A new climate education and leadership programme designed to equip Ghanaians and other Africans with practical skills to tackle climate change is set to launch, with applications now open for its inaugural cohort.

The ReMI Climate Academy (RCA), a partnership between Rescue Mission International (ReMI) and the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), seeks to develop a new generation of climate professionals, policymakers, advocates and young leaders capable of responding to the continent's growing environmental challenges.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Rescue Mission International, Ibrahim Tuzee Abdul-Raheem, said the academy was created to address the shortage of climate education programmes tailored to Africa's unique circumstances.

"Africa is on the front line of the climate crisis, but there's very little climate training built for our own realities. The RCA fills that gap," he said.

Participants who complete the programme will receive a joint ReMI-GIMPA certificate, with GIMPA providing academic accreditation and certification.

According to the organisers, the curriculum covers climate science, climate policy, green finance, climate law, innovation and ethics, with a strong emphasis on practical leadership rather than theoretical instruction.

The academy will offer three learning tracks — Executive, Professional and Fellowship — alongside short one-month courses to accommodate participants with varying levels of experience and career aspirations.

Weekend classes will be held at the GIMPA campus in Accra, while organisers say an online learning option is being developed to enable participation from applicants outside the capital and across the African diaspora.

The programme is open to working professionals, public sector officials, policymakers, civil society actors, community leaders, climate advocates and students interested in building careers in climate leadership.

The launch comes at a time when Ghana continues to experience the growing effects of climate change, including recurrent flooding, coastal erosion, unpredictable rainfall patterns and increasing threats to agriculture, food security and water resources.

Despite these challenges, opportunities for structured, locally relevant climate education have remained limited, a gap the organisers say the academy is designed to address.

Organisers believe the first cohort will lay the foundation for what they hope will become a leading African platform for climate leadership training and capacity building.

Expressions of interest for the inaugural intake are currently open, with further details on admission timelines and the planned virtual learning option expected to be announced in the coming weeks.