Frequently Asked Questions

The CSL Fellowship is a leadership development programme designed to engage, inspire and propel Fellows forward in their efforts to advance the climate agenda within their institution.

While other programmes focus on the technical changes banks need to enable a just and equitable transition to net zero, the Fellowship focuses on the systemic changes required, and developing the leadership capabilities of Fellows to create and influence these changes.

Unlike many other online courses, the Fellowship is uniquely tailored to each cohort, meaning that the content of sessions will respond directly to the needs and interests of cohort members, in relation to the current context within which they are working. Our emphasis on live workshops and learning alongside peers, means that each Fellow is an active participant in and contributor to the learning.

Participants get 30+ hours of contact time with trainers and a cohort of peers. It combines training in the form of tools and skills to support Fellows in their work as climate intrapreneurs, as well as tailored support to move forward on a specific Critical Shift related to their climate action work.

We consistently hear from previous Fellows about the value of hearing the experiences of their peers and the supportive nature of relationships built through the Fellowship. The programme is participatory and anchored in a confidential, pre-competitive peer learning environment. As a community of practice, Fellows will engage in collaborative learning, share best practice, and develop new ideas together with others in their cohort.

Fellows also have access to the wider alumni community of Fellows, as well as resources, workshops and networking events organised by the Climate Safe Lending Network.

Not directly - there are other courses and forums, including the PRB Academy that do this. The core CSL Fellowship programme emphasises supporting participants to explore the organisational development, cultural, behavioural and personal leadership dimensions of accelerating climate action within their bank (i.e. joining up transformation in culture, operations and strategy to meet the bank's climate goals). However, there will also be opportunities to access support on the technical components of climate strategies (e.g. targets, methodologies, disclosures etc). These include Responsive Peer Learning sessions which will be adapted to the specific needs of Fellows, sharing of resources and connections among Fellows on the cohort and access to additional resources curated by the Climate Safe Lending Network.

Yes! Climate action needs to be catalysed, supported and embedded within the core strategy, operations and culture of banks. The programme is designed to support individuals who want to more effectively lead this change, irrespective of their functional area or seniority, and regardless of whether they are working on climate within their day job or side-of-desk. Past participants have included Chief Risk Officers, Commercial Relationship Managers, Portfolio Managers, Operations, Learning & Development leaders, Innovation Managers, Legal representatives and Sustainability leaders.

We are curating the 2024 cohort to include banks, CDFIs and development banks as a means to encourage innovative, collaborative thinking amongst individuals looking to extend not only their leadership, but also the realms of what is possible. The systemic change required for a credible and just transition to climate safe lending will require banks and other lending institutions of varying sizes to each play a role.

We are looking to build a diverse cohort, made up of participants working in banking across the world. Previous years’ Fellows found that this international exchange was one of the most valuable aspects of the programme. It is also important to recognise that developing countries will, and already are, experiencing a disproportionate amount of impact from climate change, so it is vital for those elsewhere in the world to hear about these experiences too.

Yes, the programme is suitable for participants with all levels of experience driving climate action forward within their banks - so long as you have at least 3 years of experience working in banking or lending. Participants with less experience of climate action have a lot to contribute to the cohort as the ‘beginner’s mindset’ you bring will likely lead you to ask fundamental questions, and offer an objective perspective which will be valuable for all participants. As the majority of the programme does not focus on the technical aspects of climate change - but instead on the skills and most effective approaches for driving action by your bank - most core sessions will not be technical in nature. Because we will have participants who work in varied roles and areas of banking, where we do cover technical content, we will ensure that this is accessible to participants with all levels of understanding.

The CSL Fellowship is designed specifically for those trying to drive internal change within their bank or lending institution. Please get in touch with us so we may explore other possibilities for getting involved.

All Fellowship sessions for the March 2024 cohort will take place between 1430 and 1800hrs (Greenwich Meridien Time / British Summer Time). Please get in touch with us (fellowship@climatesafelending.org) if the current timings do not work for you. We are keen to explore setting up regional-focused cohorts depending on interest. We can also keep you updated on future cohorts.

The purpose of a just and regenerative economy is ecological restoration, community resilience and social equity. A just and regenerative economy shifts economic control to communities, democratises wealth and the workplace, advances ecological restoration, drives racial justice and social equity, relocalises most production and consumption, and retains and restores cultures and traditions. This is in contrast to the current dominant economic model, which is an ‘extractive economy’ driven by the accumulation, concentration and enclosure of wealth and power.

Achieving a just and equitable transition to a climate safe world is complex, involving many interrelated challenges and stakeholders. There is no single silver bullet that can address it all. A systemic approach to change considers not just individual parts of the system, but seeks to shift the entire system by working with interdependent leverage points. It also focuses not just on fixing the symptoms of the problem, but seeks to understand and work with the deeper causes - including the structures, relationships and mental models that often sit below the surface. In the context of bank climate action, systemic change means fundamentally transforming every part of business-as-usual to be fit for purpose in a just and sustainable world, rather than siloing sustainability within CSR.

We encourage Fellows to bring to the programme a Critical Shift in your institution that you are (or would like to be) part of creating. This should be a shift that: (i) could be achieved in the next 12 months; (ii) is something you can directly or indirectly influence; and (iii) would make a significant difference in enabling your bank’s climate transition.

Examples of Critical Shifts include:

1. A shift from client-facing colleagues viewing sustainability as irrelevant to their role → to relationship managers having the willingness, knowledge and skills to support clients to transition their own business models toward climate goals.

2. A shift from sustainability as a small team working on the bank’s own operational carbon footprint → to sustainability leading a fully integrated strategy for climate safe banking across business-as-usual.

3. A shift from sustainability within the bank being viewed as a CSR strategy → to sustainability being a core foundation of corporate strategy.

4. A shift from the bank’s climate strategy only focusing on environmental impacts → to integrating a justice and equity lens.

5. A shift from portfolio alignment to the Paris Agreement being a top-level priority of the bank → to business committees taking climate into account together with risk-return considerations in credit decision making.

6. A shift from short-term financial KPIs only → to introducing employee incentives for contribution to climate goals.

7. A shift from evaluating new deals based on short term risk and return → to having a process to decline new business in service of net zero targets.

8. A shift from a lack of colleague capability around sustainability → to compulsory sustainability training for all.

9. A shift from climate strategy being the responsibility of a central strategy team → to climate strategy owned within all business areas across the bank which then contributes towards Group strategy

Peer coaching involves structured, facilitated learning alongside peers through the use of active listening, powerful questions and sharing of challenges and experiences. An example of a peer coaching methodology we will be using in the programme is Action Learning. Fellows can take basic peer coaching skills back into their workplace and apply them to cultivate meaningful learning environments and collaborative team cultures.

We estimate a total time commitment of 2 days a month over the duration of the Fellowship. This includes time for all scheduled sessions (core workshops and peer learning sessions) and we encourage Fellows to allocate ideally 30 minutes each week for individual reflection, reviewing pre-session materials and engaging with your allocated learning partner.

We also encourage Fellows to actively work on their Critical Shifts across the Fellowship by weaving this in as part of your day-to-day work. There will also be opportunities for you to collaborate and share resources and connections across the cohort.

Throughout the programme, Fellows will have access to a dedicated peer coaching group and a learning partner on the cohort to journey more closely with. Fellows will be invited to two individual support sessions with a member of the Programme Team aimed at understanding your specific needs and to provide coaching or mentoring support.

Upon completion of the programme, Fellows can:

Join the network of Alumni who have completed previous Climate Safe Lending Fellowships for ongoing connection and collaboration.

Stay engaged with the Climate Safe Learning Network community to stay aware of ongoing learning opportunities, thematic initiatives and networking events.

Fellows will also continue to be invited to Climate Safe Lending Network workshops and events where they can collaborate with a multi-stakeholder community of changemakers all working to accelerate bank climate action, and access other resources published by the Network.

Fellows who successfully complete the programme will be able to use the title of Climate Safe Lending Fellow for inclusion in resumes and public profiles.

The minimum cohort size is 15, with a maximum of 30 participants. We anticipate a cohort of approximately 20-25 Fellows.

We adhere to the Chatham House Rule for the entirety of the Fellowship. Fellows are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed. Fellows may explicitly request that specific information shared be strictly ‘off the record’ and cannot be shared beyond the group.

At the beginning of the programme, all Fellows will sign terms of reference containing a confidentiality agreement; and the cohort will jointly create and agree on additional conditions that would enable all participants to feel comfortable to bring themselves most fully to the programme.

We seek to create learning environments where every individual in the cohort feels able to participate without inhibition. Practically, this will mean ensuring each Fellow is part of a smaller peer coaching group comprising participants from different organisations. At the same time, colleagues on the programme can benefit from working together and applying new insights and skills within the same institution. During the application process, candidates will have the opportunity to let the programme team know of any grouping preferences.

We are looking for mid- to senior-level representatives who are in a position to formally or informally impact your institution’s progress on meeting your climate targets. We recommend a mix of representatives with the following perspectives:

Sustainability / climate - someone responsible for developing and implementing climate strategies within the bank.

Commercial business units - someone in a core business function or business unit which now needs to integrate a climate lens into strategy and decision making e.g. corporate lending, project finance, credit risk, relationship/portfolio management.

Internal operations - someone in the back office who is responsible for ensuring a climate lens is integrated into business processes and culture e.g. transformation, change management, human resources or learning and development.

We encourage up to three employees from across your bank to apply to ensure a diverse cohort of up to 25 fellows. Applications will be assessed individually. We offer a group discount of 10% for two or three places offered to employees from each bank.

At this stage, the programme is not accredited. This is something we are exploring for the future.

The Fellowship programme is a virtual programme that will be delivered on the Zoom Meetings platform along with a number of other online collaboration tools. If you are unable to access Zoom please contact the programme team to discuss alternative options. You will require a reliable WiFi connection, ideally on a desktop or laptop in order to participate fully, and most easily access other functionalities like the Zoom whiteboard. We will advise confirmed participants before the programme of any additional platforms we plan to use, and work with them to ensure they can access these as needed. We will also invite all participants to join a messaging platform for the cohort, although this is optional.

English. We can enable Zoom’s live captioning service during all Zoom sessions for accessibility purposes if needed. Please get in touch with the team if we can make the programme more accessible for you in this regard.

We envision a financial system that enables everyone to flourish and contribute, and we strive for the Fellowship programme to embody this. We welcome participants with accessibility needs and do our best to make adjustments to the programme to enable you to fully participate. At various stages in the process you will have the opportunity to communicate your needs to the programme team, and we will remain in ongoing communication about this over the course of the programme. Examples of needs we have adjusted the programme for in previous cohorts include: chronic illness and injury (including long-COVID), vision impairment, neurodivergence, physical disabilities, caring responsibilities and mental health challenges.

In addition to your willingness to learn and support others, we ask that all participants prioritise attending all Fellowship sessions to maximise yours and the whole cohort’s shared learning experience.

To make the most of the Fellowship, we encourage Fellows to set aside a minimum of two days a month for Fellowship activities. This includes attending all Fellowship sessions, and ideally 30 minutes each week of individual reflection, reviewing pre-session materials and engaging with learning partners. We also encourage Fellows to actively work on their Critical Shifts across the Fellowship by weaving this in as part of their day-to-day

We encourage everyone to attend all sessions as part of a commitment towards learning with others in a peer learning community. However, we understand that unforeseen circumstances may come up. If you do need to miss a session, we ask that you let our team know in advance, review workshop recordings and materials ahead of the next session, and speak to one of your peers (for example your learning partner) to catch up on what you missed. Please note we do not record group discussions or peer coaching sessions. Should you miss more than one Fellowship session without prior-agreement, we reserve the right to ask you to leave the programme.

We will work with you to decide the best option depending on the scenario and circumstances. If you no longer meet the basic eligibility criteria from the programme, we may have to ask you to step down from the Fellowship.

Yes. Do get in touch with our team in case we are able to connect you to others in your institution within our network whom you can enquire with. We encourage you to go ahead and submit your application to the CSL Fellowship even if you are not fully clear about whether your organisation will sponsor you.

We have also set aside some partial bursary places to support individuals without the financial means to participate. We ask participants on a bursary to make a small financial contribution. Bursary places will be offered based on need.

Following confirmation of places, all selected Fellows will be issued an invoice for the full programme fee to be directed to the relevant department in their organisation. Fellows who are on partial bursaries will be issued an invoice for the agreed amount. Payment must be made in full prior to the commencement of the programme on 21 March 2024. Payment plans are available by agreement if required.

Refunds will only be offered in exceptional circumstances. If a confirmed participant chooses to withdraw before the start of the programme, we will work with the participant and their organisation to identify another suitable candidate if possible. If that is not possible, we will offer a deferred place to the Fellowship programme in 2024.

Visit the Fellowship webpage where you can download a detailed programme overview and access other resources.

If you would like to discuss any questions please contact us at fellowship@climatesafelending.org.