: Certificate, knowledge for action, career development.
  • Start Learning

Course Two: Advancing REDD+

  • Objective: Build expertise in governance and stakeholder engagement under REDD+.
  • Duration: Six modules, 2 hours each (2 days per module).
  • Outcome: Certificate, knowledge for action, career development.
  • Start Learning 

Cluster 5: Community Leadership and Individual Action

Course One: Developing Skills for Women Leadership in Climate Action

  • Objective: Strengthen women’s leadership skills for tackling the climate crisis.
  • Duration: Four modules, 2 hours each (2 days per module).
  • Outcome: Certificate, knowledge for action, career development.
  • Start Learning

Course Two: Children and Climate Change

  • Objective: Highlight the impact of climate change on children and their resilience.
  • Duration: 1 module, 2 hours (2 days total).
  • Outcome: Certificate, knowledge for action, career development.
  • Start Learning

Programme Details

For all Clusters: Beginners Introductory Courses for Climate Action

Click on each highlighted course to start your learning journey
No.
Courses
Course Objective
Course Description
Learning Outcome
Description(Module)

1

Climate change: From learning to action

The course helps you understand what climate change is, how it affects you and others, and what can be done to address it.

After completing the course, participants will be able to answer the following:

  1. What is climate change?
  2. How do we adapt to the negative impacts of climate change? How do climate negotiations work?
  3. What opportunities exist for a low-carbon future?
  4. How do we plan and finance climate actions?

Participants will also develop a concrete action plan or project to tackle climate change.

This course provides “everything you need to know” about the basics of climate change.The course features lectures and exclusive interviews from UN experts on key climate change topics.

The course is divided into six modules, each taking an average of 2 hours to complete. Each module features videos, lessons and exercises that give you an overview of a different aspect of climate change.

Knowledge for Action, a Certificate, Career Development and Peer Learning

1

What is climate change and how does it affect us?

1hr 20m

1 d

2

How to adapt to climate change?

1hr 20m

1 d

3

How to mitigate climate change?

1hr 20m

1 d

4

How to plan and finance action on climate change?

1hr 20m

1 d

5

How do climate change negotiations work?

1hr 20m

1 d

6

How to tackle climate change in practice?

1hr 20m

1 d

2

Climate Responsive Budgeting

Understand how governments can address the climate change challenge by integrating climate change risks and opportunities into budget preparation for more effective and informed budgeting practices.

This tutorial introduces how governments can respond to the climate change challenge through better budgeting, which integrates climate change risks and opportunities into budget preparation.

Knowledge for Action, a Certificate, Career Development and Peer Learning

1

Tutorial

1hr

1d

Cluster 1: Climate Finance

Click on each highlighted course to start your learning journey
No.
Courses
Course Objective
Course Description
Learning Outcome
Description(Module)

1

Financing Local Adaptation to climate change: An introduction to performance-based climate Resilient grants.

This e-tutorial aims to provide an incursion through the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility (LoCAL) mechanism.

It provides answers to a series of questions, such as:

  1. Why are local governments in a position to address climate change at the local level?
  2. How does the LoCAL mechanism help local governments to address climate change? 
  3. What are the components LoCAL relies on and how are they interlinked? 
  4. Where does LoCAL operate?

Local governments in least developed countries (LDCs) are in a unique position to identify the climate change adaptation responses that best meet local needs, and typically have the mandate to undertake the small- to medium-sized adaptation investments required for building climate resilience.

Yet they frequently lack the resources to do so, particularly in a manner aligned with established local decision-making processes and planning, budgeting, and budget execution cycles. 

In this context, LoCAL comes to empower local governments to contribute towards the achievements of national determined contributions (NDCs) and NAPs where available.

Knowledge for Action, a Certificate, Career Development and Peer Learning

1

Tutorial

1hr

1d

2

Finding the money; Financing climate Action
  • Equip the engaged public and practitioners with a solid understanding of climate finance.
  • Enhance the knowledge of policymakers and adaptation planners on identifying and accessing sources of funds for climate action.
  • Prepare policymakers and experts for face-to-face trainings on “Climate Change Adaptation Finance” by providing foundational insights and practical tools.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving the resilience and adaptive capacity of societies to the harmful impacts of climate change resulting from past emissions require significant financial resources.

This tutorial provides an overview of what climate finance is and where countries access different sources of financing. 

Knowledge for Action, a Certificate, Career Development and Peer Learning

1

Tutorial

0.45 hrs

1d

3

Carbon Taxation

Putting a price on carbon involves a fair amount of analysis and consultation with stakeholders. The overall goal of the course is to familiarize learners with underlying market dynamics, policy design options, and relevant terminology.

While the course is introductory in nature, learners will benefit greatly from a pre-existing understanding of:

The functioning of market economies, including basic concepts such as rational agency, the influence of prices on supply and demand, and investments

The role of public policy in shaping economic, social, and environmental outcomes and achieving international and national commitments.

Putting a price on carbon involves a fair amount of analysis and consultation with stakeholders.

The overall goal of the course is to familiarize learners with underlying market dynamics, policy design options, and relevant terminology.

Knowledge for action, a Certificate, Career Development and Peer Learning

1

Carbon taxes: why and when to use them.

1hr15m

2 days

2

Preparing for carbon tax adoption

1hr15m

2 days

3

Key design decisions

1hr15m

2 days

4

Avoiding unwanted effects of the carbon tax

1hr15m

2 days

5

Use of revenues

1hr15m

2 days

Cluster 2: Climate Policy and Advocacy

Click on each highlighted course to start your learning journey
No.
Courses
Course Objective
Course Description
Learning Outcome
Description(Module)

1

Mastering National Adaptation Plans from Start to Finish

The National Adaptation Plan (NAPs) process was established under the Cancun Adaptation Framework (2010) in order to prepare countries for addressing climate risk in the medium term.

The main objectives of the NAPs are to reduce vulnerability to climate change and to mainstream climate change adaptation at all levels of planning. NAPs require building a stronger evidence base, improving skills and capacity.  Additionally, it needs to be country-driven, gender-sensitive, participatory, and use transparent approaches. 

The course is self-paced and not moderated. It has been divided into three modules. 

We recommend that you view the modules sequentially for the best learning experience, starting with Module 1, which focuses on the formulation and planning phases of the NAP process; Module 2, which focuses on the implementation and review phases of the NAP process; and ending with Module 3, which focuses on financing the NAP process. 

Each module contains interactive content and a non-summative assessment to check your understanding. Each module takes around 1 hour to complete. The modules also contain a wealth of links to other resources on issues discussed, but these are meant for extra reading if of interest. This extra reading will not be part of the final quiz at the end of each module. Each module has a final quiz that aims to assess the achievement of the learning objectives.

The assessment contains 10 multiple-choice questions. After passing each module's final assessment with at least 70% of correct answers within 3 attempts, the participant automatically unlocks a badge per module.

After obtaining all 3 badges for each module, the participant can automatically download a UN Certificate of Completion from the Certification tab. Participants can provide feedback on the course by filling out a feedback form, which can be accessed in the Certification tab on the course page.

Knowledge for Action, a Certificate, Career Development and Peer Learning

1

Exploring and Developing a NAP

 

1hr

1d

2

Implementing and Reviewing a NAP

 

1hr

1d

3

Financing the NAP process

 

1hr

1d

2

International climate change negotiations: Leveraging local Experience in Support of climate Change Negotiations

  • Explain how the UNFCCC provides a framework for international cooperation to address climate change.
  • Discuss the roles of the different governance bodies and negotiating groups under the UNFCCC.
  • Explore the financial mechanisms set up under the UNFCCC.
  • Examine the key adaptation milestones set up under the UNFCCC including the Paris Agreement and its non-market mechanisms for climate change adaptation
  • Review negotiation skills and techniques to foster collective objectives for negotiating groups under the UNFCCC.

The Local Climate Adaptive Living (LoCAL) facility was designed by the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) to promote climate change-resilient communities and local economies by establishing a standard, internationally recognized country-based mechanism to channel climate finance to local government authorities in developing countries, in particular the least developed countries (LDCs), the Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) and African nations.

It thus aims to contribute with climate action and implementation, through the local level, to the country’s achievement of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals – particularly poverty eradication (SDG 1), sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11) and climate action (SDG 13).

The LoCAL Mechanism increases local level climate change awareness and capacities, including by integrating climate change adaptation into local government planning and budgeting in a participatory and gender-sensitive manner, and increases the financing available to local governments for climate change adaptation.

LoCAL combines performance-based climate resilience grants (PBCRGs) – which ensure programming and verification of climate change expenditures at the local level while offering strong incentives for performance improvements in enhanced resilience – with technical and capacity-building support. In this regard, this course has been designed to build a solid understanding of the negotiating environment under adaptation for LoCAL Member Countries.  It does so by first looking at the negotiation environment provided by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), including its governing bodies, subsidiary bodies, negotiating groups and the financial mechanisms available, while identifying LoCAL's coordinates within this environment. It continues by zooming into the climate change adaptation pillar, while discussing the most prominent adaptation milestones under the UNFCCC.

Here, the course returns to LoCAL identifying its contribution under various articles of the convention itself, but also under the Paris Agreement, especially Article 6.8 which refers to the non-market adaptation mechanisms. Finally, the course offers an entire module on fundamentals of negotiation, strategies and tactics applied in international conferences.   

Knowledge for Action, a Certificate, Career Development and Peer Learning

1

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

Five interactive lessons discussing the UNFCC framework for international cooperation to address climate change, covering governing and subsidiary bodies, negotiating groups and financial mechanisms and a case study (Financing Local Climate Adaptation in LDCs).

1hr

1d

2

Adaptation under the UNFCCC, three interactive lessons describing adaptation milestones and highlights under the UNFCCC and the LoCAL mechanism

1 hr

1d

3

International Conferences: fundamentals of negotiation, strategies and tactics. Two interactive lessons investigating the fundamentals of negotiation, strategies and tactics at international climate conferences.

1.5 hrs

1d

Cluster 3: Agriculture, Energy and Engineering

Click on each highlighted course to begin your learning journey
No.
Courses
Course Objective
Course Description
Learning Outcome
Description(Module)

1

Sustainable Consumption and Production in Africa

The course objective is to provide a broad understanding of sustainable production and consumption that can further be contextualized in the unique sectors.

This course, we will go on a journey to Africa and discuss what are the challenges and outlooks for sustainable development on the continent. The course introduces you to the key approaches, policies and international frameworks that aim to unlock more sustainable patterns of consumption and production (SCP).

We will cover a number of aspects and various thematic areas: from energy efficiency to climate-smart agriculture, from SCP tools, policies, and international agreements to behavioral change of individuals.

Knowledge for action, a Certificate, Career Development and Peer learning

1

What is SCP and Why is it Important for Africa?

1.5 hrs

1d

2

SCP Policies and Actions

1.5 hrs

1d

3

Sustainable Production: Addressing the Supply Side in Key Thematic Areas

1 hr

1d

4

Sustainable Lifestyles and Consumption: Addressing the Demand Side

1.5 hrs

1d

5

International and Regional Collaboration to Achieve SCP

1 hr

1d

2

Keeping the taps Running in climate change

Mainstreaming climate change adaptation into water resources is key in a world where the effects of climate change are observed through the scarcity or abundance of water and which in turn has serious impacts on other key socio-economic sectors such as health, agriculture, energy and infrastructure.

This tutorial introduces the concept of mainstreaming climate change adaptation into water resources. The effects of climate change are observed through the scarcity or abundance of water which in turn has serious impacts on other key socio-economic sectors such as health, agriculture, energy and infrastructure.  For any climate change adaptation planning to be done, it will be important for these sectors to consider their linkages with water resources.  

Who should take this course:

  • The engaged public and practitioners with an interest in better understanding the cross-sectoral linkages between water resources and climate change.
  • Policy-makers wanting to increase their understanding on how an integrated approach to water management can help adaptation across sectors and how it can be an entry-point for their National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). 
  • Policy-makers and experts attending the NAP-GSP face-to-face regional training on “Mainstreaming climate change adaptation into water resources”.   
  • This tutorial is a learning initiative of the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) as part of the National Adaptation Plan Global Support Programme (NAP-GSP).  It is part of the support to the NAP Toolkit to the face-to-face training package.  The NAP-GSP is a joint programme, implemented by UNDP and UN Environment, in collaboration with other UN Agencies to assist countries with their NAP processes.  The programme is funded through the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF).

Knowledge for Action, a Certificate, Career Development and Peer learning

1

Tutorial

15min

1d

2

Tutorial

15min

1d

3

Tutorial

15min

1d

3

Climate Smart Agriculture in S.A

The course aims to raise the awareness and strengthen the capacities of key stakeholders in South Africa on the concepts, approaches, and tools for enabling climate-smart agriculture in the country.

The course aims to raise the awareness and strengthen the capacities of key stakeholders in South Africa on the concepts, approaches, and tools for enabling climate-smart agriculture in the country.

At the end of the course learners will be able to

  • Explain what climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is, its main principles, objectives and benefits
  • Identify critical social, environmental, and economic opportunities for CSA in South Africa
  • Describe applications of CSA in various agricultural domains, such as livestock and croplands
  • Discuss the role of remote sensing and identify practical steps to apply CSA in South Africa
  • Discuss enabling conditions for the adoption of CSA in South Africa.

Knowledge for Action, Certificate, Career development and peer learning

1

Principles of Climate Smart Agriculture: The first module provides the rationale and key concepts related to climate change and climate-smart agriculture. It also provides an overview of South Africa's agricultural sector.

1hr

1d

2

Climate-Smart Crop Production: The second module explores how CSA differs from mainstream agriculture in crop production and why it is essential to adopt CSA given the impact of climate change.

1hr

1d

3

Climate-Smart Livestock Production: The third module focuses on livestock production. It explores the importance of livestock production for food security, the link between climate change and livestock production, ways to adapt livestock production to climate change.

1hr

1d

4

Climate-Smart Remote Sensing: The fourth module introduces basic remote sensing concepts and their application in the agriculture domain.

1hr

1d

Cluster 4: Afforestation

Click on each highlighted course to begin your learning journey
No.
Courses
Course Objective
Course Description
Learning Outcome
Description(Module)

1

Fundamentals of REDD+

The course provides the basics for a good understanding of REDD+ principles.

Fundamentals on REDD+ covers the basics of REDD+, from the elements required under the UNFCCC to how to prepare and implement REDD+ at the national level, including financial resources available. It is structured into 6 modules, and each module takes around 2 to 3 hours to complete.

All modules include an introductory video lecture, an interactive lesson, and a learning journal in PDF format. The modules also include links to other UN resources on REDD+, which provides a gateway to more in-depth and specific information.

The modules have been developed and peer-reviewed by UN-REDD and UNCC: Learn.

Knowledge for Action, Certificate, Career development and peer learning

1

Climate Change and the Role of Forests

2 hrs

2 d

2

Understanding REDD+ and the UNFCCC

2 hrs

2 d

3

Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation

2 hrs

2 d

4

Policies and Measures for REDD+ Implementation

2 hrs

2 d

5

National strategies or Action Plans

2 hrs

2 d

6

REDD+ Finance

2 hrs

2 d

2

Advancing REDD+

The course provides content for a deeper understanding of how countries can benefit from applying REDD+ at national level.

Advancing on REDD+ discusses in more detail the other three REDD+ elements, to which it adds the importance of engaging in the process with the relevant stakeholders and the principles of good governance. It is structured into 6 modules, and each module takes around 2 to 3 hours to complete.

 

All modules include an introductory video lecture, an interactive lesson, and a learning journal in PDF format. The modules also include links to other UN resources on REDD+, which provides a gateway to more in-depth and specific information.

Knowledge for Action, Certificate, Career development and peer learning

1

National Forest Monitoring Systems for REDD+

2 hrs

2 days

2

Forest Reference Emission Levels for REDD+

2 hrs

2 days

3

REDD+ Safeguards under the UNFCCC

2 hrs

2 days

4

Approaches for the Allocation of Incentives

2 hrs

2 days

5

Stakeholder Engagement in REDD+

2 hrs

2 days

6

Good Governance

2 hrs

2 days

Cluster 5: Community Leadership and individual Action

Click on each highlighted course to begin your learning journey
No.
Courses
Course Objective
Course Description
Learning Outcome
Description(Module)

1

Developing Skills for Women Leadership in Climate Action

The course strengthens women's and girls' leadership skills to tackle the climate crisis.

The ‘Women Leadership in Climate Action’ e-course aims to inspire women and girls, strengthen their leadership skills, and help them deliver the just climate initiatives needed to tackle the climate crisis.

If you are concerned about climate change, if it’s already affecting you, or if you thought about taking action but felt you lacked power or knowledge, this course is for you.

It empowers and educates emerging climate leaders like you to deliver climate actions rooted in the principles of inclusivity and equity.

The course was developed by UNITAR and C40 with the exclusive support of the Foundation L'Oréal and with knowledge contributions from Columbia Climate School and CARE France.

Knowledge for Action, a Certificate, Career Development and Peer Learning

1

Introduction to Climate Change and Inclusive Climate Action

2 hrs

2 d

2

Women at the Heart of Climate Action

2 hrs

2 d

3

Taking the Lead on Inclusive Climate Action

2 hrs

2 d

4

Influencing Change While Staying Resilient

2 hrs

2 d

2

Sustainable Consumption and Production in Africa

The course objective is to provide a broad understanding of sustainable production and consumption that can further be contextualized in the unique sectors.

In this course, we will go on a journey to Africa and discuss what the challenges and outlooks are for sustainable development on the continent. The course introduces you to the key approaches, policies, and international frameworks that aim to unlock more sustainable patterns of consumption and production (SCP).

 

We will cover a number of aspects and various thematic areas: from energy efficiency to climate-smart agriculture, from SCP tools, policies, and international agreements to behavioral change of individuals.

 

Knowledge for Action, a Certificate, Career Development and Peer Learning

1

What is SCP and Why is it Important for Africa?

1.5 hrs

1d

2

SCP Policies and Actions

1.5 hrs

1d

3

Sustainable Production: Addressing the Supply Side in Key Thematic Areas

1 hr

1d

4

Sustainable Lifestyles and Consumption: Addressing the Demand Side

1.5 hrs

1d

5

International and Regional Collaboration to Achieve SCP

1hr

1d

3

Children and Climate Change

The course you’re understanding about climate change and child vulnerabilities.

This course presents how children and youth can be impacted by climate change, how their resilience to climate change can be strengthened, and how they can act on climate change. It contains one module, which takes around 2 hours to complete. 

Knowledge for Action, a Certificate, Career Development and Peer Learning

1

Introduction to Children and Climate Change

2 hrs

2 days
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