Three Cairns Climate Program for the Global South

Goal: To advance community-driven forest conservation and climate solutions that create sustainable livelihoods in the Global South.

While working at Ghana’s Forestry Commission, Isaac Andoh, ’27 MEM was able to see in real-time how large-scale climate initiatives can deliver tangible benefits to people and ecosystems. He worked on an initiative that rewarded local communities for reducing deforestation. Through the project, nearly 250,000 cocoa farmers received farming inputs and community projects, while their collective efforts reduced an estimated 4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.

Goal: To facilitate renewable energy transitions that promote community well-being.

After witnessing environmental and community challenges, such as waste accumulation, stray animals suffering, and a lack of awareness about climate change in her home region of Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh in southern India, Abhinaya Polaka ’27 MESc founded GREAP: Guarding the Rights of the Environment, Animals, and People, an organization that organizes animal rescues, beach cleanups, and tree-planting drives.

Goal: To advance inclusive and evidence-based environmental policies that strengthen Brazil’s leadership in global climate governance.

Not many children get to grow up in the company of sea turtles but Henrique Barbosa ‘27 MEM did, thanks to an aunt who worked with the Tamar Project — a sea turtle conservation and research organization based on the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha in the Northeast of Brazil.  A strategic location for food and nesting sea turtles, Fernando de Noronha is also one of the country’s leading ecotourism destinations. Volunteering with his aunt sparked Barbosa’s interest in biodiversity and helped him gain an appreciation for the role healthy ecosystems play in human well-being. 

Goal: To align agribusiness growth with regenerative practices that improve the well-being of rural Latin Americans.

Several years ago, Natalia Piamonte ’27 MEM savored her last burger while training as a power yoga instructor, and soon after, chose to give up animal products altogether.

“That class transformed my life,” she recalled. “It made me question my habits and ultimately reshaped my professional goals.”

After training as an engineer at Universidad de los Andes, Piamonte applied her analytical skills in the pharmaceutical industry, where she tackled an array of supply chain sustainability challenges.

Kuziva Huni knows that the investment industry is critical to bridging the capital gap necessary to accelerate clean energy projects in Africa, which is facing the world’s largest energy access deficit. Huni, a management consultant in Johannesburg, enrolled in the Financing and Deploying Clean Energy certificate program to build the knowledge, skills and networks that will help accelerate financing for clean energy projects and advance sustainable development goals across the continent.

Pervez Manan, a forester and climate financing expert in Pakistan, believes that sustainable and equitable forest management requires a broad set of technical and political skills — and an ability to listen to diverse stakeholders. The Tropical Forest Landscapes certificate program is helping him build that skill set and engage with like-minded practitioners from around the world. He hopes to adapt the best practices he’s learning to help increase the resilience of Pakistan’s forests. 

As a professor, Mahmuda Sharmin is motivated to create safer, inclusive, and resilient cities by supporting green spaces that can improve quality of life and mitigate growing climate risks. She enrolled in the Urban Climate Leadership certificate program to cultivate a global network of peers and deepen her knowledge of urban studies.

For José Daniel Madrigal, working in the U.S. Agency for International Development's Economic Growth Office in Honduras requires big-picture thinking at the nexus of the environment, food security, urbanization, and human rights. With its rich curriculum and international cohort, the Urban Climate Leadership certificate program, Madrigal said, is helping him develop the toolset, technical knowledge, and global network to take on this imposing challenge.

As a climate change and sustainability consultant and co-founder of the Tierra Alta Fund,  Andrea Rodríguez Zepeda understands the importance of ensuring access to financing and technical resources to build resilient ecosystems and communities. She enrolled in the Tropical Forest Landscapes certificate program to enhance her skills in facilitating equitable and sustainable conservation projects, and has already used what she’s learning in TFL to help secure seed funding alongside the Tierra Alta team for soil sampling and community workshops through the Mountain Sentinels Fellowship Program.

Janice Tran, a commercial specialist with the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, works with U.S. firms in Vietnam to help advance the mission’s environmental and climate change efforts. The Financing and Deploying Clean Energy certificate program is giving her the global perspective and financial skill set to navigate the complex landscape of Vietnam’s energy sector and accelerate the country’s clean energy transition.

As an educator, Chan Aye understands the need for youth engagement at all levels to increase Burma’s resilience to the urgent, life-threatening challenges of climate change. He enrolled in the Urban Climate Leadership certificate program to build new technical knowledge, refine his teaching skills, and tap into a global network to help inspire the next generation of Burmese climate and environmental leaders.

Monkgogi Buzwani, a private equity and sustainable financing expert from Botswana, said there are numerous challenges, including a significant electricity gap, limited financing, and fossil fuel dependence, facing the energy sector in sub-Saharan Africa. He enrolled in the Financing and Deploying Clean Energy certificate program to build knowledge and connections he can use to help advance the region’s clean energy transition.