THE new 24 climate leaders from eight ASEANmember states will be designing their projects to have more community-wide impact. They graduated from the ASEAN Climate Leadership Program (ACLP) in Bangkok on June 15 after a six-month immersive training.
The ACLP equips participants with the knowledge, skills and network necessary to drive sustainable change in their towns and cities. Supported by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), the German Agency for International Cooperation and the Amsterdam Leadership Academy, it promotes transformational change and sustainable development across Southeast Asia.
The graduates' projects showcased practical solutions to local climate challenges and synthesized the ACLP leadership model, systems thinking and design thinking.
They gave the following solutions to strengthen climate resilience: user-friendly technology to enhance women farmers' agricultural practices; sustainable urban mushroom farming initiative in the Philippines; and solar panels as a renewable energy source in remote Indonesian islands. These projects also addressed challenges in climate vulnerability, gender and inclusion, risk communication and leadership plan development.
Mercedita Sombilla, SEARCA center director, urged the graduates to "transition from learning to leading," expressing her hope that their newfound skills would translate into real climate action. Other goals given them were to inspire future leaders and maintain a robust network across the region.