The African Climate Foundation (ACF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Allied Talent Partners (ATP), a leading climate-focused talent marketplace operating across the African continent. This partnership represents a crucial step towards equipping Africa with the skilled workforce necessary to drive and benefit from the green economy.
Africa holds unique potential to lead in global decarbonisation efforts, leverage global technological advances in renewable energy, and capitalise on emerging green industries. According to FSD Africa and Shortlist’s recently launched Forecasting Green Jobs in Africa’ report, with vast natural resources, abundant renewable energy potential, and the world’s largest rising workforce, Africa is well-positioned to leapfrog directly to renewable energy, bypassing carbon-intensive infrastructure. The green economy could create up to 100 million new and improved jobs across the continent by 2050. The energy and power sector is expected to create the largest number of new climate jobs (~70%). However, realising this green promise requires more than just supportive policies, infrastructure, and financial investments — it hinges on developing, and putting in place, the right human capital and talent on the right pieces of work at the right time.
Recognising this critical need within NGOs, energy developers, governments, and other organisations, the ACF-ATP MOU outlines a collaborative effort aimed at enhancing the capacity of climate-related projects and businesses by connecting them with skilled professionals and experts. ATP is being incubated by the Three Cairns Group, and connects organisations with specialised talent by sourcing and placing skilled professionals for project-based roles. ATP focuses on understanding client needs and providing tailored solutions to help companies achieve their goals efficiently, as well as growing, curating and cataloguing a large and diverse network of experienced independent talent available to be matched to client projects.
This partnership comes at a pivotal moment for the ACF as it shifts its focus to a Climate and Development Investment Platforms approach. These platforms are designed to attract and optimise climate-related investments at the national level, which requires a diverse range of skills, including financial analysis, economic studies, investment opportunity identification, and the design of implementation models that enhance the success and impact of these initiatives. ATP’s expertise and network will be invaluable in meeting these needs.
“The partnership with ATP comes at the right time in the journey of the ACF as it pivots towards facilitating country-owned investment platforms. Investment platforms necessitate a diversity of skills in the areas of financial analysis, economic studies, identifying investment opportunities, assembling investment packages, and designing implementation models that improve the success and impact of these platforms,” noted Saliem Fakir, Executive Director of the ACF.
Globally, the way people work is evolving. A 2024 report by Movemeon suggests that freelance workers seek better work-life balance, and the opportunity to choose their work. They are increasingly seeking flexibility, remote opportunities, and greater autonomy. ATP aims to harness this global shift by ‘capturing’ this talent on their marketplace, and offering climate-focused organisations in Africa a powerful resource to access the continent’s top independent talent.
ATP, known for its innovative approach to linking experienced professionals with short-term climate-related projects, will provide the ACF and its partners with access to a diverse pool of skilled, independent talent. This will be instrumental in the development, implementation, and management of the ACF’s partnerships, projects, and platforms, which are at the forefront of addressing climate change and fostering development across Africa.
“We’re delighted to partner with the ACF. ATP brings a new way of accessing on-demand, skilled talent to the African market. We look forward to delivering exceptional talent to support and accelerate the ACF’s important work, and showcasing how this new way of working can accelerate climate progress hand in hand with the ACF,” said Sarah McNeilly, Senior Advisor at Three Cairns Group and project lead for ATP.
The MOU represents the starting point for a model of symbiotic collaboration that the ACF believes will be instrumental in advancing the climate and development agenda across Africa, particularly through the ACF’s Climate and Development Investment Platforms.
