Admission is highly competitive. Each cohort of fellows is geographically balanced and represents a wide range of professions, talents, experience, cultures, people, and perspectives.
Application Information
Applications are currently being accepted for the 2026 Emerging Climate Leaders Fellowship. The application deadline for the 2026 Emerging Climate Leaders Fellowship is August 1, 2025, at 11:59am.
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Application Requirements
Applicants should be between five and 10 years into their professional careers, with demonstrated accomplishments at a regional, national, or international level. While there is no minimum or maximum age requirement, we are looking for young leaders who are still on the rise in their careers.
Applicants must be representatives of the Global South. We look forward to welcoming a diverse representation from developing Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America/Caribbean.
Applicants must be fluent in English. An excellent command of the English language is essential to successfully participating in the program.
Climate Fellows must be available to fully participate in all parts of the program, including in-person for two weeks of the program: the Yale Orientation week (February 16-20, 2026), and the Paris closing week (June 15-19, 2026). Fellows must also be available to participate in the five remote learning journeys and to work on a collaborative group project between March and June 2026.
Selection Criteria
An established record of achievement in a profession linked to clean energy and climate change. We seek to identify a diverse group of Fellows from across multiple stakeholder groups, ranging from government officials, to entrepreneurs, energy company/utility professionals, bankers/financiers, journalists, educators/researchers, civil society representatives, legal advisors and legislators.
A commitment to making a positive impact at the local, national, or international level.
Demonstrated promise of a future career in leadership at both the national and potentially global level.
An eagerness to expand and deepen professional networks and to benefit from exposure to top global leaders in the clean energy and climate change space.
Application Process Overview
The application process for admission to the Climate Fellows Program is done entirely online. There are no paper forms to complete or mail.
There is no application fee or other cost to apply or participate. All fellows’ costs for Yale Orientation week and Paris closing week will be covered by the program (round-trip airfare, hotels, transfers and per-diem).
Prior to the deadline, you may work on your application at any time and submit it when you are ready. After creating an account and accessing the online application, you can upload materials and request your letters of recommendation.
Applicants are required to submit a résumé/curriculum vitae (maximum three pages), a brief video statement, a personal statement (maximum 600 words), and one letter of recommendation.
Yale University’s equal opportunity and nondiscrimination statement can be found here: https://www.yale.edu/eo-nondiscriminationstatement