The Yale Emerging Climate Leaders Fellowship 2027 is open to mid-career professionals from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America/Caribbean who are between five and ten years into their careers and working in clean energy or climate change.
Applications are open now and close on Thursday 30 July 2026 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time. The fellowship is a five-month programme running from February to June 2027. It begins with an in-person orientation week at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut from 1 to 5 February 2027, continues with six remote learning sessions every Wednesday from March through June 2027, and concludes with an in-person closing week in Paris from 14 to 18 June 2027.
Travel costs, flights, hotels, transfers, and most meals for both in-person weeks are covered by the programme. Sixteen fellows are selected each year from a wide range of professional backgrounds including government, entrepreneurship, finance, journalism, law, civil society, and academia. You must be fluent in English, available to attend both in-person weeks in full, and able to participate in all six remote sessions. An application fee is required to submit. No extensions to the deadline are granted under any circumstances.
Summary of the Yale Emerging Climate Leaders Fellowship
| Scholarship Name ⇒ | Yale Emerging Climate Leaders Fellowship |
| Host Country ⇒ | France and USA |
| Study Level ⇒ | Fellowship |
| Benefits ⇒ | Round-trip airfare, hotels, transfers, and most meals for Yale orientation week and Paris closing week — covered by the programme |
| Funded By ⇒ | Yale University Jackson School of Global Affairs, International Leadership Center |
| Eligible Countries ⇒ | Global South — Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America/Caribbean |
| Application Deadline ⇒ | 30 July 2026 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time — no extensions granted |
What the Fellowship Covers
The programme covers the following costs:
- Round-trip economy airfare for the Yale Orientation Week in New Haven (1–5 February 2027) and the Paris Closing Week (14–18 June 2027)
- Hotel accommodation for both in-person weeks
- Airport transfers for both in-person weeks
- Most meals during both in-person weeks
The fellowship does not pay a monthly stipend and does not cover living costs during the remote learning period from March to June 2027. Fellows remain in their home countries during this phase and participate remotely. You are responsible for your own internet access, workspace, and all costs associated with the remote sessions.
An application fee is required to submit your application. The exact amount is confirmed on the online application portal. This fee is non-refundable.
Programme Structure
Yale Orientation Week — 1 to 5 February 2027, New Haven, Connecticut
The fellowship opens with five days of in-person sessions at Yale University. Fellows engage with prominent Yale faculty and practitioners across Yale’s climate and energy research centres, including the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture, the Yale Open Lab, the Yale Center for Business and the Environment, the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, and the Yale Office of Sustainability.
Remote Learning Journeys — March to June 2027
From March through June 2027, fellows participate in six interactive remote sessions with top international experts, held on Wednesdays at 9:00 AM Eastern Time. Topics covered across the sessions include strengthening global climate governance and the UN process, exploring decarbonisation pathways including the IEA Net Zero 2050 scenario, accelerating renewable electricity growth, strengthening clean energy innovation, promoting energy efficiency, investigating people-centred energy transition challenges, developing climate finance vehicles, exploring carbon pricing and regulatory tools, improving climate communication, closing energy access gaps, developing negative emissions technologies, exploring nature-based solutions, broadening corporate and investor climate initiatives, tackling energy security and the role of fossil fuels, addressing clean energy supply chain challenges, and analysing methane emissions reduction in developing countries.
Paris Closing Week — 14 to 18 June 2027, Paris, France
The fellowship concludes with five days in Paris. Fellows meet with senior staff from the International Energy Agency and the OECD, French government officials, civil society representatives, think tanks, and private sector leaders. Fellows present policy recommendations on specific climate challenges to a global advisory board, publish their findings, and formalise the alumni network connections built throughout the programme.
Required Documents for the Yale Emerging Climate Leaders Fellowship
- A résumé or curriculum vitae — maximum three pages
- A personal statement — maximum 600 words
- A brief video statement — format and length guidance is available on the online application portal
- One letter of recommendation
Eligibility Criteria for the Fellowship 2027
You must meet all of the following to apply:
- You must be from an African, Asian, Middle Eastern, or Latin American/Caribbean country — the fellowship is explicitly restricted to representatives of the Global South
- You must be between five and ten years into your professional career at the time of application, with demonstrated accomplishments at a regional, national, or international level
- You must be fluent in English — an excellent command of spoken and written English is described as essential to participating in the programme
- You must be available to attend both in-person weeks in full: Yale Orientation Week from 1 to 5 February 2027 and Paris Closing Week from 14 to 18 June 2027
- You must be available to participate in six remote learning sessions held every Wednesday from March through June 2027 at 9:00 AM Eastern Time
- You must be available to work on a collaborative group project between March and June 2027
There is no minimum or maximum age requirement. However, the programme is specifically designed for leaders who are still rising in their careers — candidates with more than ten years of experience are not excluded, but the programme is built around emerging leaders rather than those already in senior global positions.
Selection Criteria for the Fellowship
The fellowship selects 16 fellows each year based on the following criteria:
- An established record of professional achievement linked to clean energy or climate change
- Diversity of professional background — the programme actively seeks representation across government, entrepreneurship, energy companies and utilities, banking and finance, journalism, education and research, civil society, law, and legislation
- A clear commitment to creating positive impact at the local, national, or international level
- Demonstrated promise of future leadership at the national and potentially global level
- Eagerness to build and deepen professional networks and to learn from senior global leaders in the climate and clean energy space
Each cohort is geographically balanced across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America/Caribbean, and is designed to reflect diversity in gender, country of origin, and professional sector.
How to Be A Part of the Yale Emerging Climate Leaders Fellowship
All applications are submitted entirely online. There are no paper forms.
- Go to the official online application portal: https://jackson.yale.edu/international-leadership-center/climate/
- Create an account on the application system
- Upload your CV (maximum three pages), personal statement (maximum 600 words), and video statement
- Request your letter of recommendation through the application system — do this early, as your recommender needs time to submit before the deadline
- Pay the required application fee — payment is required to complete your submission
- Submit your complete application before 30 July 2026 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time
It is strongly advised to submit at least 24 hours before the deadline. No extensions will be granted for any reason. You may save and return to your application at any time before submission.
Note on time zones for Nigerian and African applicants: 11:00 AM Eastern Time on 30 July 2026 is 4:00 PM WAT (West Africa Time). Do not wait until the final hours to submit — the application portal may be congested near the deadline, and a technical delay will not be accepted as grounds for an extension.
Application Deadline
Applications close on Thursday 30 July 2026 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time (4:00 PM WAT). This deadline is firm. No extensions will be granted regardless of circumstances. Submit at least 24 hours before this time to avoid any last-minute issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Yale Emerging Climate Leaders Fellowship fully funded?
The programme covers round-trip airfare, hotel accommodation, transfers, and most meals for both in-person weeks — the Yale Orientation Week in February and the Paris Closing Week in June. It does not pay a monthly stipend and does not cover any costs during the remote learning phase from March to June. Fellows remain in their home countries during this period at their own expense.
Can Nigerian and African professionals apply for this fellowship?
Yes. Africa is one of the four target regions for this fellowship, and Nigerian applicants are eligible. You must be between five and ten years into your professional career, working in or closely linked to clean energy or climate change, and fluent in English. The selection committee actively seeks African representation in each cohort to ensure geographic balance.
Do I need a background specifically in climate science to apply?
No. The fellowship accepts applicants from a wide range of professions including government, finance, journalism, law, civil society, entrepreneurship, and education — as long as your work connects to clean energy or climate change. What matters is your demonstrated impact in your field and your commitment to climate leadership, not a scientific degree.
How competitive is the Yale Emerging Climate Leaders Fellowship?
Sixteen places are available each year, drawn from applicants across four major regions. The selection process is described as highly competitive. Each cohort is assembled to reflect balance across geography, gender, and professional background, which means competition within each regional and professional category is intense.
Is there an age limit for this fellowship?
No. There is no minimum or maximum age requirement. However, the programme targets professionals between five and ten years into their careers who are still rising — it is not designed for those already in established senior global leadership positions.
What happens at the end of the fellowship?
Fellows present policy recommendations on specific clean energy and climate challenges to a global advisory board during the Paris Closing Week. Those findings are published. Fellows also maintain connections through an alumni network, which provides ongoing access to the global community of Yale Climate Fellows and associated practitioners built during the programme.
Disclaimer: All fellowship details, deadlines, award values, and eligibility criteria were verified from the official Yale Emerging Climate Leaders Fellowship page at jackson.yale.edu as of June 2026. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm the latest details directly on the official source before submitting your application.
Official Application Portal
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