Enrollment Opens for Maryland Climate Leadership Academy

First Cohort Kicks Off in November

State of the Coast Conference

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources today opened enrollment for the Maryland Climate Leadership Academy, the nation’s first state-led program aimed at helping community leaders, critical infrastructure, local governments and state agencies effectively plan for and implement climate change initiatives.

The Maryland Climate Leadership Academy’s first cohort will kick off in November with a three-part series offered at community college and university campuses across the state. Each course will provide participants with critical training on climate preparedness, economic impacts, energy and water management, entrepreneurship, governance and risk management. This series of courses is designed for executive and senior staff in both the private and public sectors.

“Maryland is well-equipped to continue to lead the country in driving creative, innovative and successful strategies aimed at addressing climate change-related impacts on our businesses, citizens and communities,” Maryland Natural Resources Secretary Mark Belton said. “Through the Maryland Climate Leadership Academy, we will amplify, complement and support locally-designed and -led initiatives by providing detailed and on-demand trainings aimed at integrating climate change into community decision-making.”

The state has engaged the Association of Climate Change Officers, a professional society and credentialing body, to administer and develop programming the Maryland Climate Leadership Academy. The association will leverage its existing education and training curriculum and make its existing and future credentialing programs available to academy participants.

“For the first time, a state government is providing critical training to its local government, infrastructure and business leaders,” Association of Climate Change Officers Executive Director Daniel Kreeger said. “This step will help to ensure that public and private sector leaders statewide are working with common knowledge and understanding, and are aligning their efforts on climate action.”

Additional certificate programs, online education resources and workshops will also be announced later this fall. Additional information about the Maryland Climate Leadership Academy is available at: MDClimateAcademy.org.