New York, Nov 13 –– The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has officially launched a new e-learning course entitled Introduction to Sustainable Finance for Climate and Energy at the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Developed collaboratively by UNDP’s Sustainable Finance, Climate, and Energy teams, this free online course introduces essential concepts in climate and energy finance to a broad audience. It seeks to facilitate the achievement of national climate and energy targets while accelerating progress on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.

“This course marks a significant step in UNDP’s efforts to enhance global cooperation and empower countries to fulfill their commitments to climate action and a just energy transition,” said Tom Beloe, Director of UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub. “By offering it as a global public good, we ensure that knowledge on financing climate-smart and sustainable energy investments is accessible to all.”

The course covers various financing mechanisms, including sovereign debt instruments, carbon markets, and innovative private finance solutions, all grounded in Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFFs).

The launch exemplifies how UNDP and its partners are driving national-level progress on the SDGs and NDCs. An in-depth discussion of this multilateral approach to national-level action will be featured in an upcoming article in Columbia University’s online journal, Multilateralism in Action.

The SDG Finance Academy serves as UNDP’s leading platform for sharing sustainable finance expertise with partners worldwide. Through training, outreach, and the deployment of sustainable finance experts, the Academy aims to build a global community of practice to address the nearly $4.2 trillion annual financing gap for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

For more information about the Financing for Meeting National Climate and Energy Targets course and to enroll, visit the SDG Finance Academy e-Learning Platform. For additional inquiries, please contact lauren.bradford@undp.org.