This is our
decisive decade.
The science
is clear.
To avoid even worse outcomes, we must limit global warming to a “safe” degree of warming. And to achieve this, we must cut emissions in half by 2030.
Unless we course correct immediately – we cannot win.
Philanthropy is powering progress today.
From transitioning away from coal to accelerating adoption of EVs, we’re making positive shifts to bend our emissions curve.
Stories of Impact
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From Coal to Clean Energy
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Halting Deforestation
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The Shift to EVs
The Beyond Coal campaign, a diverse coalition led by the Sierra Club, with the support of philanthropy, has stopped more than 350 new coal plants from being built in the U.S. and helped retire two-thirds of the plants operating a decade ago. With these efforts, 605 million tons of carbon was reduced from the air by 2020, improving air quality and health outcomes for communities nationwide.
But we must go further.
In these next five years, we must raise our ambitions and create significant transitions in every industry and corner of the globe to bend the emissions curve.
The solutions are here.
There are countless, proven solutions that enable us to go further faster while creating significant economic growth. To win, we must dramatically scale solutions in areas we know will make a difference, such as…
Reducing Fossil Fuel Use
The power sector relies heavily on coal and gas and produces more carbon emissions than any other sector. Urgently deploying renewable energy while substantially reducing fossil fuel use is one of the highest-impact interventions that exists for our climate today.
Harnessing the Power of Organized Labor
As the clean energy economy scales at record pace, an extraordinary number of jobs will be created—necessitating a workforce that is engaged, trained, and ready to enter the clean energy sector.
Protecting Land Rights
Tropical forests are essential for a stable climate. While evidence shows that Indigenous Peoples, local communities, Afro-descendant peoples, and the women within these groups are highly effective land stewards, they hold legal rights to less than 20 percent of the land. Respecting and protecting Indigenous and community rights is central to stopping tropical deforestation and achieving our climate goals.
Scaling Low-Emission Cooling
This past June, more than 60 percent of the world’s population faced extreme heat that was exacerbated by climate change. Affordable, low-emission cooling and other appliances are a critical tool for building climate resilience and slowing global temperature rise.
Philanthropy is a
critical catalyst.
Philanthropy can help scale these solutions and influence governments, businesses, and people to unlock the systemic change we need.
Act Now.
The solutions are here.
Later is too late.