Impact Stories

When the world’s highest court ruled last summer that countries have a legal obligation to protect the climate, few realized that this was the culmination of a years-long effort initiated by 27 law students in Vanuatu.

In 2019, these students—who grew up watching their homes flood at high tide and the coastal villages of their ancestors disappear—were assigned a project: How could international law be used to advance climate justice? 

One idea stood out: Ask the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to issue a legal opinion on the responsibilities of countries to protect people from climate change.

Philanthropy sparked one of the boldest climate justice efforts in recent history. A modest early grant paid for two campaigners to develop a strategy and work with the Vanuatuan government. Additional funding activated “people power” to advance the case, first to the U.N. General Assembly, which affirmed the resolution unanimously, and then to the ICJ. Philanthropy helped the students and the coalitions they built prepare for the hearings, construct a strong legal case, and ultimately argue it before the court.

The return on philanthropic investment is huge: The ICJ’s advisory opinion makes it clear that countries and polluters have a duty to protect people from climate harms.

Over 30 percent of the food produced around the world goes uneaten—rotting in refrigerators, on crop fields, and in inadequate storage in between. In total, wasted food contributes at least 3 percent of global emissions and amounts to nearly $1 trillion in economic losses. 

Between 2007 and 2018, the U.K. reduced food waste by almost 30 percent. Philanthropy funded NGOs that mobilized for effective government policies, like a tax to reduce the waste that businesses send to landfills, clearer food labeling, and consumer outreach, such as the “Love Food, Hate Waste” campaign.

These efforts are now scaling globally, and collaborative efforts, supported by philanthropy, are accelerating progress as participating countries employ tried and tested solutions.

Coal emits pollutants that make people sick, contaminate water, and heat the planet. Over 20 years ago, a diverse coalition powered by philanthropy launched the Beyond Coal campaign in the U.S., which has shrunk coal’s share of electricity generation from 50 percent to less than 20 percent.

This success has inspired more countries to move beyond coal. In 2025, South Korea, a major coal-dependent nation that operates the world’s seventh-largest coal fleet, publicly committed to phase out coal power plants by 2040.

Philanthropy supported a coordinated campaign linking coal to health concerns about air pollution and motivating the Korean public to speak out against coal in their communities, which led to stronger air quality regulations. It also backed research showing the long-term benefits for Korea in moving from coal to clean power, including increased energy security, more competitive businesses, and creation of thousands of jobs. Overall, these actions led to new commitments, including from a large insurance company that pledged to stop insuring new coal projects.

Civil society and philanthropy are now focused on South Korea implementing its commitment and leveraging the model to inspire their neighbors to follow suit.