Immediate and Far-Reaching Climate Action

As temperatures around the globe soar, air conditioning and refrigeration are critical, not only for comfort, but for all aspects of life. By 2050, cooling demand is set to triple—a projected 3 billion new air conditioners alone will be installed in the next few decades—straining electric grids and increasing emissions even more. In 2016, philanthropists came together to create the Clean Cooling Collaborative (CCC), a coalition mobilizing governments, industry stakeholders, financial institutions, and companies to act on making cooling more energy-efficient, climate-friendly and accessible.

CCC champions innovative cooling solutions that are better for the planet in critical regions like China, ...

At one point, a thriving band of tropical rainforests extended around the globe, from Brazil, to Africa, to Southeast Asia. For centuries, Indigenous peoples and local communities lived in and protected these vital ecosystems, which house nearly half of the world’s plant and animal species. However, due to economic and political incentives, people began cutting down tropical forests, making them more valuable as timber than standing. Today, tropical forests are vanishing at an alarming rate—a loss equivalent to 10 soccer fields per minute—to clear land for cattle ranching, agriculture, logging, mining, oil extraction, and dam-building. When tropical forests are ...

While methane gas is responsible for approximately 30 percent of the warming we've experienced to date, it has not been sufficiently prioritized in policy decisions or climate finance. Reducing methane emissions is one of the most impactful, and cost-effective ways to tackle global warming at scale. By taking bold action now, we could save 255,000 lives from premature death, spare 775,000 people from asthma-related hospital visits, and reclaim 73 billion hours of lost labor every year. The potential for a healthier, more productive future is within reach.

To seize the moment on this urgent issue, philanthropists pledged $200 million to ...

Every day, people traveling on or near roads are exposed to thick clouds of exhaust, which is more than just a nuisance; it’s a health and environmental crisis. Emissions have been linked to over 200,000 premature deaths annually and exacerbate chronic conditions like asthma and heart disease, underscoring the dire need for cleaner transport solutions. 

Recognizing this, in 2021, a group of philanthropists came together to launch a groundbreaking initiative—Drive Electric, which is championing the shift to 100 percent clean electric vehicles (EVs), including cars, vans, buses, two- and three-wheelers, and trucks. The campaign, powered by a coalition of over ...

Coal emits toxic pollutants that make people sick, contaminate water, and drive planet-warming emissions. To eliminate this major threat, a diverse coalition led by the Sierra Club, with the support of philanthropy, launched the Beyond Coal campaign in 2002. The campaign aims to stop the development of new U.S. coal plants in the pipeline, retire the existing dirty coal fleet, address the impacts of coal mining, and replace coal with clean energy solutions.

What started as a state-level initiative, backed by a group of small foundations, has now evolved into a nationwide campaign with over $250 million in ...