ClimateWorks Foundation

The ClimateWorks Foundation’s (CWF) mission is to mobilize philanthropic investments to prevent global average temperature increase from exceeding two degrees Celsius. This award provides general operating support to CWF as it creates global emission reduction strategies, coordinates philanthropic funding, and directly supports organizations addressing climate change. CWF conducts its work through an international network of affiliated organizations by supporting smart policies within the economic sectors and geographic regions that have the greatest potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including India and China.

The ClimateWorks Foundation’s (CWF) mission is to mobilize philanthropic investments to prevent global average temperature increase from exceeding two degrees Celsius. This award supports CWF as it conducts a scoping study on opportunities and barriers for promoting climate collaboration between China and India, and the potential role for the philanthropic community. CWF conducts its work through an international network of affiliated organizations by supporting smart policies within the economic sectors and geographic regions that have the greatest potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including in India and China.

The ClimateWorks Foundation’s mission is to mobilize philanthropic investments to prevent global average temperature increase from exceeding two degrees Celsius. ClimateWorks creates global emission reduction strategies, coordinates philanthropic funding, and directly supports organizations addressing climate change. ClimateWorks conducts its work through an international network of affiliated organizations by supporting smart policies within the economic sectors and geographic regions that have the greatest potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including India and China. Located at ClimateWorks but becoming an independent entity in 2019, the Campaign for Climate Leadership is a collaboration among foundations to significantly increase philanthropic support for climate solutions. This award supports the Campaign for Climate Leadership, and is focused on helping a new and growing set of philanthropists “go big” on solving the climate crisis.

The ClimateWorks Foundation’s (CWF) mission is to mobilize philanthropic investments to prevent global average temperature increase from exceeding two degrees Celsius. This award supports CWF as it creates global emission reduction strategies, coordinates philanthropic funding, and directly supports organizations addressing climate change. CWF conducts its work through an international network of affiliated organizations by supporting smart policies within the economic sectors and geographic regions that have the greatest potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including India and China.

The ClimateWorks Foundation facilitates collaboration among funders, provides critical research, and makes strategic grants that support global initiatives responding to climate change. In 2016, parties to the Montreal Protocol adopted the Kigali Amendment to phase down hydrofluorocarbons—refrigerant gases with high global warming potential—over the next 30 years and replace them with climate-friendly coolants. As one of the most successful international treaties, the Montreal Protocol oversaw the successful reduction in ozone-depleting substances, and this amendment seeks to extend this impressive track record to hydrofluorocarbons; the use of hydroflurorcarbons is expected to increase exponentially as global access to cooling expands and this will have seriously detrimental climate impacts.

In partnership with eighteen foundations that made a commitment to support this amendment, ClimateWorks Foundation developed the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program. This program seeks to increase and accelerate significantly the climate and development benefits of the refrigerant transition initiated by the Kigali Amendment and provide for a simultaneous improvement in the energy efficiency of cooling in developing countries. Collectively, the foundations are deploying $52 million over the next three years to improve the energy efficiency of cooling and refrigeration equipment, enhance access to cooling technology in developing countries, and incentivize market innovations to spur adoption of climate-friendly refrigerants. The grant represents the Foundation’s contribution to this pool of resources that supports the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program’s global efforts. Successful implementation of this international deal, coupled with energy efficiency improvements to cooling systems, could avoid between a half and up to a full degree Celsius of warming by the end of the century.