The Himalayan Energy Transition Finance Fellowship is a non-partisan, solutions-driven fellowship program that equips students, young professionals, researchers, and emerging practitioners to design innovative financing mechanisms that can accelerate clean, affordable, climate-resilient, and socially just energy transitions across Nepal.
Fellows work in multidisciplinary teams to develop finance and implementation models tailored to the realities of Himalayan communities, municipalities, provinces, and underserved regions.
Nepal stands at a pivotal moment in its energy transition journey. The country possesses immense renewable energy potential—from hydropower and solar energy to micro-hydro, biomass, and emerging decentralized systems. Yet many communities, particularly in mountainous and remote regions, continue to face energy insecurity, infrastructure gaps, climate vulnerability, and limited access to investment capital.
At the same time, the Himalayan region faces intensifying climate risks including glacial melt, landslides, extreme weather events, ecosystem degradation, and unequal development impacts.
While renewable energy solutions exist, financing and implementation mechanisms often fail to adequately reach local governments, marginalized communities, cooperatives, indigenous peoples, and rural enterprises.
This fellowship addresses one central question:
How can Nepal design inclusive and locally grounded energy transition finance mechanisms that mobilize capital, reduce risk, strengthen resilience, and ensure that no community is left behind in the transition to sustainable energy?
Over the course of the fellowship, teams will:
Select a Nepal-based municipality, province, watershed region, or Himalayan community as their case study
Identify key local energy transition challenges and opportunities
Analyze climate vulnerability, energy poverty, and infrastructure constraints
Identify Just Transition risks, including ways that energy transitions may unintentionally exclude or disadvantage marginalized populations, indigenous communities, women, informal workers, or geographically isolated settlements
Design an Energy Transition Finance Mechanism or Impact Facility capable of supporting initiatives such as:
Community solar systems
Microgrids and decentralized renewable energy
Climate-resilient rural electrification
Clean cooking and energy access initiatives
Productive-use energy systems for agriculture and livelihoods
Green mobility and electric transport systems
Resilient mountain infrastructure
Community-owned renewable energy cooperatives
Hybrid renewable systems for remote Himalayan communities
Each team will develop:
A written Energy Transition Finance Proposal
A concise investor and policy pitch presentation
A stakeholder and governance framework
A financing and blended capital strategy
A Just Transition inclusion strategy
Public–Private–Community Partnership scenarios
(Optional) A pilot implementation roadmap or prototype model
Participants gain hands-on experience in:
Energy transition systems in developing economies
Climate finance and blended finance mechanisms
Public–private–community partnerships
Sustainable infrastructure finance
Just Transition frameworks
Climate adaptation and resilience financing
Local governance and provincial development planning
Working within real-world policy, regulatory, geographic, and budget constraints
Team-based systems thinking and adaptive problem solving
The fellowship includes workshops, mentorship sessions, peer learning circles, and practitioner dialogues with experts from energy, finance, development, governance, and climate sectors.
The fellowship is open to:
University students
Graduate students and researchers
Recent graduates
Young professionals
Early-career practitioners
Applicants may come from fields such as:
Energy and engineering
Economics and finance
Public policy and governance
Climate and environmental studies
Development studies
Urban and regional planning
Architecture and infrastructure
Social sciences and community development
Multidisciplinary teams are strongly encouraged.
No prior experience in energy finance is required. Curiosity, commitment, collaboration, and willingness to engage with complex real-world challenges matter most.
Possible thematic tracks may include:
Himalayan Climate Resilience Finance
Community-Owned Renewable Energy
Municipal Energy Transition Planning
Inclusive Energy Access
Green Mobility and Transport
Climate Adaptation Infrastructure
Indigenous and Local Knowledge for Energy Transitions
Women-Led Energy Enterprises
Energy Cooperatives and Social Enterprises
Nature-Positive Infrastructure Financing
Outstanding fellows and teams may receive:
Seed funding or pilot support opportunities
Access to incubation and mentorship pathways
Opportunities to present to municipalities, development agencies, investors, NGOs, and energy institutions
Fellowship certificates and recognition as Himalayan Energy Transition Innovators
Opportunities for cross-border collaboration across South Asia and Himalayan regions
By joining the fellowship, you will:
Work on real energy transition challenges facing Nepal and the Himalayan region
Build practical skills at the intersection of energy, climate, finance, governance, and development
Collaborate with mentors, researchers, practitioners, and institutions shaping the future of sustainable energy
Gain experience designing solutions grounded in local realities and community needs
Help co-create pathways toward a more resilient, equitable, and climate-smart future
The Himalayan Energy Transition Finance Fellowship recognizes that the future of sustainable development in Nepal will depend not only on technology, but also on inclusive institutions, innovative financing, local participation, and community resilience.
The transition to clean energy must also be a transition toward greater equity, dignity, resilience, and opportunity for mountain communities and future generations.
Applications open soon.
Whether you are passionate about renewable energy, climate resilience, sustainable finance, community development, or public innovation, this fellowship is your opportunity to help shape Nepal’s just and inclusive energy future.
Apply | Partner With Us | Become a Mentor | Support a Fellowship Team
Module 1: Introduction to Impact Investing
Week 1: Fundamentals of Impact Investing
Week 2: Impact Investing in the Energy Sector (video)
Module 2: Understanding the Energy Transition
Week 3: Global Energy Transition Trends
Week 4: Energy Policy and Regulation in Your Country (video)
Module 3: Identifying Investment Opportunities (video)
Week 5: Market Analysis and Identifying Gaps (video)
Week 6: Case Studies of Successful Impact Investments
Module 4: Designing an Impact First Investment Instrument
Week 7: Structuring the Fund: Financial and Impact Goals
Week 8: Defining the Investment Thesis and Criteria
Module 5: Organizational Analysis
Week 9: Identifying Potential Fund Managers
Week 10: Selecting a Potential Fund Manager in Your Region (video)
Module 6: Financial Modeling and Impact Measurement
Week 11: Financial Modeling for Impact Investments (video)
Week 12: Impact Measurement and Management Frameworks
Module 7: Legal and Ethical Considerations
Week 13: Legal Structures and Compliance
Week 14: Ethical Considerations in Impact Investing
Module 8: Preparing the Pitch
Week 15: Developing a Compelling Pitch (video)
Week 16: Final Preparations and Peer Review
Milestone 1: Country Energy Sector Analysis
Description: Conduct a rapid review of the energy sector in your country, identifying key challenges and opportunities for impact investing.
Format: 8-minute recorded video presentation.
Submission Deadline: End of Week 4 (deadlines are extended proportionally for those taking the 2-semester format).
Milestone 2: Market Gap and Investment Opportunity Identification
Description: Identify and analyze specific gaps in the energy market that present opportunities for impact investing.
Format: 8-minute recorded video presentation.
Submission Deadline: End of Week 6.
Milestone 3: Fund Structure and Investment Thesis
Description: Develop a detailed structure for your impact first investment fund, including financial and impact goals, and define your investment thesis and criteria.
Format: 8-minute recorded video presentation.
Submission Deadline: End of Week 8.
Milestone 4: Organizational Analysis of a Potential Fund Manager
Description: Conduct an in-depth analysis of a potential fund manager in your country or region, evaluating their capacity to manage the proposed fund. (video)
Format: 8-minute recorded video presentation.
Submission Deadline: End of Week 10.
Milestone 5: Financial Model and Impact Measurement Plan
Description: Present a financial model for your fund and a detailed plan for measuring and managing impact. (video)
Format: 8-minute recorded video presentation.
Submission Deadline: End of Week 12.
Milestone 6: Final Pitch Presentation
Description: Develop and deliver a final pitch presentation of your impact first investment fund to potential investors, incorporating all elements from previous milestones. (video)
Format: 8-minute recorded video presentation.
Submission Deadline: End of Week 16.
Readings: Selected academic papers, case studies, and industry reports.
Tools: Financial modeling software, impact measurement frameworks, and online collaboration platforms.
Support: Weekly office hours, discussion forums, and peer review sessions.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Analyze the energy sector and identify impact investment opportunities.
Design a structured impact first investment fund.
Conduct organizational analysis to identify suitable fund managers.
Develop financial models and impact measurement plans.
Navigate legal and ethical considerations in impact investing.
Pitch an impact first investment fund effectively to potential investors.
This course will provide MBA students with a practical and comprehensive understanding of creating impactful investment instruments for advancing the energy transition in their countries.
Afterglow Climate Justice Fund
https://www.coursera.org/learn/globalenergyandclimatepolicy/
Suggested Readings:
Henderson, Rebecca. "Reimaging Capitalism in a World on Fire." Journal of Markets & Morality 24.1 (2021): 222-226.
Simon, Morgan. Real impact: The new economics of social change. Bold Type Books, 2017.