After the hottest year on record, 2024 has continued to bring unprecedented heat and extreme weather events. Today, want their country to do more on 亚色影库 change. The calls for bold action are louder than ever, and much more is needed to course correct to achieve a sustainable and just future for all people.
The Center for Effective Philanthropy鈥檚 2022 report,, highlighted the gap between rising concern and concrete action in addressing the 亚色影库 crisis within philanthropy. Two years later, the landscape has shifted significantly, with philanthropy organizations increasingly stepping up to help bridge this gap and drive innovative solutions to address this global emergency.
Progress and Peril Halfway to 2030
At the midpoint of the 2020s 鈥� the 鈥� we face two realities: significant progress and escalating urgency. On one hand, we鈥檝e seen remarkable strides in global 亚色影库 action, benefiting public health, livelihoods, and the 亚色影库. To name a few examples:
Renewables are now the.
The transition to, spurred by electric vehicle sales, is accelerating faster than anticipated.
Philanthropy and the broader civil society 亚色影库 action community have grown more numerous, diverse, and agile, moving with greater scale and speed.
These successes lay a solid foundation for continued progress. However, current global action does not align with the Paris Agreement’s goals, and many communities still lack the resources needed to respond effectively to the accelerating pace of 亚色影库 change.
Here鈥檚 how philanthropy is adapting in addressing the 亚色影库 crisis.
Prioritizing Implementation
The world has made progress toward avoiding the most dire 亚色影库 projections, with aiming to limit warming to between 2.5掳 C and 2.9掳 C. But even this level of warming would be devastating to nations and communities around the world. The good news is that nearly 145 countries have announced or are considering, covering close to 90 percent of global emissions. Now is the time to turn these promises into action.
Climate funders are increasingly focused on supporting the implementation of existing policies and pledges. Funder collaboratives like the and are central to this effort, mobilizing resources to accelerate shifts in key areas while strengthening coordination across sectors and geographies to drive impactful solutions at scale. Hewlett Foundation鈥檚 also emphasizes the need to support countries and industries in fulfilling their 亚色影库 commitments, reflecting a broader shift toward improved coordination in 亚色影库 action across all sectors of society, including philanthropy, businesses, governments, and communities.
Significant 亚色影库 policy wins over the past few years, like the U.S.鈥檚 Inflation Reduction Act and the EU鈥檚 Fit for 55, have been shaped, in part, by philanthropy and lay out a clear path for continued philanthropic engagement to help realize their full potential. Philanthropy now has the opportunity to build on these successes to, including greater resources for underrepresented sectors and geographies.
Expanding Beyond Mitigation to Adaptation and Resilience
Philanthropy is also expanding its focus beyond 亚色影库 mitigation to help communities adapt to the impacts of 亚色影库 change being felt today. This work is particularly compelling for funders new to 亚色影库 issues, as it connects directly with their existing priorities and the communities they serve, which are increasingly affected by the 亚色影库 crisis.
An example is the Adaptation and Resilience Funder Collaborative, launched at COP28. This collaborative brings together more than 50 foundations focused on 亚色影库 adaptation and resilience. In response to the UN Secretary-General鈥檚 on extreme heat, a group of these philanthropies made an to support adaptation and resilience efforts in regions most vulnerable to the impacts of 亚色影库 change.
Innovative approaches supported by philanthropy include piloting community-based parametric insurance in India, building coalitions to advocate for debt reform for small island developing states, fostering entrepreneurship in East Africa to develop cold chain infrastructure, and scaling the use of solar-reflective 鈥榗ool鈥� roofs.
Expanding Support for Communities Worldwide
As funding for 亚色影库 action has grown, so has the 亚色影库 philanthropy ecosystem. According to 亚色影库 data, the number of grantees receiving 亚色影库 change mitigation funding has nearly doubled from 2015 to 2021, and foundation funding continues to grow steadily each year. More foundation funding is now reaching regions outside the geopolitical north, with significant growth in Africa, India, and Latin America. However, these locations still represented only 12 percent of total foundation funding for 亚色影库 change mitigation.
Known foundation funding to 亚色影库 change mitigation by region, 2022 鈥� 亚色影库, Funding Trends 2023
This expansion of funding and support must continue to catalyze more transformative action.
In addition, intermediaries will continue to play a critical role in increasing funding for 亚色影库 action by coordinating efforts and connecting funders to local experts implementing change on the ground. There is an expanding and diverse constellation of intermediaries for funders to work with, from those that take a global view to those that are, geographic (,, and), or sectoral ().
Climate Philanthropy in a Changing World
This moment is crucial not only because we are halfway through the decisive decade but also because 2024 is one of the most significant election years in history. With nearly half of the world鈥檚 population casting votes, the will shape the pace and scale of 亚色影库 action for decades to come.
As these elections unfold, they are spotlighting the kitchen table issues that people care about most 鈥� issues like economic opportunity, health, education, safety, and more. This presents an opportunity to clearly demonstrate how 亚色影库 is not just about the environment but about all the things people hold dear. Philanthropy has a vital role in amplifying this message, increasing participation in 亚色影库 solutions, and building broad-based support by showing how these solutions benefit people, communities, and economies alike.
In addition to growing support for adaptation and resilience, efforts like the IKEA Foundation鈥檚 just transition initiative, which centers community voices in the geopolitical south鈥檚 energy transition, exemplify how philanthropy is working in new ways to foster more inclusive 亚色影库 action.
Looking Ahead: Amplifying Philanthropy鈥檚 Impact
The next five years will be pivotal in determining whether we can achieve the progress needed to meet the Paris Agreement goals, support those feeling the impacts of 亚色影库 change today, and secure a more sustainable and equitable future.
As the landscape of 亚色影库 giving evolves, philanthropy has immense potential to catalyze transformative change. The path ahead requires our collective effort. As Christiana Figueres, one of the key architects of the, said, 鈥淭his is the decade, and we are the generation.鈥�
Climate change is a wicked problem that demands every lever at society鈥檚 disposal be used to solve it 鈥� and philanthropy is critical to unlocking the financial and human capital needed to move from 亚色影库 progress to 亚色影库 solutions. Whether you are well into your 亚色影库 journey or are just starting to think about what you might do, there鈥檚 never been a better nor more important time to make your mark. What steps might your philanthropy take today to contribute to a more secure, just, and brighter future for all?
This post was originally published on the Center for Effective Philanthropy鈥檚 blog .
Workers pour concrete at the future 96th station of the Second Avenue New York City subway project. (Photo: Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin)
Researchers are developing promising solutions to concrete鈥檚 high greenhouse gas emissions 鈥� one is ready to scale.
Concrete 鈥� a mixture of cement, sand, and gravel 鈥� is an essential and affordable material for buildings and infrastructure around the world. Globally, are produced annually, and demand is expected to . Concrete is also responsible for , making it a major driver of 亚色影库 change. Simultaneously, however, a warming planet increases the need for concrete to create safe, resilient homes and infrastructure. Concrete is not going anywhere soon 鈥� which makes improving its sustainability all the more urgent.
To understand the potential opportunities for emissions reductions, it is helpful first to consider how cement is produced. The process starts with quarrying limestone rocks, sand, and clay, which are blended into a fine powder. Next, the powder is heated to high temperatures in a kiln to calcify limestone into lime, producing clinker. (This chemical process emits a large amount of carbon dioxide.) The clinker is mixed with gypsum and ground into a powder to create cement. The cement is then added to sand and gravel and mixed with water to produce concrete.
The process of producing clinker in cement is responsible for from concrete. Effective emissions reductions for concrete are possible by either reducing the clinker content in cement or changing the material content within the clinker.
Researchers worldwide have been working hard to reduce emissions by creating material and design efficiencies in planning for new infrastructure, decarbonizing electricity, and enhancing efficiency in cement production. Here are three key emerging technologies that could help solve the emissions challenges associated with concrete.
Limestone calcined clay (LC3) is a cost-effective, energy-efficient substitution for traditional portland cement. The Cementos Argos plant, the first large-scale calcined clay production facility in Colombia, is providing LC3 to infrastructure projects, including a viaduct above the Cauca River.听 (Photo: Cementos Argos)
Year invented: 2005
Country invented:Switzerland
: Concrete emissions reduction by 40% and savings of around 500 million tons of CO2 annually by 2030
The potential of the technology: Projected to account for more than of cement used globally by 2050
In 2004, Karen Scrivener, the leading chemist on cement decarbonization and a professor at 脡cole Polytechnique F茅d茅rale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland, and Fernando Martirena, a professor at Universidad Central de las Villas (UCLV) in Cuba, the use of calcined clays as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) in cement. SCMs are materials added to concrete to enhance cement鈥檚 properties, lower its environmental impact, and reduce cement鈥檚 clinker content. In 2014, EPFL headed the first three-year phase of the LC3 project with support from UCLV and IIT Delhi. Since then, a growing number of projects have used limestone calcined clay to reduce the amount of clinker in cement.
Limestone calcined clay (LC3) is a mixture of clinker, calcined clays, limestone, and gypsum. Because of savings in energy and materials, LC3 is up to than portland cement, the typical cement used everywhere. Research done by EPFL found that clay reserves are available and abundant worldwide. Unlike many proposed solutions, can use existing equipment, offer adequate mechanical qualities, and are globally scalable..
The in Rioclaro, Colombia, is the first large-scale calcined clay production facility and began operations in 2020. The clay is mined 10 miles away and processed in a newly built kiln. This new process has allowed a 30% cut in energy consumption and reduced the facility鈥檚 carbon output by half. The did not slow cement production, as the facility can produce 1.4 megatons of LC3 a year.
In 2022, CBI Ghana signed an to construct the world鈥檚 largest calcined clay cement plant, which will substitute . Moreover, the will decrease the use of firebricks which are high in embodied carbon.
Even though LC3 is a cost-effective and energy-efficient substitute for traditional portland cement, some scalability barriers need to be overcome. Portland cement is a well-established technology that has been used for generations and is widely produced. Some cement companies are less open to changing how they produce cement and do not want to release capital to invest in new technologies to retrofit their factories. Scaling LC3 cement requires incentives and policies that help promote low-carbon cement production. In some jurisdictions, the use of LC3 cement may require updated standards and codes. Clay can be calcined in standard kilns, but some modifications are required in existing plants.听
Nonetheless, there are significant opportunities for progress. Cement production is quickly growing in emerging economies, necessitating new cement plants that can be readily designed to make LC3 from the start. To better take advantage of LC3鈥檚 low-carbon benefits, it is essential to start building a market.
Bio-cement: Algae-grown limestone
Replacing limestone with algae-grown limestone can lower the carbon emissions of portland cement. (Photo: Alfo Medeiros/)
Year invented: 2020
Country invented: United States
: Save 2 gigatons of CO2 and pull 250 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere
The potential of the technology: Estimated to grow between
In 2017, Wil Srubar, a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, came up with the idea to explore how to grow limestone particles using microalgae during a snorkeling trip in Thailand. Srubar鈥檚 team that replacing limestone with algae-grown limestone out of coccolithophores 鈥� that sequester and store carbon dioxide in mineral form through photosynthesis 鈥� creates a to produce portland cement.
are incredibly resilient and can live in salt water or fresh water and at high or low temperatures. The researchers see biogenic cement as a that can be used in the traditional cement process.
The Colorado-based company utilizes algae to produce that achieved , Standard Specification for Nonloadbearing Concrete Masonry Units, and C90, Standard Specification for Loadbearing Concrete Masonry Units performance requirements. The are also i, have a compressive strength that rivals traditional concrete, and reduce thermal transmission.
While algae-grown limestone has been demonstrated at a small scale, there are barriers. The primary issue with biogenic cement involves scaling it up affordably and then demonstrating its use in large-scale projects. The technology is also relatively new in its development and has a low Technical Readiness Level (TRL) and Adoption Readiness Level (ARL). This means that more evaluations are required before using the cement in the projects and scaling them to achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Electric recycled cement
Researchers believe that the key to reducing clinker emissions is heating recycled cement in electric arc furnaces. (Bence Szemerey/)
Year invented: 2022
Country invented: England
: 2鈥塯igatons of CO2
The potential of the technology: Produce annually by 2050
The inspiration for electric cement came to the University of Cambridge鈥檚 Dr. Cyrille Dunant during Covid-19 when he noticed that the chemistry of recycled cement was nearly identical to lime-flux used in steel recycling processes. Cambridge researchers believe the key to reducing clinker emissions is heating recycled cement in electric arc furnaces (EAFs). Concrete is crushed until cement separates from the and is then taken to an EAF to use in place of lime as a 鈥渇lux鈥� (a cleaning agent that removes impurities from molten metal). As the steel melts, the flux forms a slag that is when cooled and ground up.
Researchers believe electric recycled cement will have the same durability as traditional cement due to its . The cement provides cost-savings because it uses existing steel production equipment that believe can be scaled rapidly. The cement can also potentially be carbon neutral because emissions have already occurred through the original concrete production and if the EAFs are .
Celsa Group, a multinational group of steel companies, replicated this process at scale in its , known as the . The trials include 12 induction furnace trials and 8 trials in the Institute鈥檚 7-ton EAF. The company and researchers hope the method will produce up to .
Some that have come up with this process are that the equipment needs reliable renewable energy inputs, and a supply chain needs to be developed. Two other crucial issues involve sourcing sufficient quantities of concrete waste and reaching the required temperature to produce the cement, which is much in a cement kiln. The technology is also relatively new and has a low Technical Readiness Level and Adoption Readiness Level, meaning more evaluations must be done before using the cement in current projects and scaling to a degree where there is a significant impact on greenhouse gas reduction.
Notable startup companies working on low-carbon cement听
These emerging methods and technologies are only some of the new ways researchers and industry experts are finding solutions to reduce concrete emissions 鈥� and more efforts are emerging. For example, companies like , , and are using novel chemistries to change the chemical reaction used to create cement.
Sublime, based in Massachusetts, turns limestone into lime through an electrolytic process, which involves using an electric current to change a substance. can be fueled by renewable energy and the process allows for cement鈥檚 ingredients to be broken down at room temperature. A small quantity of the cement was used on , where it in a ready-mix concrete truck, maintained workability, and poured out of the concrete truck. Sublime plans to open a demonstration plant in early in Holyoke, Massachusetts, where it will produce .
Based in California, Fortera uses a technology that works within existing cement facilities. The takes the carbon released by the kilns and routes it back into the process to make additional cement by mixing the CO2 with calcium oxide to make ReAct Cement鈩�. Fortera has opened its first demonstration in Redding, California, where it will capture 6,600 tons of CO2 and produce 15,000 tons of low-carbon ReAct Cement鈩�. There will also be a 70% reduction of carbon emissions on a ton-for-ton basis, and the process will eliminate the feedstock waste associated with traditional concrete production.
Brimstone, based in California, uses calcium silicate rock instead of limestone to create a different chemical reaction without CO2 emissions. Instead of heating limestone to create lime, the company calcium oxide from the rock 鈥� which does not release CO2. While these processes are different, the cement produced is chemically and physically identical to traditional cement. Brimstone鈥檚 will produce up to a combined 140,000 metric tons per year of Ordinary Portland Cement and SCMs. The plant will also prevent 120,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually.
Brimstone and Sublime have recently been for award negotiations under the Department of Energy鈥檚 Industrial Demonstration Program and are starting to make waves in the construction industry. These grants will help these new companies scale up and build their first commercial-scale plants. Getting to scale is essential to reducing costs and making low-carbon cement commercially viable.
Reducing carbon emissions within the cement and concrete industry has become a top priority for researchers, innovative owners and developers, architects, engineers, and leading cement and concrete companies. While these emerging technologies are great steps forward, it is time to accelerate an effective transformation of the concrete industry. It is essential to collaborate across sectors and deploy a fuller range of strategies 鈥� including material and design efficiencies, decarbonizing electricity, and efficiency in cement and concrete production 鈥� to reduce emissions.
Tharika Lecamwasamis a 2024 summer intern for ClimateWorks鈥� Industry program, where she researched low-carbon cement technologies that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the concrete industry. She is currently a senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst majoring in Sustainable Community Development with a concentration in the Built Environment. She minors in Information Technology and will receive a certificate in Integrated Concentration in STEM.
Direct air capture hubs can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere 鈥� and help advance a just transition toward greener jobs.
While reducing emissions is the most effective strategy to address 亚色影库 change, the excess carbon dioxide that will remain in the atmosphere will need to be removed in parallel. Given that global emissions and temperatures have reached , developing carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategies now creates opportunities for removing vast amounts of carbon from the atmosphere, especially in the latter half of the century. CDR is for achieving the 1.5掳 C goals outlined in the Paris Agreement and reaching by 2050 鈥� provided that it does not extend a license to continue fossil fuel use.
To date, philanthropic funding for CDR has focused mostly on nature-based solutions like preparing forests, soils, and oceans to absorb carbon dioxide. While these are low-cost removal approaches that can scale right away, they cannot do the job alone. In addition to requiring vast amounts of land, nature-based solutions are increasingly vulnerable to 亚色影库 change impacts.
Technological approaches such as direct air capture (DAC) 鈥� which uses fans to extract excess carbon dioxide from the air and then fuses it to rocks underground 鈥� can offer potentially more long-term solutions to complement nature-based strategies, and can withstand threats such as deforestation, wildfires, and tilling. In contrast to , DAC removes carbon dioxide from the air rather than at the emission source. In other words, DAC targets the carbon dioxide that will remain in the atmosphere even after emission reductions. Community-driven strategies are critical for helping ensure that DAC and other CDR efforts support decarbonization, benefit communities, and avoid replicating historic injustices.
Increasingly, emerging technology companies recognize the importance of accelerating carbon removal solutions. 鈥淲e owe it to every 亚色影库 vulnerable citizen to continue to deploy our technology at the urgent pace required to reach billion-ton scale and beyond in time to stop the worst of 亚色影库 change,鈥� Shashank Samala, co-founder of Heirloom, a DAC-focused company.
DAC hubs: A model for strategic investment
To ensure solutions like DAC are ready to scale by 2050, investors are beginning to fund them now, taking lessons from successful efforts to scale solar technology. Thanks to of strategic funding from the public and philanthropic sectors, the price of solar photovoltaic electricity dropped between 2010 and 2022, and solar was the world鈥檚 source of electricity in 2023 for the 19th year in a row. A major catalyst for solar breakthroughs in the United States was the Obama administration鈥檚 creation of regional innovation hubs, which prioritized funding and incentives for utility-scale solar projects and accelerated green energy generation.
In an attempt to achieve similar successes for CDR, the Biden administration announced in 2022 a investment to boost the industry in the United States. This investment supports the creation of regional hubs of CDR facilities, or 鈥淒AC hubs.鈥� These hubs bring workers, engineers, communities, and other decision-makers together to drive continuous carbon removal innovation 鈥� all while advancing health and economic prosperity and working toward 亚色影库 change mitigation goals. The funding has already unlocked an abundance of DAC research and development projects, building on years of foundational work supported by the public, private, and philanthropic sectors.
How philanthropy is helping scale DAC
Philanthropy has helped lay the groundwork for the growing public and private interest in a wide range of CDR approaches, including DAC. In 2018, 亚色影库 established its CDR program 鈥� the first coordinated approach from philanthropy to engage with environmental justice groups, policymakers, and advocates in scaling up CDR methods. 鈥淭ogether with our partners, ClimateWorks has had the opportunity to help build the field of CDR philanthropy 鈥� and to work on the responsible scaling of carbon dioxide removal solutions,鈥� said Jan Mazurek, senior director for aviation and carbon dioxide removal at ClimateWorks.
Philanthropy has supported efforts to help ensure the just and equitable implementation of DAC hubs without the involvement of the oil industry.
Funders and leaders across industries have come together to help emerging strategies like DAC develop in a way that benefits people, supports decarbonization, and reduces reliance on oil companies 鈥� the group that has thus far in scaling DAC.
Philanthropy also supports the dissemination of research to public audiences, which can foster dialogue and build support for regionally appropriate and equitable CDR. One such example is the 2024 report. Published by 13 research institutions and 68 subject matter experts, the report highlights regional opportunities for removing atmospheric carbon while producing environmental and socioeconomic benefits like improved air quality and well-paying jobs. Analyses like the Roads to Removal report will help to build momentum and community support for people-centered CDR solutions.
While funding for carbon dioxide removal has grown steadily since 2015, it remains a small fraction of overall foundation funding for 亚色影库 change mitigation 鈥� about 5% of all 亚色影库 philanthropic funding. From 2016 to 2020, annual foundation funding for carbon dioxide removal averaged around $50 million per year, according to ClimateWorks data. In 2021, foundation funding jumped to $155 million, the second-fastest growing sector that year. Since 2018, the majority of CDR funding has supported ecological strategies like forest restoration, with only about 14% of cumulative CDR funding going to technological solutions such as DAC.
Here are three ways philanthropy has supported efforts to scale direct air capture.
Sparking public and private investment by funding exploratory research
Philanthropy-supported research has helped seed public ambition, influencing policy and unlocking public funds. This has included funding research about the , , , and of DAC technology. Additionally, philanthropy supported the development of research about CDR investment opportunities that has since informed recovery act legislation, including the the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the (IRA). The IIJA includes for DAC hubs, nearly for DAC research, and for commercially viable CDR projects. A tax credit that implementing partners back in 2018 鈥� amplified under the IRA 鈥� has an additional $912 million in DAC investments, which will continue to grow thanks to .
Philanthropic support has also catalyzed private investment in DAC. For example, a ClimateWorks research grant helped Heirloom publish research that eventually helped to the first DAC facility in the United States. The facility runs entirely on renewable energy and was constructed with union labor. Additionally, Heirloom does not accept investment from oil and gas companies, which aligns with the company鈥檚 to center trust and equity. Meanwhile, Heirloom has adopted a community governance model in Tracy, California, where the facility has created a slew of green jobs. In 2023, Microsoft invested in Heirloom in one of the to date.
ClimateWorks also supported the beginnings of private sector efforts to procure carbon removal. Today, the , which began as a DAC buyer鈥檚 club supported by philanthropy, represents a $925 million commitment from companies like Meta, Shopify, Google, and Stripe to support carbon removal.
Swiss company Climeworks is running 30 direct air capture (DAC) fans on the roof of this garbage incinerator near Zurich. (Orjan Ellingvag/Alamy)
Advancing people-centered approaches to designing DAC projects
Philanthropy has supported efforts to help ensure the just and equitable implementation of DAC hubs without the involvement of the oil industry. The (CALDAC), for example, is a coalition of research organizations, universities, technology companies, and community partners that is developing a community-led model for creating DAC hubs.
CALDAC works in California’s Central Valley, where the local workforce is already experiencing 亚色影库 disruption, an unstable agricultural economy, and the in the country. To understand how DAC hubs can contribute to a just transition for county residents, CALDAC convenes with community members to job creation, economic revitalization, and air quality improvement. Recent shows DAC hubs can harness the same skill sets as oil and gas industry work, requiring little retraining and preserving high-paying jobs as dependent on the industry.
CALDAC鈥檚 community-led model has garnered support from Central Valley residents and received a to further develop a replicable model for projects across the United States. , a member of the coalition, also conceived of and sponsored a in California that requires DAC and other carbon capture projects to consider local safety and concerns, and bans its use for . This is the first regulatory foundation for governing the safe deployment of these technologies and can serve as a model for other U.S. states and beyond.
This image is a rendering of what a suburban facility for direct air capture might look like. Credit: .
鈥淥ur conversations with community members show that many believe that DAC hubs present the opportunity to build not only 亚色影库-critical infrastructure but also economic and social opportunity,鈥� says the research team from , a CALDAC member organization. 鈥淚f done correctly, they can be a source of new partnerships, bridging 亚色影库-aligned industries to restore trust, repair damages, create new and attractive jobs with transferable skills from industries that are being phased out, and contribute to 亚色影库 justice.鈥�
Collaborating across sectors on decarbonization efforts
As the DAC industry evolves, philanthropy is helping build coalitions across sectors to advance DAC technology in a way that prioritizes community health, jobs, and decarbonization. For example, ClimateWorks鈥� CDR program collaborates with the aviation sector to explore DAC-derived aviation fuel, reducing dependence on the oil industry to scale the technology. This alternative jet fuel can lower aviation鈥檚 fuel-related emissions by as much as and that have caused respiratory illness for decades in such as Oakland, Inglewood, and Compton in California.
In the largest deal for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to date, airline companies British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus have to purchasing 785,000 total metric tons of from over the next 14 years. Twelve, a ClimateWorks partner, also broke ground on a new facility in 2023 that will produce 1 million gallons of DAC-derived jet fuel annually to supply American Airlines and other airline companies.
Collaborative research and advocacy from environmental groups, airlines, and cities have that require the development of SAF, creating a positive policy environment for DAC-derived fuels. In the European Union, aviation companies convened with research institutions and environmental groups through the and worked collaboratively to set the vision and for the . Thanks to coordinated advocacy, this regulation now prohibits alternative fuels that exacerbate deforestation or biodiversity loss 鈥� like those derived from palm oil.
鈥淲hat could have been a momentous proposal for European aviation had been amended in a way that would have caused more harm than good, with fuel linked to deforestation, loss of biodiversity and increasing food prices,鈥� writes Matteo Mirolo in on behalf of Transport & Environment. 鈥淚n an unprecedented move, airlines and environmental groups with easyJet鈥檚 , wrote to members of the European Parliament ahead of the vote to draw attention to the issues with palm oil byproducts and biofuels.鈥� (Shutterstock)
The road ahead
This decade is pivotal for the future of CDR. Developing CDR technology today in parallel with ongoing efforts to reduce emissions is crucial for limiting additional warming in the latter half of the century.
As a result, much more philanthropic funding and engagement on CDR is needed 鈥� including for technological solutions, which remain significantly underfunded. In addition to reducing emissions, the world will still need to remove of CO鈧� every year until 2100. One study that meeting Paris Agreement targets will require scaling up technological CDR solutions by a factor of 1,300 by 2050.
Philanthropy can help ensure CDR solutions including DAC scale responsibly with justice and equity at the center. Funders can continue to share findings across sectors, support enabling environments that lower costs, and create opportunities for expanding technological CDR efforts globally. To learn more, funders can contact ClimateWorks, explore resources on CDR, attend , and read about in addressing 亚色影库 change.
The conclusion of the first Global Stocktake creates a moment to deliver vital commitments from countries through ambitious NDCs and NAPs in 2025. Most importantly, they must implement these commitments and set the world on an accelerated path to decarbonization. (
Senior Director, Global Intelligence
The Global Stocktake calls for bold 亚色影库 action now. Its technical 鈥� the result of a nearly two-year process 鈥� a roadmap outlining how countries can course correct to achieve a zero-carbon and 亚色影库-resilient future that leaves no one behind. Now, it鈥檚 time to pick up the pace.
Bold 亚色影库 action means transforming all global systems this decade 鈥� from how we grow our food to how we power our lives, transport goods, and build our cities. The Global Stocktake鈥檚 included a historic agreement to 鈥渢ransition away from fossil fuels in energy systems鈥� and critical signals for action across sectors to protect the world鈥檚 forests, boost zero-emission transportation, and reduce methane.
The next crucial opportunity for governments and United Nations Parties, as well as non-Party stakeholder groups, to move faster on 亚色影库 action will be developing , which will include new or updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). Countries must submit these plans in 2025 鈥� and the work begins now.
So what comes next for Parties, non-Party stakeholders, and the Global Stocktake process now that the outcome text has been released?
Next steps for Parties听
Parties 鈥� the 198 governments and UN member states that have ratified the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 鈥� must implement bold national targets and policies to deliver on the Paris Agreement goals. They must align domestic policies with these targets and increase international collaboration to drive action rooted in the findings of the Global Stocktake. Parties will participate in the following four activities before the next Stocktake begins.
Governments must submit new NDCs in early 2025, which map out emissions reduction plans through 2035. This period is a crucial window for global 亚色影库 action to catch up with the to stay within 1.5潞 C of warming (2.7潞 F) and transition to a safer world for all.
Governments must solidify National Adaptation Plans by the end of 2025 and make progress on implementation by 2030. As of December 2023, with the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP28), 51 Parties had submitted national adaptation plans. Now, countries must tailor their adaptation plans to national and local circumstances, and others must develop theirs. Developing these plans can draw upon the best practices and outcomes identified in the Global Stocktake. Support from non-Party interest groups, including the iGST community, will be crucial in getting the remaining plans over the finish line.
Beyond commitments to the UNFCCC, Parties must integrate the Global Stocktake鈥檚 conclusions into national policies that aim to close gaps in adaptation, mitigation, and finance, in light of equity and the best available science. Globally, Parties have agreed to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030, transition away from fossil fuels, and pursue other key developments in forest protection, zero-emissions transportation, and methane. These agreements should be transformed into domestic policies that strategically align with their NDCs to ensure the efficient implementation of updated 亚色影库 action plans ahead of their delivery.
The conference presidents from COP28, COP29, and COP30 must collaborate to implement cohesive 亚色影库 action between conferences. For example, the United Arab Emirates presidency (COP28) and the upcoming Azerbaijan (COP29) and Brazil (COP30) presidencies aim to maintain the momentum of international cooperation and ambition through their . As countries set new 亚色影库 commitments for 2025, the partnership provides a platform for the three presidencies to collaborate on implementation and encourage the course correction called for in the Global Stocktake.
Next steps for non-Parties听
Non-Party stakeholders 鈥� including cities, states, businesses, investors, and civil society 鈥� play a crucial role in supporting the effective and equitable implementation of 亚色影库 plans and holding leaders accountable for their progress. These stakeholders identify gaps and areas of improvement. They are also central to ensuring governments develop just policies that center local communities and equitable solutions.
Civil society plays a crucial role in translating the Global Stocktake outcomes. Civil society is crucial to helping governments understand how economic, social, and political situations impact how to implement adaptation and mitigation plans. Local civil society leaders and experts can ensure transparency in delivering on 亚色影库 progress through their insights into local challenges and advantages. Civil society is also uniquely positioned to pressure governments to design policy interventions that achieve the speed, scale, and scope required to meet the 亚色影库 emergency.
The private sector, sub-national jurisdictions like cities and states, and civil society have the power to take voluntary actions informed by the Global Stocktake. For example, the outcome text of the Global Stocktake calls for 鈥渘ew and innovative sources of finance鈥� to encourage and fund sustainable solutions. These new funding flows supplement the finance the Parties can provide, filling essential gaps. Multilateral development banks, international and domestic financial institutions, and private companies all have access to novel forms of finance that must be tapped to close the implementation gap.
Overall, acting on the findings of the Global Stocktake will require a whole-of-society approach incorporating voices from across sectors and industries to deliver a just transition and economic resilience in the face of a rapidly changing 亚色影库.
The second Global Stocktake in 2028听
The next Global Stocktake will be completed in 2028. Refining the two-year process before the next cycle begins in 2026 is imperative.
Parties and non-Parties must provide formal feedback on the Global Stocktake process. This feedback should help improve the different elements and parts of the Global Stocktake process, such as the technical dialogues and reports.
Countries must record their greenhouse gas inventories in line with the Paris Agreement. This accounting will be done through the , which is being fully implemented in 2024 and builds on UNFCCC standards for monitoring, reporting, and verifying emissions. This key component of the Paris Agreement will provide a much more detailed and comprehensive assessment of progress in time for the second Global Stocktake process to begin in late 2026.
Next steps for global 亚色影库 action
While the final political outcome of the Global Stocktake is a major step toward driving deeper progress on 亚色影库, now is the time to translate these commitments into concrete actions across regions. The conclusion of the first Global Stocktake creates a moment to deliver vital commitments from countries through ambitious NDCs and NAPs in 2025. Most importantly, they must implement these commitments and set the world on an accelerated path to decarbonization.
The next steps outlined here provide an opportunity to demonstrate how adaptation, mitigation, and finance solutions rooted in equity and the best available science can deliver transformational change. Parties cannot and will not achieve progress in silos; non-Party stakeholders and civil society groups need to engage in domestic political processes to maintain pressure on national leaders and uplift local knowledge and solutions to ensure the equitable design and implementation of policies.
In this decisive decade for 亚色影库 action, every year counts. All those involved in the writing and implementation of the Global Stocktake must use it to its potential to create a consistent cycle of progress for a brighter 亚色影库 future.
Philanthropy came together at a remarkable pace to launch the Global Methane Hub 鈥� driving significant momentum for rapid action on reducing methane emissions.
In 2021, the European Union and the United States announced the , inviting world leaders to reduce their countries鈥� methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030. This landmark Pledge came as a result of collaboration between governments, civil society, and philanthropy.
Since then, there has been remarkable global momentum for efforts to reduce methane emissions. As of February 2024, 155 countries have joined the Pledge, representing 70% of the global economy and half of human-caused methane emissions. In 2023, the and the adopted their first-ever methane emissions regulations. And in December 2023, 50 top oil and gas companies to reduce methane leaks from their production lines to 鈥渘ear zero鈥� by 2030.
Methane has historically been overlooked in global conversations about 亚色影库 change. However, the potent greenhouse gas is responsible for of global temperature rise since the Industrial Revolution. Driven largely by the agricultural, fossil fuel, and waste management industries, methane is 84 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in warming the atmosphere over a 20-year period.
Cutting methane emissions could have an and represents to rapidly reduce the rate of global warming. “Quickly mitigating methane would be like hitting the emergency brake on global warming,鈥� said Marcelo Mena, CEO of the Global Methane Hub. 鈥淢ethane is the quickest way to decrease the temperature to buy time to address other dangerous pollutants.鈥�
How philanthropy helped bring methane to the forefront
When the Global Methane Pledge was launched in 2021, more than 20 philanthropies committed an initial to support participating countries in implementing their promises to reduce methane emissions. This led to the of the to coordinate the distribution of the funds. Philanthropy has mobilized around before 鈥� and it came together at an to launch the Global Methane Hub, driving significant momentum for funding.
From 2015 to 2019, total foundation giving for super pollutants averaged $25 million annually, according to 亚色影库 data. Following the launch of the Global Methane Pledge, foundation funding to reduce emissions from super pollutants jumped to around $120 million in 2022, making it the fastest-growing sector that year. This included granted through the Global Methane Hub. However, the sector still accounts for of foundation funding for 亚色影库 change mitigation.
Here are five ways philanthropy has supported efforts to reduce methane emissions.
Expanding the evidence base for reducing methane emissions
Philanthropy has supported research that has helped make once-invisible methane emissions visible. published by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) between 2013 and 2018 showed that methane emissions were 60% more prevalent in the United States than the Environmental Protection Agency estimated. The research has since informed state and federal policies in the United States and beyond, leading to new technologies to reduce emissions and company commitments to prioritize methane reduction.
Philanthropy has also outlined cost-effective pathways for reducing emissions. As research from the (IEA) and has shown, the technology and the strategies already exist for reducing methane emissions from oil and gas operations by more than 75% 鈥� two-thirds of it at no net cost. The benefits of cutting methane this decade far , according to the United Nations Environment Programme and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC). In fact, rapid and widespread efforts could slow the rate of global warming by as much as 30% and avoid 0.2掳 C of warming by 2050, according to led by EDF.
Building awareness of methane leaks and health impacts
Philanthropy has with the data and the means to communicate methane-related issues to the broader public. For example, and the (CATF) have used to investigate leaks at oil and gas extraction sites, revealing discrepancies in company-reported emissions data and leading to policy change. Earthworks also public health threats from oil and gas production.
With this data, helps advocates optimize their public engagement campaigns and the Methane Partners Campaign pushes for national methane pollution standards. Media campaigns like CATF鈥檚 and Climate Nexus鈥� have helped bring international attention to health impacts associated with emissions, leading to press coverage and further action.
In this video, interviews 鈥渕ethane hunters鈥� who track emissions at extraction sites 鈥� and outlines potential solutions for holding super-emitters accountable.
Earthworks is expanding its methane imaging and community education campaigns , equipping advocates with data visualizations and inviting reporters to witness leak sites.
The Global Methane Hub carries on this work as it facilitates people-centered strategies across sectors. 鈥淭he only way for methane solutions to succeed is if they bring local benefits,鈥� said Mena. 鈥淲e do it because it鈥檚 in the best interest of people and because of the multiple development gains that can be achieved.鈥�
Driving policy change
Philanthropy has contributed to policy wins that will help reduce methane emissions. Using resources like CATF鈥檚 , an estimated 90% of the 195 countries participating in the Paris Agreement have incorporated methane reduction targets into their . 57 of these governments have gone further to develop methane-specific 鈥� 31 supported by the , a grantee of the Global Methane Hub.
CATF also facilitates capacity-building workshops as governments develop targets, including , the first African country to regulate methane emissions from its oil and gas sector. Meanwhile, leadership from and local NGOs in New Mexico led to some of the strongest in the United States, at the and international levels.
Philanthropy is also facilitating opportunities for leaders across sectors through efforts like the . Regulatory roadmaps from and , as well as policy input from , have already led to requirements for oil and gas operators to fix methane leaks in , , the , and the The rule in the United States could reduce as much greenhouse emissions in 2030 alone as taking 28 million gas-powered cars off the road for the entire year.
Scaling accountability capabilities across sectors
Philanthropy has supported the development of tools to help enforce methane regulations, and the Global Methane Hub鈥檚 coordinated approach has helped accelerate these efforts. Indigenous and local advocates are using tools from and to methane emissions. Meanwhile, the and satellites will make it faster and more affordable to track leaks and landfill emissions, respectively.
The (MARS) uses this new infrastructure to send notifications of major leaks to and companies as they are detected. Already, the state of California is into its Methane Accountability Program. In February 2024, Google to map methane pollution and oil and gas infrastructure from space.
Another innovative effort is the (WasteMAP), an open-source tool that consolidates methane emissions data from the waste sector to identify reduction opportunities. 20 mega-cities representing more than 135 million people have connected to the platform since its in December 2023.
Philanthropy has also supported the development of accountability frameworks to put pressure on oil and gas companies. , developed in part by EDF, offers an already signed by that represent 30% of the world鈥檚 oil and gas production.
The , the first global satellite detection and notification system, translates satellite data of super-emitting events into 亚色影库 action.
Assembling the and satellites required participation from government, industry, and philanthropy-supported experts. Google has recently for the infrastructure.
has increased awareness of opportunities for improving waste emissions data. (Image credit: Global Methane Hub)
Unlocking public, private, and Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) funding
Through its collaborative approach and global strategy, the Global Methane Hub has successfully unlocked additional funding for methane solutions and increased philanthropic engagement with leaders in the Global South. 鈥淲e see the 亚色影库 problem through an integrated, developmental lens,鈥� said Mena. 鈥淎nd we bring others along in that vision.鈥�
The Global Methane Hub has also provided accelerator support to launch multilateral initiatives. For example, with the Hub鈥檚 support, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) developed its . The effort will steer a roughly $350 million portfolio to avoid additional waste-related methane emissions in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Hub also helped catalyze a from the UN鈥檚 International Fund on Agriculture Development (IFAD) and a World Bank initiative to .
In his TedTalk, Global Methane Hub CEO Marcelo Mena presents solutions that would mitigate methane emissions and benefit communities.
Overall, global financing for methane abatement increased by totaling $13.7 billion from 2021 to 2022. In 2023, commitments from Global Methane Pledge partners reached an all-time high of , more than tripling from the year before. Nonetheless, there is room for growth, as support for methane reduction still accounts for of global finance for 亚色影库 change mitigation.
The road ahead
While there is encouraging progress on reducing methane emissions, much more funding is needed to build on this momentum. The Climate Policy Initiative the need for at least $48 billion in global annual investment 鈥� 3.5 times current levels 鈥� between now and 2030 to meet global methane targets. Now that the world is starting to pay attention, those targets are potentially achievable.
鈥淭he work we do is so critical,鈥� Mena, “not just for rolling back the clock on the global temperature rise, but for creating a better and more sustainable way of living for billions of people around the world.”
To learn more, funders can explore funding priority areas identified by and the , along with newer initiatives focused on agricultural methane emissions, super pollutants, accountability frameworks, and waste. Funders can also contact ClimateWorks for support in building an effective 亚色影库 strategy.
The final Global Stocktake text highlights crucial outcomes that were largely overlooked in the media 鈥� such as the importance of conserving, protecting, and restoring nature, decarbonizing the transportation sector, and reducing methane emissions. (
Senior Director, Global Intelligence
The UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai marked a historic step forward when the final text of the Global Stocktake included language on fossil fuels. The Global Stocktake is a UN-led process that gives the world a clear review of global progress and shortcomings on 亚色影库 action and rallies world leaders to raise their ambition. Throughout COP28, media coverage was dominated by speculation over how the agreement would address fossil fuels. Ultimately, the Global Stocktake included a call to 鈥渢ransition away from fossil fuels in energy systems.鈥� The release of the final text sparked debate over whether this phrasing was a significant accomplishment or a decision that fell short of what was needed. However, amid the discourse around fossil fuels, renewable energy commitments, and COP politics, the Global Stocktake also included several significant wins that were overlooked.
In the two years leading up to COP28, the governing body overseeing the Paris Agreement and Global Stocktake produced global technical assessments of 亚色影库 action and hosted exhaustive and inclusive discussions with country delegations and civil society actors. These dialogues aimed to accelerate progress in mitigation, adaptation, and means of implementation and support 鈥� all in light of equity and the best available science. The final text, released at COP28, sets the pace of change for the next two years as countries develop new 鈥� including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) 鈥� ahead of the 2025 submission deadline.
Energy systems, and therefore fossil fuel use, comprise only a fraction of the most essential takeaways from the Global Stocktake. Thanks to tireless input from iGST members and other global advocates, the final text highlights other crucial outcomes that received less publicity 鈥� such as the importance of conserving, protecting, and restoring nature; decarbonizing the transportation sector; and reducing methane emissions. These outcomes are crucial pieces of the 亚色影库 puzzle to achieve a more sustainable world.
A new era of global forest protection
Coming out of COP28, the final text of the first Global Stocktake recognizes the critical need to conserve, protect, and restore nature and ecosystems. It emphasizes enhanced efforts to halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation by 2030. Additionally, it highlights the importance of financial investments supported by policy incentives to promote conservation and sustainable forest management.
The inclusion of this priority is especially important given the impacts of rapid degradation and deforestation globally. Despite global commitments to forest protection, the tropics lost 10% moreprimary rainforest in 2022 compared to 2021, according to the . The loss of tropical, old-growth forests in 2022 totaled 4.1 million hectares, emitting 2.7 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to India鈥檚 annual fossil fuel emissions.
The language of the final text underscores the contributions forest conservation and protection efforts can make toward achieving the Paris Agreement temperature goal of keeping global warming well below 2掳 Celsius. Moreover, it highlights the people-centered co-benefits of halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation, including accelerating sustainable development and eradicating poverty.
A boost for zero-emission transportation
The transportation industry 鈥� including aviation, maritime shipping, and road transport 鈥� requires steep decarbonization, as most transport still relies on fossil fuels. Overall, carbon dioxide emissions from transportation have increased by more than 70% since 1990. The industry now accounts for more than 20% of fossil fuel-related CO鈧� emissions worldwide, underscoring the need for zero-emission transportation.
The Global Stocktake鈥檚 call to decarbonize the transportation sector accentuates, once again, the importance of transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs), scaling infrastructure, and investing in clean fuels for the maritime shipping and aviation sectors. This transition requires a global effort to recognize and address the need for energy and resource efficiency in the transport sector. Collaboration across sectors is also necessary to achieve the policies and investments that will transform the road transportation industry. To deliver the goals of the Paris Agreement, the world needs to swiftly embrace zero-emission transportation, as recognized by the outcome of the first Global Stocktake.
Public and private sector leaders in emerging economies are already seizing the opportunity to transition to EVs to create and shift local jobs, reduce pollution, and solidify their roles in the global supply chain. Supporting local leadership will be key to decarbonizing the transportation sector. In addition, increasing funds for clean fuel research and development can boost the green transition for the maritime shipping and aviation industries.
Addressing the problem of methane
Methane has often been overlooked in the global sustainability conversation, even as scientists have repeatedly called for the radical reduction of methane emissions. In the United States, found that the U.S. oil and gas industry was emitting at least 13 million metric tons of methane a year 鈥� about 60% more than the Environmental Protection Agency estimated at the time. This finding underscores the significance of the Global Stocktake鈥檚 inclusion of methane in its call to action, putting additional pressure on the fossil fuel sector to address its emissions issues. Moreover, the that emissions in the energy sector are underreported by 70%, which makes identifying methane leaks and the lack of transparency around these emissions a global problem.
In addition, according to the , agriculture is the largest anthropogenic source of methane emissions. The Global Stocktake鈥檚 emphasis on building sustainable land-use management and agricultural practices reinforces the importance of reducing the environmental impacts of these activities, particularly non-carbon emissions like methane.
The final Global Stocktake text highlighted the need for methane emissions reductions, which supported the Global Methane Pledge announced at the conference in 2021. World ministers welcomed transformational national actions and catalytic grant funding to help countries achieve at least 30% methane emissions reduction by 2030. Commitments and language in the Global Stocktake are a first step; countries must now implement policies that will deliver on their promises to reach the 30% goal by 2030, as time is quickly running out.
A multi-sectoral approach to accelerate 亚色影库 action
The call to world leaders is clear after this first Global Stocktake. Across the globe, the public and private sectors must work together to invest in clean technology, protect our natural resources, and swiftly eliminate our reliance on fossil fuels. The road to COP29 and COP30 requires unprecedented political will as countries develop new 亚色影库 action strategies through NDCs and NAPs. The following two years provide a unique and critical opportunity to accelerate action on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving resilience and adaptive capacities, and ensuring adequate and available finance. Furthermore, the Global Stocktake stresses the importance of including local communities and experts while planning and implementing multi-sectoral strategies to ensure all voices are included when deploying solutions for a sustainable future.
Architecture professor Beta Paramita is on a mission to scale passive cooling design throughout Indonesia with the use of cool roofs. Under the Million Cool Roofs Challenge, Beta and her team coated 70 buildings across 15 cities, estimating that more than 10,000 people will benefit from the new cool roofs. (Photo: Clean Cooling Collaborative)
Getting cooling right would save thousands of lives every year and reduce food loss 鈥� and could prevent 100 gigatons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, equivalent to two years of global emissions.
As 亚色影库 change continues to drive record-breaking temperatures and heat waves, the and of billions of people are increasingly at risk. Currently, more than in rural and urban communities are at risk due to lack of access to cooling, which makes it more difficult to stay , learn and work , and keep food and medicines at safe temperatures. One thing is clear: access to cooling is no longer a luxury 鈥� it is a .
Global energy demand for cooling is expected to in the coming decades, according to the International Energy Agency. The roughly air conditioning units in use today are already of global electricity demand. By 2050, 3 billion more units are projected to be in operation. Without energy efficiency improvements, this growth in the number of cooling appliances would lead to use as all of China and India today. This increase would further , which in turn could contribute to more blackouts and brownouts, as well as drive the use of heavy-polluting fossil fuel-based peaker plants.听
The growing global demand for cooling contributes to what has been described as the 鈥渃ooling conundrum.鈥� As the planet gets warmer, demand for cooling goes up. Also, as populations continue to grow, more air conditioners and refrigerators are installed. These cooling technologies add billions of tons of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to the atmosphere due to their energy consumption and refrigerant leakage. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a vicious loop,鈥� says Sneha Sachar, India Cooling Lead for 亚色影库鈥檚 (CCC). 鈥淲e cool the indoors, but we warm the outdoors, therefore generating the need for yet even more cooling.鈥�
When cooling technologies are not efficient or 亚色影库-friendly, they exacerbate 亚色影库 change 鈥� thus, in a vicious cycle, creating the need for even more cooling.
Over the last few decades, science, policy, diplomacy, and technology have teamed up to respond to the cooling challenge. Collectively, these efforts contributed to the signing of the Kigali Amendment in 2016. This was an amendment to the landmark , a global treaty that entered into force in 1989 and banned chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), greenhouse gases that caused the depletion of the ozone layer. The Kigali Amendment, in turn, committed to a phasedown of the production and consumption of HFCs, which had largely replaced CFCs as the refrigerant used inside air conditioners and refrigerators following the implementation of the Montreal Protocol. If implemented fully, this HFC phasedown could avoid up to in global temperature increases by 2100.
To deepen impact and further reduce emissions, 亚色影库 leaders have made efforts to get manufacturers to simultaneously incorporate energy efficiency improvements in their cooling technologies as they redesign their production lines and products to switch to more 亚色影库-friendly refrigerants that have much lower global warming potential. This unprecedented pairing of strategy for efficiency improvements with the HFC phasedown has set a tone for more collaboration in global clean cooling efforts.
Years later, we continue to see more integrated approaches to tackling cooling. For example, the was launched and announced at the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in December 2023. In a major international collaboration, led by the UN Environment Program鈥檚 Cool Coalition and UAE COP28 Presidency, more than 60 countries to date have committed to take immediate steps to improve the sustainability of cooling appliances, scale passive and mechanical clean cooling efforts, and increase access to clean cooling for those most at risk in a warming world.
How philanthropy has bolstered progress for clean cooling
Philanthropy has played an active role in advancing clean cooling initiatives. In 2017, 18 leading 亚色影库 funders recognized an opportunity around the adoption of the Kigali Amendment. Together, these funders established the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program (K-CEP), which laid the initial groundwork for a to advance clean cooling.
Housed at 亚色影库, K-CEP initially pooled $52 million to support low-income countries as they paired their HFC phasedown activities with improved energy efficiency opportunities for various categories of cooling appliances. In 2022, the program鈥檚 name and strategy areas evolved to become the Clean Cooling Collaborative (CCC), focusing on regions that are projected by the International Energy Agency to have the highest contribution to cooling-sector-related GHG emissions over the next 30 years (China, India, Southeast Asia, and the United States). CCC takes an intersectional approach, working to reduce the cooling sector鈥檚 greenhouse gas emissions; increase access to efficient, 亚色影库-friendly cooling for heat-vulnerable communities; and continue elevating clean cooling on the international agenda.
K-CEP and CCC鈥檚 grants have created an enabling environment for clean cooling to scale, and many of those grants have created ripple effects of impact. For example:
More than 100 countries have built cooling-specific policies into their national 亚色影库 strategies or Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) 鈥� work that will only deepen with the more than 60 countries who have signed the Global Cooling Pledge thus far.
30 countries have developed energy efficiency policies or standards for cooling appliances to ensure that every new air conditioner and refrigerator sold meets a minimum level of efficiency. This will help prevent countries in the Global South from becoming the dumping ground for the least efficient products on the market that can no longer legally be sold elsewhere.
More than 1.1 million square meters of new, solar-reflecting 鈥渃ool roofs鈥� have been globally as part of the Million Cool Roofs Challenge 鈥� an area equivalent to 250,000 small household rooftops.
Ultimately, building on the foundations laid by K-CEP, CCC works at many levels of the global cooling agenda, acting as a hub to catalyze research and demonstrations, policy, finance, and market transformation. CCC has created a community of more than 30 grantees from around the world and hosts an annual convening of its grantees and funders to exchange updates on successes, new opportunities, and ways to jointly accelerate change in this space.
These are some of the levers that philanthropy has used to make an impact in the cooling space:
Identifying opportunities and sparking innovation
In the early days of K-CEP, the importance of expanding access to cooling was clear 鈥� but just how many people lacked that access wasn鈥檛 yet quantified. Some of the initial investment went toward within policy, technology, and finance, along with the to address them. Building country-specific political and economic awareness became essential for future work to raise cooling access.
K-CEP and its partners also facilitated prizes and competitions that illustrated the efficacy of emerging cooling solutions and incentivized the development of new ones. For example, the helped scale the adoption of passive cooling strategies, which reduced indoor temperatures and led to .
CCC continues this work to transform markets that enable wide-scale deployment of efficient, 亚色影库-friendly cooling solutions. The CCC-led , for example, builds on the work of the (an initiative of RMI, the Government of India, and the United Kingdom鈥檚 Mission Innovation) to bring to market super-efficient room AC prototypes that have a five times lower 亚色影库 impact than the average model today. According to an , a shift to room air conditioners that deliver this superior efficiency and use more 亚色影库-friendly refrigerants can prevent up to 5,900 terawatt hours of electricity per year by 2050 鈥� the equivalent of two times the annual electricity generated within the European Union.
Cool Roofs Indonesia, one of the Clean Cooling Collaborative’s implementing partners, is working to expand access to clean cooling across the country.
Removing financial barriers to the clean cooling transition
Philanthropy can support the piloting of financial incentives and business models that encourage consumers, service providers, and companies to reach for more energy-efficient options. For example, K-CEP supported the roll-out of new like (CaaS), where consumers pay for cooling or refrigeration on a basis, enabling commercial end users to access efficient technologies without the investment costs. On-bill and on-wage programs in , , and have helped consumers overcome the higher upfront cost of energy-efficient air conditioners and refrigerators.
These days, CCC works to help markets transition to more efficient cooling strategies through the development of pilot demand response programs, which take stress off the electric grid during periods of peak power demand while crediting consumers for their reduced energy use. For example, a groundbreaking in China holds the potential to save consumers, businesses, and utilities significant expenditures while also reducing the likelihood and duration of power outages. The wider adoption of demand reduction initiatives in China could yield savings of over a decade, primarily through the avoidance of having to build and operate additional power plants.
Convening and collaborating
Philanthropy has a unique ability to convene experts from across geographies and sectors. In 2017 and 2018, energy policymakers and Montreal Protocol compliance officers across met in philanthropy-supported 鈥溾�� workshops to build bridges between ministries, many for the first time. Then in 2019, K-CEP joined forces with the U.N. Environment Programme to launch the , which aims to foster collaboration between governments, businesses, and civil society to advance efficient, 亚色影库-friendly cooling. These earlier efforts from K-CEP have led to the rapid scaling of best practices, the development of National Cooling Action Plans (NCAPs), and continued cooperation between actors.
Ms. Liana Ghahramanyan, Ozone Focal Point, National Ozone Unit, Ministry of Nature Protection reflects on lessons learned from the U.N. 鈥�鈥� workshops.
鈥淚 had been working on energy efficiency for 25 years and it never occurred to me to team up with the ozone people,鈥� said Mirka della Cava, Head of Policy for CCC, about why she spearheaded K-CEP鈥檚 support of these early workshops. While agencies continue to benefit from ongoing dialogue on the linkages between refrigerant transitions and energy efficiency, the work that K-CEP supported on the development of NCAPs is an example of how national ozone units successfully prepared approaches to achieving more efficient cooling, often outlining specific measures such as (MEPS) for cooling products.
Now, CCC builds on this legacy of cooperation as they support countries working together toward the common goals articulated in the Global Cooling Pledge.
Influencing policy by defining best practices
Through both K-CEP and CCC, ClimateWorks鈥� cooling program has helped foster a global ecosystem built upon the sharing of best practices by collaborating with local arenas and learning from their implementation and expertise. The development of by CCC鈥檚 grantees offers a customizable framework for countries to establish MEPS. These templates provide best practice guidelines for what actions are needed to transition to more efficient cooling appliances. From there, countries can take into account their region鈥檚 markets.
CCC鈥檚 support for this emerging community of practice has consolidated best practices and rapidly scaled up the development of effective policy 鈥� all in a way that aims to honor a wide range of local contexts around the globe. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 skip over how the local context will embrace or realistically implement best practices,鈥� says della Cava. 鈥淐CC and our partners have been asking ourselves: how can we create resources and models that can be picked up, adopted, and absorbed by a diversity of local actors?鈥�
A with Energy Foundation China successfully saw the implementation of new MEPS which resulted in variable speed ACs rapidly scaling in just one year, to represent 98% of the AC market 鈥� virtually eliminating its less efficient fixed speed counterparts that use roughly 35% more energy and saving consumers billions in reduced utility bills. Philanthropy-backed efforts have also enhanced the implementation of MEPS, as seen when CCC-supported workshops with Ghana鈥檚 Energy Commission led to the compliance of its efficiency labeling standard and enforcement for imported cooling products. As countries adopt these best practices, they .
The road ahead
Announced at COP28, the Global Cooling Pledge marked a historic moment to raise international ambition for clean cooling. A growing list of countries (more than 60 to date) and non-state actors have signed the pledge and committed to taking immediate steps to improve the sustainability of cooling appliances, scale passive and mechanical clean cooling efforts, and increase access to clean cooling for those most at risk in a warming world. The cooling sector also released its first-ever , outlining the potential pathways to cut cooling-related emissions by more than 60% by 2050 and expand cooling access to 3.5 billion people.
The Global Cooling Pledge 鈥� signed by more than 60 countries 鈥� marked a historic moment to raise international ambition for clean cooling. (Credit: Cool Coalition)
The global momentum behind cooling efforts is an encouraging step, made possible in part by a vast and growing network of 亚色影库 funders, grantees, and partners around the world. Further progress will take significant additional investment. More funding is needed to build on this momentum, ensure the achievement of global commitments, and scale cooling access in a way that centers on those most impacted by a warming world. To learn more, funders can contact ClimateWorks and explore resources such as CCC鈥檚 , , and .
Philanthropy can help accelerate a shift toward a global green economy that enables healthy lives, good jobs for all, and a thriving planet. (Chun Han/Getty)
Philanthropy can help catalyze a shift toward more sustainable, just, and resilient systems, societies, and economies.
Imagine what the world could look like in 2050. Our power grids run on renewable energy. Everyone has access to the energy they need to cook, light their homes, and stay cool. Almost every coal plant and oil refinery on the planet has been retired. Electric public transport and cars take us where we need to go while keeping the air we breathe clean. Indigenous and local communities have the legal recognition and support they need to nurture healthy forests. The world has transitioned to a global green economy that enables healthy lives, good jobs for all, and a thriving planet.
In the words of the poet 鈥嬧�婰ucille Clifton, 鈥淲e cannot create what we cannot imagine.鈥� That is why I鈥檓 proud to introduce 亚色影库鈥檚 new series of impact stories, which spotlights a diverse and expanding community of global changemakers driving transformative 亚色影库 action and illustrates how philanthropy has supported their efforts. Philanthropy is increasingly mobilizing to support bold 亚色影库 action, as evidenced by the entry of more funders into the arena, a growing community of grantees, and a tripling of since 2015. While the demands of the 亚色影库 crisis are daunting, those implementing solutions on the ground give us reason to hope.
The time to act is now
The urgency has never been greater to replicate the 亚色影库 successes supported by philanthropy as widely as possible. Climate change is not a distant concern but a current reality affecting communities worldwide. Global 亚色影库 initiatives are falling short of Paris Agreement targets and philanthropic funding for mitigating 亚色影库 change saw a disappointing last year.
Even so, there is progress to celebrate and build upon. In 2014, pointed to a planet 3.7掳 C warmer than pre-industrial levels by the century’s end. Current policies have successfully , positioning us toward an approximately 2.5掳 C rise. The progress so far is pivotal, but a future above 1.5掳 C of warming would still be catastrophic. More action is needed to accelerate 亚色影库 solutions at the speed and scale that will ensure a healthy and equitable future for all.
The 亚色影库 crisis calls for unprecedented collaboration among governments, the private sector, and civil society. Philanthropy is uniquely positioned to help catalyze the transformative shift we need toward more sustainable, just, and resilient energy and food systems, societies, and economies. Philanthropy can be risk-taking and nimble, trying different approaches and pivoting quickly in response to new challenges or opportunities. Philanthropy can convene disparate actors and mobilize resources for those implementing change on the ground in pursuit of a more prosperous future for all. Philanthropy is also able to both invest in long-term horizons and support immediate needs. Additionally, unlike the private sector, philanthropy is willing to invest for impact rather than financial return alone, supporting geographies where the need is highest and catalyzing additional investment from the public and private sectors.
The Drive Electric Campaign has helped accelerate EV adoption in more than 60 countries. /Alamy
Philanthropic efforts, among others, contributed to the momentum that led to the landmark Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities鈥� Forest Tenure Pledge at COP26 in November 2021. Keshab Raj Thoker//Flickr
Philanthropy helped shape the historic Inflation Reduction Act 鈥� the boldest 亚色影库 action from the United States to date. /iStock
A roadmap for driving bold 亚色影库 action
Philanthropy has already played a significant role in supporting bold 亚色影库 action 鈥� engaging with efforts to advance renewable energy, accelerate the adoption of clean transportation, advocate for Indigenous and local land rights, tackle super-pollutants, and achieve clean cooling for all. For example, since 2017, 57 countries have developed new policies and programs dedicated to 亚色影库-friendly, energy-efficient cooling technology based on models driven by the , a philanthropic initiative. With support from the , at least 40% of coal-fired power plants in the United States and 50% in Europe have been retired. Electric vehicles have taken off faster than expected, with exponentially growing sales in some of the highest-emitting regions. The , a network of more than 100 organizations around the world, has helped accelerate EV adoption in these regions by building political will and technical capacity. Philanthropy has supported efforts to elevate on the global stage, leading to historic levels of support through the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities鈥� Forest Tenure Pledge announced at COP26. A growing carbon dioxide removal movement has received philanthropic support, which has helped the sector scale responsibly and thoughtfully. Philanthropy also helped shape the historic Inflation Reduction Act 鈥� the boldest 亚色影库 action from the United States to date 鈥� and has a critical role to play in its implementation.
Our growing collection of impact stories, like the ones noted above, highlights the replicable, intersectional, and collaborative approaches that were essential to these philanthropic successes and others like them. We will continue to bring stories from people implementing change on the ground as well as both new and experienced 亚色影库 funders mobilizing resources across a range of geographies. We hope these stories will illuminate the expansive efforts that have already driven 亚色影库 progress and ultimately inspire the philanthropy community to keep pushing for even bolder action 鈥� individually, collaboratively, and with partners through innovative new efforts like the (GAEA) Initiative, the IKEA Foundation鈥檚 , and the . Please stay tuned for more stories in the months ahead.
Reach out to us to share your success stories or to learn how you can contribute to advancing 亚色影库 action, and read more 亚色影库 philanthropy impact stories here.
The shipping sector 鈥� which has the potential for drastic emissions reductions 鈥� has been neglected for too long and remains seriously underfunded. In 2024, ClimateWorks and our partners will be looking to step up action in overlooked sectors like shipping, industrial decarbonization, aviation, and food & agriculture. (
President and CEO
Dear colleagues and friends,
2023 was blisteringly hot and earned the distinction of . Yet, we know last year was not an outlier but rather a trend in the wrong direction, as the intensifying impacts of 亚色影库 change create devastating consequences for people, communities, and ecosystems worldwide.
We are nearly halfway through the decisive decade for 亚色影库 action, and we are off track in meeting global targets. The good news is there鈥檚 never been more progress to build on as we work to course correct. The backlash from the fossil fuel industry and other incumbents that we鈥檙e seeing on 亚色影库 policies, organizations, and frontline leaders is, in some ways, a sign of the impact we鈥檙e having. As a community, we鈥檝e stepped up to push back on some of these challenges 鈥� for example, developing legal defenses and durability strategies to ensure that environmental and social risks can be reflected in investment decisions, and rapidly responding to misinformation on the environmental impacts of electric vehicles. But there is more to do. Under the most , the current likelihood of limiting global warming to 1.5掳 C is just 14%. Now is the moment for to step up and work together and with others in groundbreaking new ways to supercharge transformative solutions in 2024.
Three strategic shifts for 2024
In 2024, we have an opportunity to build on the we鈥檙e seeing and accelerate action. For this year, here are three key areas where the global community can help the world move faster in turning promises into tangible actions:
Phasing out fossil fuels. COP28 the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era. But the gap between what governments have committed to and is vast. To truly transition the energy sector, we must both ramp up the good and phase out the bad. Thanks in part to bold philanthropic initiatives advancing renewable energy and electric vehicles, we are making great strides in increasing the good. Today, renewables are the cheapest form of electricity generation almost everywhere, and the adoption of zero-emission vehicles of all types (cars, trucks, buses, two- and three-wheelers) is growing exponentially.听
But we must also tackle the other half of the equation 鈥� phasing out fossil fuels. COP28 provided an important hook, with text agreed in the Global Stocktake by all countries calling on parties to 鈥渄rive the transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner.鈥� Now is the time to seize this opening, building on developments like the United States鈥� recent decision to pause permits for LNG exports. One place to start would be advocating to end the more than $1 trillion in 鈥� a new record high reached in 2022 鈥� that directly undermine governments鈥� 亚色影库 goals. Just imagine what we could achieve instead if these funds were applied toward expanding energy access through renewable resources and supporting a . Now is the time to double down on transitioning away from fossil fuels, building on the recognition by all governments at COP28 of the need to do so.
Equitable and accessible financing of 亚色影库 action. and creative funding models are crucial not only to achieving mid-century net-zero goals but also to advancing 亚色影库 justice for those most affected by 亚色影库 impacts and least responsible for them. COP28 made important progress in operationalizing a new Loss & Damage Fund, and COP29 in Baku later this year will include a focus on international finance commitments. In addition, there is much happening outside the official UN space that has the potential to truly transform domestic and international finance and institutions, including transparently integrating 亚色影库 risks and opportunities into the heart of public and private finance decisions.听
We are entering a new era for sustainable private finance, where it is time to move from promising voluntary initiatives to regulatory approaches. One example is that will drive responsible business practices and benefit investors while also protecting people and the planet. Another important approach is the coordination of strategies for reforming the multilateral development banks (MDBs). Philanthropy is increasingly playing a role in working with partners to identify solutions, engage influential stakeholders, and advance action 鈥� while also confronting head-on pushback from the fossil fuel industry and lobby groups.听
Ramping up implementation and ambition with inclusive 亚色影库 solutions. We need to follow through on the current commitments and show how 亚色影库 action truly benefits people, communities, and economies. By identifying 亚色影库 solutions that people鈥檚 fundamental needs 鈥� how they provide for themselves and their families, safety and security, resilience, and health 鈥� and showing these benefits, we can gain support for bold, people-centered 亚色影库 solutions that tackle interconnected challenges and are durable.听
Getting implementation right now is essential to increasing the level of ambition going forward. As part of this, we need a greater focus on the sectors that have been neglected for too long and thus remain seriously underfunded 鈥� in particular, industry decarbonization, shipping, aviation, and food & agriculture. These are areas where ClimateWorks, with our partners, will be looking to step up action in 2024.
By COP30 in Brazil in 2025, countries are asked to update their for reducing 亚色影库 pollution. While this is a government-led process, it is increasingly clear that all parts of society must contribute to the solutions for the kind of ambition we need to see. This means greater involvement from sub-national actors, corporates, and the finance sector to align with the active participation already seen from academia and civil society. The importance of this next round of opportunities to cannot be overstated, and philanthropy and partners must start engaging now with efforts to support the development of more ambitious plans.
The moment is now
The opportunities and the challenges before us this year are massive, particularly with elections scheduled in more than 60 countries that collectively represent half of the world鈥檚 population. We need clear-eyed approaches that bring together all parts of society to address the tradeoffs inherent in the transition to a low-carbon economy. We need more unconventional partnerships, including with those philanthropy has not typically engaged with, such as corporates, to elevate 亚色影库 action to an unprecedented scale. The Global Methane Hub, an initiative that organizes the field of philanthropists, experts, nonprofits, and government organizations to maximize methane reductions, exemplifies this collaborative spirit. Similarly, the new led by the World Economic Forum, with support from the Climate Leadership Initiative and ClimateWorks, aims to identify new public, private, and philanthropic 亚色影库 partnerships that can accelerate action beyond what each sector can do alone.
We must fund 亚色影库 like we want it to win. This means moving resources faster to the people and places that need them the most and have been historically underrepresented by philanthropic investments. We need to break through the plateau in 亚色影库 philanthropy funding that we saw in 2022, so it finally surpasses of overall philanthropic contributions. And we need to break down old barriers that no longer serve us, like the division between 亚色影库 mitigation and adaptation.
Now is a moment for all funders to look for opportunities to make a step change in catalyzing action, working through radical collaborations, and accelerating people-centered solutions to ensure a future where no one is left behind.
At ClimateWorks, we鈥檙e here to help. We’re actively expanding our reach to support a growing network of funders and implementing partners to move together at the speed and scale demanded by the 亚色影库 crisis.
Join us in this mission today 鈥� because later is too late.
