From Data to Action: A Summer of Climate Finance at CDP
By Kristen Weller
This past summer, I had the incredible opportunity to work as a Sustainable Infrastructure Fellow with CDP’s Climate Finance team under their Cities, States, and Regions (CSTaR) division. For those unfamiliar, CDP is a global non-profit organization that has revolutionized environmental reporting. CDP has the world’s largest, most comprehensive set of environmental data, which serves as a powerful tool for driving informed climate action among companies, cities, states, and public authorities worldwide. The climate finance team focuses on finance trends for a range of CSTaR sustainable infrastructure projects, including transportation, renewable energy, energy efficiency, waste management, and water management.
My fellowship was a deep dive into the intricate world of data-driven climate solutions. One of my initial responsibilities involved cleaning and analyzing climate data obtained through CDP's annual climate questionnaire. Through this work, I was able to explore the differences between mitigation and adaptation projects, uncovering trends and insights crucial for assisting cities in addressing their financing and technical assistance needs. This wasn't just an academic exercise; my analysis contributed to an internal briefing on States & Regions climate finance needs, helping to shape our understanding of global climate action at multiple levels of governance.
But my role wasn't confined to data analysis. I also drafted one of CDP’s North America Sustainable Infrastructure newsletters, a quarterly publication which reaches roughly 2,000 contacts primarily in the US and Canada. It was a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between complex data and actionable insights, translating our findings into regionally relevant information on CDP’s efforts to support funding and financing for local governments.
As the summer progressed, I had the chance to help shape CDP’s future reporting processes. I participated in external consultations for the development of the 2025 CDP-ICLEI Track and States and Regions questionnaire, with a specific focus on subnational climate finance. The goal of this initiative has been to ensure that CDP public sector disclosers are incentivized to accelerate their progress towards climate and environmental goals. It was fascinating to see how carefully crafted questions could potentially drive global climate action.
Another exciting aspect of my fellowship involved conducting background research on my team’s relevant briefings. In preparation for CDP’s 2024 Global Snapshot, set to launch at COP29, I dove deep into the evolution of CHAMP (the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships), exploring the intricacies of multi-level cooperation in climate finance. This research opened my eyes to the complex web of stakeholders involved in climate action and the critical importance of collaboration across different levels of governance.
Most recently, I have been leading the research for a briefing focused on the transport projects of 15 cities primarily located in Sub-Saharan Africa. This briefing will be presented at an upcoming Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM) event in Accra this November, which will bring together Chief Financial Officers from these cities to discuss financial strategies for developing transport projects. We're providing insights into the state of climate finance in these cities and demonstrating how CDP's transport data can be leveraged to drive action. It's thrilling to think that our work could influence real-world decisions on sustainable urban transportation in these rapidly growing cities.
My time at CDP has been a journey of growth, learning, and meaningful contribution in the field of climate change. The practical skills I have gained in data analysis, the deeper understanding of climate finance challenges, and the opportunities to connect with Fletcher alumni have been invaluable. As I continue my work with CDP and look towards future opportunities, I am more committed than ever to leveraging data and finance to drive sustainable development and climate resilience across the globe. I am thrilled to announce that my journey with CDP will continue through the fall 2024 semester, allowing me to lead the completion of the Africa brief for GCoM. As I look towards my second year at Fletcher, I remain committed to learning more about multi-level governance efforts associated with climate change and hope to deepen my understanding and knowledge of climate finance.
Kristen Weller is a MALD student at The Fletcher School, Tufts University