On 1 October, Dr. Sanjeev Narrainen, Integrity and Compliance Manager for the Independent Integrity Unit (IIU), held a 2.5-hour online training session on the theme ‘understanding the nexus between corruption and climate change’ as part of the YOUNGO Climate Finance Academy 2024.

YOUNGO is the official children and youth constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Formed in 2009, it is a global network of youth activists from 18 to 35 years old who contribute to influence intergovernmental climate change policies and empower youth to formally voice their perspectives as part of the UNFCCC process. Every year, UNFCCC also sponsors some youth representatives to attend COP to encourage youth activists to participate in the climate negotiations. 

Within YOUNGO, there is a program called the Climate Finance Academy that provides training needs to young leaders. Since 2022, this initiative has trained 200 youth annually by gathering climate finance experts worldwide to share their knowledge and expertise and provide spaces for the YOUNGO constituency to discuss these topics. It is a three-month training program designed to equip participants with the skills and resources to lead meaningful engagement around climate finance and environmental justice. For this year’s Climate Finance Academy, 200 participants representing many different countries were selected through an open competition. Recognising the importance of integrity awareness, the Climate Finance Academy has partnered with IIU to provide training to young activists on the topic.

During the training, attended by 81 participants, Sanjeev highlighted the importance of integrity in climate finance and why it is important for effective climate action. Participants discussed the consequences corruption may have in climate finance projects and its impact on vulnerable communities and the environment. They also dove into a case study to gain a better understanding of the issues at stake and shared insights on these challenges and opportunities from their perspectives.