Think-tanks

Through the UNI-LEAD project, university-based think-tanks have been established in Nepal, Senegal, Uganda, and Mozambique. These think-tanks serve as a knowledge hub for mobilizing technical expertise across their universities resulting in more effective engagement with their respective governments on addressing scientific and technical aspects of climate finance needs related to priorities under NDCs and NAPs. The think-tanks are designed to provide a model for encouraging university leadership and collaboration with governments on climate finance.

Think tanks

Nepal

Nepal Climate Initiative (NCI) is hosted within the School of Environmental Science and Management at Pokhara University. NCI aims to empower stakeholders in Nepal with the information, skills and internal institutional capacity needed to access and utilize climate finance to effectively respond to climate change. NCI achieves this through research, knowledge- and capacity-building programs related to climate finance, as well as broader climate change action. NCI’s vision is to build knowledge and capacity to facilitate improved in-country and country-led responses to climate change in Nepal, and its mission is to empower stakeholders at all levels to efficiently access and utilize climate finance, and ultimately ensure enhanced climate action, resilient communities and ecosystems, reduced climate risks, swift response to climate impacts and promotion of sustainable development in Nepal.

NCI’s strategic goals are to: i) Develop and foster in-house and intergenerational research, knowledge, and capacity on climate change and climate finance; ii) Catalyze thought leadership to shape climate action in Nepal; iii) Enhance accessibility and dissemination of timely information through knowledge sharing initiatives, leveraging the existing mandate and work of the academia, and; iv) Empower in-country stakeholders and clients through demand-driven capacity building products and services. NCI is achieving its strategic goals through fostering strategic collaborations with top experts from government, academia, civil society and private sector, and through establishing the think tank as a credible, authoritative, and dependable source of information on climate change. The think-tank is developing timely and relevant resource books, policy briefs, and other publications, leveraging ongoing work of the academia. And designing training materials and training programs at local, provincial, and national level in consultation with government and other relevant stakeholders and clients.

For more information, contact Prof. Ajay Mathema (ajaymathema2@gmail.com)

Senegal

The INiTiativE Reflection and Action for Climate and Climate Financing (INTERFACE) Think Tank is hosted at the Ecole Supérieure Polytechnique of Cheikh Anta Diop University. Its vision is to support the mobilization of climate finance in Senegal and the broader sub-region to foster community resilience and low-carbon development. INTERFACE has enhanced multidisciplinary collaboration within the university and across sectors by establishing university-government working groups. These groups focus on addressing key sectoral vulnerabilities and providing inputs for the development of Green Climate Fund (GCF) project proposals.

The think tank has established four key strategic goals: i) Establish a digital platform to connect national experts specializing in climate finance, ii) Enhance the capacities of network experts especially the government officials, equipping them to support climate adaptation project, iii) Provide training, support services, and resources to state and non-state actors for mobilizing climate finance and iv) Strengthen dialogue and collaboration among key stakeholders—scientists, policymakers, and the private sector—to improve climate finance management.

For more information, contact Prof. Amadou Thierno Gaye and Dr. Ibrahima Camara (atgaye@esp.sn, ibrahima1.camara@ucad.edu.sn)

Uganda

The Climate Finance Hub (CFH) is a climate finance think tank based at Makerere University in Uganda. It is housed in the Makerere University Centre for Climate Change Research Innovations (MUCCRI) in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The CFH is being operationalized through a collaborative arrangement with the Climate Finance Unit in the Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED), which is the National Focal Point (NFP) for GEF, GCF and AF; and the Climate Change Department in the Ministry of Water and Environment, which is the NFP to the UNFCCC.

CFH’s vision is strengthened technical and institutional capacity for attracting and mobilizing climate finance to support right investments that foster climate resilience, economic growth, and social and environmental benefits to everyone, and its mission is to empower climate actors in Uganda to mobilize, access and effectively use climate finance to implement the right programmes and interventions in order to achieve climate resilience and promote sustainable growth”. CFH’s five strategic objectives are: i) Knowledge generation, acceleration and management to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of climate finance; ii) Training and capacity enhancement on securing and using climate finance; iii) Working with government on climate finance mobilization and access; iv) Youth leadership, to provide young people a voice and education in climate action that can foster a just transition to a sustainable society, and; v) Fostering Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) to ensure that climate finance capacity building perspectives are approached from the perspective of gender justice & social inclusion.

For more information, contact Prof. Revocatus Twinomuhangi (rtwinomuhangi@gmail.com)

Mozambique

The Mozambique Community based Adaptation Platform (ADAPTACOMoz) is a specialized think tank established within Eduardo Mondlane University’s (UEM) Research Chair on Ecosystem-Based Adaptation in Arid and Semi-Arid Zones. ADAPTACOMoz’s vision is to become Mozambique’s leading center of excellence in climate adaptation finance, recognized for enabling effective, inclusive, and sustainable climate resilience building at the subnational level. Its mission is to accelerate climate adaptation in Mozambique by strengthening institutional capacity, facilitating access to climate finance, and ensuring evidence-based decision-making at all levels of government, with particular focus on subnational entities.

The think tank has established four key strategic goals: i) Strengthening ADAPTACOMoz institutional arrangements and member capacity; ii) Developing climate change and climate finance products and services; iii) Delivering comprehensive capacity building programs; and iv) Providing technical assistance in accessing and implementing climate finance. Over the five-year period from 2025-2030, ADAPTACOMoz aims to train 500 government officials in climate finance access, conduct 2 workshops annually to engage policymakers, scientists, and project beneficiaries, facilitate access to $50 million in climate adaptation funding, and establish a sustainable revenue model through diversified funding streams.

For more information, contact Prof. Rosta Mate Munjovo (rostamate@gmail.com)