The Climate Leadership Academy offers ambitious councillors a unique coaching opportunity to develop their political skills, knowledge and confidence, in order to become leading pioneers in local government on the environment and delivering climate action.
Express your interest in attending here.
Applications will open on 2nd June, and close at 08:59 BST on 7th July 2025. We will be hosting a drop-in session on 24th June, 12:00-13:00, with previous graduates where you can ask questions about the programme. Express interest today to receive an invite to this session.
Who is the Climate Leadership Academy for?
The Climate Leadership Academy is suitable for Leaders, Cabinet members, and Committee chairs of any or no political party, from authorities of any tier, and from all across the UK. Only elected officials from councils which are members, including allies, of UK100 are eligible to apply.
How does it work?
A cohort of 20 councillors will attend three tailored residential weekends to equip you with the leadership skills and policy knowledge integral to advancing climate action in your own context. You will hear from experts in the private, voluntary, academic and public sectors, and benefit from three 1-1 Net Zero coaching sessions, delivered by those with hands-on experience of delivering ambitious local action.
You will finish the course with the skills and knowledge to overcome the challenges in designing and delivering local climate and environmental projects, and to enable fast-paced progress towards your council’s ambitions. You will also join the growing group of Climate Leadership Academy graduates, a cross-party network of like-minded councillors all united by their commitment to ambitious climate action in their communities, as well as having the opportunity to act as spokespeople for UK100 in national advocacy initiatives.
The three residential weekends will take place between September - November 2025.
In 2024, 100% of sessions were rated as either good or excellent by participants, with a high applicability of learnings to their own councils.
“The range of topics and quality of speakers was exceptional, and I left every weekend buzzing on the train home, knowing I had gathered more knowledge, made more friends and connections, and gained more confidence.” Cllr Annemieke Waite, North Somerset Council
Dates & Location:
The Climate Leadership Academy will take place on the following dates, in three cities around the UK. As places are limited, all applicants must commit to attending all three weekends as follows:
- Weekend 1 - 6th-7th September 2025, Cambridge
- Weekend 2 - 11th-12th October 2025, Bristol
- Weekend 3 - 22nd-23rd November 2025, Leeds
Participants will also be required to attend three online 1:1 coaching sessions where they will receive support and advice on how to cement the learnings from the workshops and panels into ambitious action. The dates of these sessions will be finalised with participants once the course begins.
What is the cost?
- Full members of UK100 can access the programme free of charge, with accommodation and meals provided. For ally members of UK100, the programme costs £500 + VAT. In all cases, travel costs will need to be met by Councillors’ authorities.
- Existing ally members who upgrade to full UK100 membership before 8th August 2025 can take advantage of free access to the Climate Leadership Academy, alongside all other benefits available to full UK100 members.
Attendance to all three weekends is mandatory due to limited spaces and high demand. If participants are unable to attend a weekend, they will be liable to cover the cost of the course as per our attendance policy (as outlined in our FAQs).
Why should I apply?
“Excellent, lots of useful knowledge, ideas and inspiration… I just need to put it all into practise now” - Cllr Rosy Moore, Cambridge City Council
Hear directly from graduates of the 2024 cohort:
“I would happy repeat the whole experience again. I learned so much that was useful , both from other participants as well as from the weekend sessions and felt incredibly supported throughout.” Cllr Ali Gordon-Creed, South Oxfordshire District Council
“The support and opportunities for express learning and cross party/local authority learning and comparisons were exceptional.” Cllr Jenny Kent, City of York Council
“Participating in this comprehensive programme was a transformative experience. The blend of expert-led sessions and practical, peer-based group work over the course of six days provided a rich learning environment that was both challenging and rewarding. The insights gained have been instrumental in developing the Council’s climate priorities within our corporate plan and were the catalyst for the creation of a dedicated Climate Board.” Mike McKeown, Cabinet Lead for Climate Change and Sustainability Cotswold District Council
How to apply?
Please express your interest in the Climate Leadership Academy, and we’ll email you when applications are live!
For any questions regarding applications please email membership@uk100.org.
The closing date for applications is Monday 7th July 2025, 08:59 BST.
Due to the high volume of applications we will be unable to provide individual feedback to unsuccessful candidates. We aspire to inform successful applicants by 11th July.
Climate Leadership Academy FAQs
1. Who should apply?
The Climate Leadership Academy aims to support and encourage councillors in leadership positions to be bold and ambitious climate pioneers - councillors may be in the cabinet, committee chairs or councillors who are soon to be promoted. It is suitable for councillors in any tier, party or location in the UK. To apply for this programme your council must be a member of UK100.
2. How much does the course cost?
Full members of UK100 can access the Climate Leadership Academy free of charge. For allies, a fee of £500 + VAT is required, and in all cases, travel costs are to be met by your council. Existing ally members of UK100 can upgrade to full membership before 8th August 2025 to take advantage of free access to the programme.
Attendance to all three weekends is mandatory due to limited spaces. If participants are unable to attend a weekend they will be liable to cover the cost as per our attendance policy.
3. What if I cannot attend all three weekends?
This is a mandatory requirement to be on the course. All applicants must commit to attend all three weekends of training. If you are unable to attend all three, unfortunately you will not be able to take part.
If you are unable to attend in the case of illness or bereavement, please inform UK100 immediately.
4. How will I know if I am successful?
Once successful candidates have been selected, all applicants will be emailed the outcome directly using the email provided on the application form, estimated 11th July 2025. Due to the volume of applications, we will not be able to provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants.
5. What if I am not selected to take part in the Climate Leadership Academy?
The programme has been oversubscribed in previous years, so unfortunately we are unable to accept every applicant. However, we aim to offer a fifth cohort of applicants the opportunity to take part in this training programme in 2026 and we offer multiple other events for our members throughout the year as advertised in the membership newsletter and on our website.
6. What follow-up support will participants receive after the residential weekends?
The support offered through the Academy extends beyond the residential weekends. We offer a graduate support network, further coaching, as well as opportunities to become spokespeople at UK100. Including speaking opportunities at membership events, national advocacy events with Government and opposition parties, and the local and national media.
7. Attendance Policy
The Climate Leadership Academy is oversubscribed so it is vital that successful participants are able to take part in the whole programme from start to finish. We understand that circumstances change so participants may have to pull out of a residential weekend last minute. However, each weekend costs £1,500 per participant so if you're unable to attend one of the weekend sessions your council will be liable to pay the full cost (subject to circumstances). This will avoid financial losses and will be reinvested into the programme.
Find out more:
If you have any queries please contact membership@uk100.org
