What does climate leadership mean to those stepping up to shape it today? We invited student participants in the CARE Climate Leadership Program to share their reflections on the program. Their responses speak to the value of connection, collaboration, and critical thinking in building more just and resilient climate futures.
A space for rethinking leadership
Several participants were drawn to CARE’s emphasis on interdisciplinary leadership and values-based action. Mailie Besson, a master’s student at Sciences Po PSIA, joined the program hoping to develop confidence in her capacity to lead during uncertain times. “Its content on leadership in times of uncertainty, systems thinking, effective climate communication, and just policy seemed like precisely what is needed in today’s climate action,” she said. “Additionally, I was intrigued by the possibility to work alongside Canadian students… in order to share perspectives and practices”.
Similarly, Nishi Kant Dixit from UBC appreciated CARE’s human-centered approach to leadership. “The CARE Climate Leadership Program significantly shaped my approach to climate leadership”, he said. “It has informed my professional goals by reinforcing the importance of cross-sector collaboration, inclusive leadership, and evidence-based advocacy in shaping sustainable and equitable climate solutions”.
The structure of the program—blending asynchronous modules with interactive sessions and small group work—also played a key role. “The modules were well-crafted”, Nishi added, “allowing for individual reflection and collaborative learning in student subgroups”.
From technical knowledge to human insight
For many students, the most impactful elements were those that encouraged reflection on the human side of climate leadership. Naveen Vyas, a participant from UBC’s MBA program, described how the program helped him bridge the gap between policy and empathy. “This program helped me understand that climate leadership goes far beyond expertise. It requires deep listening, trust-building, and leading with care”.
Mailie echoed this shift in perspective: “The program had an extremely human-centered approach to climate leadership which is sorely missing in today’s climate policies,” she said. “The readings, seminars, group exercises, and the experience as a whole provided me with more confidence and a stronger conviction to work in the climate field with a focus on human resilience”.
For Lea Dakhle, who combines academic work at Sciences Po with professional experience at the UNFCCC, the program helped “reflect more critically on what just, grounded, and inclusive leadership looks like”. CARE, she said, “created a space for grappling with the uncertainties of real-world climate action while exploring practical pathways to resilience and impact”.
Shared learning, lasting connections
The chance to engage across institutions and cultures was also a defining feature of the program. “To me, the most valuable part… has been the privilege of engaging with fellow participants, faculty, and other people who offer me invaluable insight on the present and future of climate leadership,” said Chloë Chang from UBC. “I feel immensely lucky to receive knowledge from people I wouldn’t have had the chance to meet anywhere else!”.
Sergio, a participant from the University of Toronto, emphasized the value of peer exchange as one of CARE’s greatest assets. “There are some very interesting people in the program and I feel that is the most valuable asset that should be leveraged. Networking with purpose should also be an outcome!e. “Outside of the sessions I have connected to some of the interesting people that I met, and we get to learn from each other’s perspectives on the climate challenges that our generation faces, focusing on the solutions we are creating”, he added.
Across the board, students described the CARE Climate Leadership Program as a space to reflect, to connect, and to reimagine what climate leadership can look like when grounded in care, equity, and collaboration.