Contents Executive Summary Background and Context Trends in Climate Philanthropy Feedback from the Atlantic Fellows Community 1.1. Engagement Process 1.2. Fellows’ Feedback Summary (b) Survey Results (c )Fellows’ feedback sessions on an advanced draft of the report Recommendations Overview Are we enabling or inciting action?
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Executive Summary The growing global climate crisis, driven largely by the rapid fossil fuel-based industrialization of the 20th century and industrial agriculture, has produced environmental instability that is imposing profound and disproportionate risks on marginalized communities in the Global North and across the Global South. Resistance to the processes that have produced (and continue to entrench) climate change has been historically led by First Nations community activists, environmentalists and members of the scientific community, among others. Despite an escalating crisis that is now at the top of governments’ agendas across the globe, progress remains slow and is often stymied by indecisive leadership. It is now widely acknowledged that the broad-ranging impacts of climate change connect to every aspect of social inequality, requiring individuals, collectives, organizations and governments to update their analyses. They need to incorporate appropriate responses that contribute to broader mitigation and adaptation strategies for the societies to which they are accountable. To this effect, this document responds to the Fellow-led call from within the Atlantic Fellows community to begin developing a framework to help formulate a climate action plan for the Atlantic Institute. The following pillars have been identified and proposed: ●
Mainstreaming climate justice Climate change impacts many of the topical areas (eg., health, social and economic equity) that have relevance to the Atlantic Institute fellowship programming. The Atlantic Institute and the Atlantic Fellows programs’ convening power has the potential to facilitate dialogue and deepen understanding of climate-related issues across these contexts. The planning, logistics and communications around the programming for Fellows and staff needs to be sensitive to, and explicit about, the climate emergency.
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Climate-focused programming and funding Several peer organizations have responded to the climate crisis by committing resources and staffing to develop climate-focused programming. The Atlantic Fellows programs are well placed to introduce climate-specific programming into current offerings to Atlantic Fellows. This programming could be extended to Fellows in programming for Global Atlantic Fellows, with earmarked investment in curriculum interventions, special grants and thematic workshops addressing the climate crisis.
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Taking an institutional stand on climate change Other philanthropic organizations have moved their money away from companies involved in the extraction of, production, transportation, refining and marketing of fossil fuels, and adopted net zero pathways to more
sustainable energy sources. They have also supported calls to increase climate finance for developing nations and made their own financial commitments. The Atlantic Institute is not a philanthropic foundation, but it could embark on an internal process to identify a strategic issue related to climate change that it is committed to champion in the public domain. ●
Developing strategic peer-to-peer relationships There has been an increase in collaborations between philanthropic organizations working together on climate change interventions. This has resulted in broad coalitions launching specific initiatives, fundraising (i.e., the Loss and Damage1 Fund) and issuing statements aimed at the international community. In the medium term, the Atlantic Institute should seek to meet peer organizations to expand its scope of influence on climate justice issues.
Loss and damage arising from the adverse effects of climate change can include those related to extreme weather events but also slow onset events, such as sea level rise, increasing temperatures, ocean acidification, glacial retreat and related impacts, salinization, land and forest degradation, loss of biodiversity and desertification. Introduction | UNFCCC 1
Background and Context In 2022, a report by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) highlighted the significant risks to both humans and the natural environment. The synthesis report for the sixth assessment prepared for the IPCC committee's 58th official session reaffirmed overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrating that climate change was caused by excessive emissions resulting from human development. This was due particularly to the fossil fuel-based industrialization of the 20th century driven by early industrial expansion in Europe and North America, as well as the more recent industrial growth in India and China. If decisive action is not taken, the report warned that climate change will lead to severe negative consequences. These include an increased occurrence of extreme weather events like heat waves, heavy precipitation, droughts and tropical cyclones. Global surface temperatures will continue to rise until at least mid-century under all emission scenarios considered. The report also projected that global warming of 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius will be surpassed during the 21st century unless significant reductions in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases occur within the next decade. The report said that many irreversible changes have already taken place, particularly affecting the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets, ocean ecosystems and global sea levels. The impacts of climate change have disproportionately affected the Global South, despite these nations making significantly lower historical contributions to greenhouse gas emissions. These regions face severe consequences such as extreme weather events and ecological incidents, exacerbating existing inequalities. There have been calls from Indigenous movements and activists in the Global South for climate debt and funds to be allocated towards loss and damage mitigation and extensive adaptation measures. Compounded by limited domestic finances, strained social compacts and incompatible economic paradigms, marginalized communities at the forefront of advancing climate justice bear the brunt of these challenges. It is important to recognize that those who have contributed the least to cumulative global emissions are often the ones most vulnerable to the worst impacts of climate change. Simply put, the climate emergency presents an immediate and near-term threat to the livelihoods of millions of people worldwide and affects everyone on the planet. A comprehensive response is needed to address this urgent challenge and mitigate its effects.
In the West as well as the Global South, we see a rise in political polarization, struggles to manage decaying infrastructure, an erosion of social welfare mechanisms and a lack of urgency in aligning domestic policies to the need to mitigate and address the challenges of the climate emergency. The discussions at recent UN climate change conferences, particularly COP26, COP27, and COP28 have underscored the urgent need for climate finance. Community service organizations, labour unions and philanthropic institutions play a crucial role in breaking the existing impasse and driving the necessary changes. Philanthropic support has already been instrumental in research and the development of climate science, clean technologies, climate policy advocacy and strategic litigation. Research reveals the need for additional funding and support in the following areas, which intersect with climate justice, racial justice and addressing environmental racism: expanding climate work to encompass equity issues such as health and gender equity, and providing broad financing for climate mitigation measures. It is imperative to address the climate crisis through targeted efforts that incorporate these intersecting areas, with the support of initiatives like global fellowship programs. This approach will not only contribute to climate action but also promote justice and equality in the face of environmental challenges. The international civil society’s response to the climate crisis has continued to gain momentum, and with it, calls to secure significant support from philanthropic organizations. Fellowships have emerged as a key mechanism for nurturing and empowering leaders on social justice issues. A growing array of prominent international fellowship programs have emerged, with each identifying the importance of creating spaces for collaboration and leadership development opportunities with the aim of tackling the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. This report considers the different spheres of influence that the Atlantic Institute can bring to bear to identify where best to prioritize resources for a strategy addressing the climate crisis.
The programming offered to Atlantic Fellows across the programs is the most direct sphere of engagement for interventions. Cohorts of Fellows have structured contact time with each other and in planned sessions coordinated by Atlantic Institute staff. At this level the ongoing cross pollination of ideas across fields of work, an exchange of cultural experiences and opportunities for dialogue about the different economic and political realities could be enriched if information about the latest climate change findings and possible solutions was embedded into the content. The Fellowship community is diverse, comprising leaders from all walks of life and geographies, who have a wide range of specialisms and experiences to offer. This community presents opportunities for the exchange of ideas, knowledge sharing through targeted workshops and thematic convenings, and is an ecosystem where Fellows are offered peer-to-peer support.
Furthermore, collaborations with values-aligned partner organizations, combined with the Fellows’ peer-to-peer connections, can further strengthen and amplify the impact of the work that individual Fellows may be doing locally to meet the challenges of climate change. There is a growing recognition of the need for philanthropic organizations, global fellowship programs and other types of civil society-based institutions already involved in improving human capital development to take on more of a leading role in addressing the challenges and advancing solutions to climate change. There is huge potential value for the influence of the Atlantic Fellows community to be felt globally in coordinating responses to the climate crisis. Philanthropic organizations can leverage peer networks and engage with their partners to spotlight high-impact issues or case studies that are driving meaningful change and help shape the discourse around climate change in target areas. For example, leveraging advocacy campaigns to increase disaster relief efforts around devastating floods in Pakistan in 2022 to provoke broader engagement with the debates around the establishment of a loss and damage facility. Public awareness campaigns around climate change that aim to encourage positive action can play a major part in changing behaviour and policymaking. The Atlantic Institute’s role is to promote a flourishing ecosystem of changemakers and encourage collective action. Its co-designed offerings for Fellows drawn from all parts of the global could, therefore, be crucial in shaping the public discourse on climate change. In considering the strategic choices ahead, it is important to determine the breadth of the Institute's strategy. This involves assessing the potential impact and influence at each level of engagement, from the Fellowship programs and Fellow community to partnerships with philanthropic entities and participation in wider public advocacy campaigns. Careful consideration should be given to how the Institute prioritizes and aligns its efforts to maximize effectiveness to ensure the most significant outcomes in tackling the climate crisis.
Trends in Climate Philanthropy As the blunt assessments at the climate talks of COP26 demonstrate, the need for climate finance is urgent. Community service organizations, labour unions and philanthropic instruments have a role to play in helping activists, policymakers and legislators, among others, to overcome barriers and enact the necessary changes. More targeted climate work supported by philanthropic instruments already plays an established role in: ● ● ●
Research and development of climate science and clean technologies Climate policy and advocacy Strategic litigation
According to a landmark report published by Climateworks Global Intelligence2, which analyzed funding trends in climate change mitigation for the year 2022, a comprehensive dataset spanning seven years revealed that only an estimated U.S.$7.5-12.5 billion out of the $810 billion in philanthropic spending tracked in 2021 was allocated to climate mitigation initiatives. This amount represented less than 1.5% of the total funds dispersed. However, the report highlighted a remarkable scaling-up trend in climate mitigation projects, with a staggering 25% increase, surpassing the average funding growth of 8%. Philanthropic funding for climate change mitigation has experienced rapid growth, more than tripling from $900 million in 2015 to over $3 billion in 2021, following The Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change adopted by 196 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) In 2021 alone, funding increased by over 40%, driven by new major donors and commitments. The number of grantees receiving climate change mitigation funding nearly doubled, reaching around 2,775 in 2021. While clean electricity is still the largest sector for philanthropic funding, forests and carbon dioxide removal has also seen substantial increases in funding. Funding is still concentrated in the United States, Canada, and Europe, but it is expanding in regions like Latin America and Africa, with a growing global focus. Increasingly, climate funders are prioritizing equity and justice principles in their grant-making efforts, and resources are available to support the integration of climate justice into philanthropic practices. Climate philanthropy is not just about increased funding but also involves the adoption of new approaches, such as fossil fuel divestment and integrated solutions, as well as increased collaboration with the private sector and governments. The pool of donors in the climate space has been encouraged to expand through the declaration of high value pledges and statements that are often released in the
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lead up to an international climate conference convening. In the last five years, examples include: ● ●
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U.S.$1 billion pledges issued by the IKEA Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation to address energy poverty in developing countries.3 U.S. $5 billion over 10 years (up to 2030) as part of a pledge to ensure 30% of the planet is protected and preserved for biodiversity. The nine private investors include: Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin; Bezos Earth Fund; Bloomberg Philanthropies; among others. U.S.$4 billion committed in 2018 by a cohort of over 29 philanthropists, including private funds and foundations, committed up to 2025 to tackle climate change, announced at the Global Action Summit.4 U.S.$1.7 billion committed from 2021 to 2025 to help Indigenous and local communities protect the biodiversity of tropical forests. The commitments were from the governments of the U.K., Norway, Germany, the U.S. and the Netherlands, in partnership with 17 funders5 (including the Ford Foundation, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies, among others. U.S.$13.95 million committed in 2020 by the Open Society Foundation,6 including $8.95 million to support initiatives that address climate change with the added complexities of economic recovery in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S.$217 million in October 2022 by U.S. grant-maker, the Ballmer Group,7 which expanded its offering to include $68 million in grants to address carbon emissions and $149 million to halt or reduce the impact of deforestation. U.S.$242 million in May 2022 by Bloomberg Philanthropies8 to support the development of energy transition projects in Brazil, Colombia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Turkey and Vietnam
The trends for the average annual funding between 2015 and 2021 from foundations for climate mitigation offered potentially useful insights. Annual funding allocations of U.S.$99 million have gone toward building local capacity, supporting legal and diplomatic efforts, governance reforms and supporting public engagement globally. Less than 3% of these funds went to the African region, less than 2% each to Asia and Oceania (excluding India, China and Indonesia) and Latin America. 3
Guest Article: At UN Energy Dialogue, Leaders to Set Pathway to Achieve Clean, Affordable Energy for All by 2030 | SDG Knowledge Hub | IISD 4 Philanthropic Community Announces $4 Billion Commitment to Combat Climate Change - ClimateWorks Foundation 5 Governments and private funders announce historic US$1.7 billion pledge at COP26 in support of Indigenous Peoples and local communities / Ford Foundation 6 On Earth Day, Open Society Foundations Announce Climate and COVID-19 Fund - Open Society Foundations 7 Ballmer Group announces $217 million in climate change commitments | Philanthropy news | PND (philanthropynewsdigest.org) 8 Bloomberg Philanthropies invests $242 million in clean energy | Philanthropy news | PND (philanthropynewsdigest.org)
To promote a more inclusive and effective approach to addressing the impacts of climate change, there is a growing acknowledgement for the need to expand the pool of grantees. Currently, a significant portion of funding in Africa, Brazil, China and Europe is concentrated in a small subset of grantees. To address this, there is a need to support the growth of local capacity. By investing in local organizations and expertise, climate solutions can be more community-oriented and tailored to specific regional contexts. Additionally, funders should broaden their support base by extending assistance to grassroots organizations, fostering movement building, engaging with businesses and mobilizing non-traditional allies. This broader support will facilitate the incorporation of diverse voices and perspectives, enhancing the overall effectiveness of climate change mitigation efforts. Many Atlantic Fellows are already engaging with their networks on the frontline of these issues. Historically, climate change mitigation funding has suffered from a lack of emphasis on equity and justice. The distribution of funds has favored large international non-governmental organizations that may not have strong track records of prioritizing the needs of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities in their climate strategies. There is a need to turn away from conventional philanthropic practices which seek quick-fix solutions that risk reinforcing existing power imbalances and disregard the voices of frontline communities, hindering efforts toward broader justice and equity. Despite these challenges, there have been encouraging developments in the integration of justice and equity in climate philanthropy. The World Forum on Climate Justice, held in Glasgow, U.K., prior to COP26 in September 2021, focused on incorporating climate justice into global climate governance and post-pandemic recovery strategies. In the United States, there is a growing recognition of environmental equity-related issues, including initiatives addressing environmental racism and advancing climate justice, as indicated by Giving USA's 2021 report. In February 2021, the Donors of Color Network (DOCN) launched the Climate Funders Justice Pledge, urging major climate funders in the U.S. to commit to greater transparency and allocate a minimum of 30% of their climate funding to organizations led by and serving communities of color. The pledge offers insights into emergency benchmarks for foundations supporting climate justice efforts which are relevant to the Atlantic Institute’s climate policy development. The measures that signatories commit to include the following9: ●
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Transparency: Participant foundations agree to upload big data onto an online database used to track climate grants (platform name: Candid eReporter10). Foundations are also required to report the percentage of their foundation’s environmental/climate funding from the last two years that has gone to organizations run by, serving and building power in communities of
About — Climate Funders Justice Pledge (donorsofcolor.org) Share your grants data | About our data | Use our data | Candid
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color – that is, those organizations in which the people of color hold positions on boards or are executive staff. Scaling up inclusive grant-making: New participants commit to spending at least 30% of all climate related funding on organizations run by, serving and building power with communities of colour. Further priority should be given to organizations with boards and senior staff where positions are held by a majority of people of color.
These diverse and varied positive steps in the years since The Paris Agreement of 2015 reflect progress toward a more equitable, just approach to climate philanthropy, striving to ensure that resources are allocated to those most affected by climate change and empowering marginalized communities. Further funding and support have, however, been called for in areas where there are intersections with climate justice: ● ●
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Efforts which expand climate work to incorporate interconnected equity issues (health, gender and race, among others). Broader funding for climate mitigation measures (such support to encourage the adoption of renewable energy, carbon capture and storage projects, among others). Early-stage climate-focused entrepreneurial projects.
Within the realm of philanthropic instruments, the key areas that have traditionally received funding include the research and development of climate science and clean technologies, climate policy and advocacy, and strategic litigation. However, additional funding is now being redirected from grassroots organizations and within the NGO space to explore other intersections with climate justice. This includes support for the growing number of organizations addressing issues of racial justice and environmental racism, alongside climate work with a focus on equity, encompassing aspects like health and gender. Some additional key areas to be identified as requiring support include leadership development, particularly within marginalized communities. Early-stage venture support and assistance for intrapreneurs operating in resource-scarce environments are also crucial, particularly in areas of the world and sectors where grant funding may be difficult to access. Furthermore, support for visioning activities which can involve planning for the future is essential. Unfortunately, these activities often receive limited resources and explicit support that entrenches the divide between those who have the freedom to think, dream and envision, and those who are constantly engaged in immediate action and have to respond to the multiple crises affecting communities at the grassroots. An example of an initiative which aims to pool and coordinate philanthropic resources in the climate sphere is the Rockefeller Foundation-sponsored Climate Leadership initiative (CLI11), based in the U.S. The CLI acts as a specialized 11
Approach - Climate Leadership Initiative
intermediary between partner philanthropists and foundations, its network of experts and in-house technical capacity. The value proposition of the CLI team includes coordination to support the scaling up of high impact climate solutions as well as the capability to support philanthropists develop a framework for participating in “climate philanthropy.” Its key initiatives supported, to date, are focused on coordinating funding for targeted advocacy campaigns. Reflecting on trends within some other peer organizations: The Ford Foundation’s initiatives aim to reduce poverty and injustice, strengthen democratic values, promote international cooperation and advance human achievement. Their theory of change hinges on using individual leadership, strong institutions and innovative, often high-risk, ideas as levers for change. Their “Challenging Inequality” program houses an array of projects and initiatives divided thematically: the grants program targets organizational/institutional level grants; and the “Investing in Individuals” program houses the Ford Fellowship and International Fellowship. The Ford Foundation, through the natural resources and climate change project specifically, has joined a coalition of several governments and 17 private funders which has announced plans to make a five-year, U.S.$1.7 billion commitment to directly fund Indigenous and local communities working to protect tropical forests. This is part of a broad effort to conserve the world’s lands and oceans. In the build up to COP26, the Ford Foundation said that they will not invest in fossil fuels with their $16 billion endowment. They have quantified their level of commitment to shift legacy investments and seek out opportunities in clean energy. The announcement of an investment of $50 million to launch the Ford Global Fellowship program also included a thematic focus on climate change. The Open Society Foundation (OSF) has primarily focused on the dispersal of grants on thematic areas, but its operations also include supporting strategic human rights litigation, high impact investing and developing government policy. The various initiatives housed at the OSF fall under the following categories: dispersing small grants to support independent voices; Fellowship programs; advocating for positive change through campaign and policy support; strategic litigation; impact investing; and idea or project incubation. OSF supported the research publication, "From Climate Awareness to Climate Crisis Action," published in 2020. It surveyed public attitudes and base knowledge on the existence, issues and causes of climate change across Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Czech Republic, the United Kingdom and the United States. It also examined public attitudes to a series of policies that the EU and national governments could harness to reduce the damage inflicted by human-made emissions. In 2020, Open Society Foundation (OSF) issued12 a U.S.$16 million emergency fund in support of response efforts to the impacts of climate change tied to a $130 12
On Earth Day, Open Society Foundations Announce Climate and COVID-19 Fund - Open Society Foundations
million COVID-19 economic relief package. This included $8.95 million to advance green economic stimulus plans in the United States and Europe, focusing on countering disinformation, supporting reforms benefiting low-wage workers, frontline communities and democracy. An additional $3 million will support non-partisan public mobilization and advocacy efforts worldwide aimed at reducing fossil fuel reliance, improving air quality, and promoting a just and sustainable energy transition. The final $2 million will be allocated to prevent a surge in deforestation in Latin America. This is a particularly urgent goal due to a weakening of environmental enforcement measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The OSF also committed U.S$1 million in response to calls to support the Loss & Damage Facility that was established at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021. The facility is intended to provide technical and financial assistance to alleviate climate impacts and prioritize the most vulnerable communities, particularly small island developing states and least developed countries.
Table 1: A table summarizing the key common threads in the approaches taken by the Ford Foundation and the Open Society Foundation.
Mainstreaming Climate Change Open Society Foundation
Ford Foundation
The OSF’s wide thematic focus does not include explicit climate changecentered initiatives at this stage. Research & Development, individual & institutional grants and advocacy support for climate change-related causes are spread across existing thematic areas. The wide thematic focus of the Ford Foundation overlaps with key institutionally acknowledged climate change impacts. Climate change-related work is found and highlighted across themes in addition to the presence of targeted initiatives.
Publicizing Institutional Decisions The OSF has highlighted its recent pledges for climate crisis funding (tied to a COVID-19 relief package) and its contribution to the Glasgow Loss and Damage fund prominently in international media.
Public-facing Analysis
Its key institutional decisions including divestment from fossil fuels and commitments to climate funding have been highlighted prominently in the international media.
The natural resources and climate change theme provides a clear institutional position on climate change. It also identifies key stakeholders and focuses on public-private accountability for corruption and environmental crimes, among other issues. Its analysis focuses on Indigenous rights and rural communities across targeted areas in the Global South.
The OSF houses a platform “voice” on its site and has directly supported research publications focused on encouraging the climate debate. However, no clear climate policy for the organization has been published publicly at this stage.
Feedback from the Atlantic Fellows Community This section outlines the process by which we propose the development of recommendations toward the Climate Action Plan Framework for the Atlantic Institute.
1.1.
Engagement Process
It is crucial that the project team and the Atlantic Institute leadership have a shared understanding of an appropriate process and that the recommendations proposed are pitched at the right level to resonate with the intended audience, with achievable and impactful interventions.
1.2.
Fellows’ Feedback Summary
The process to engage Atlantic Fellows was carried out in two ways: first, the circulation of an online survey; secondly, a follow-up offer of three open consultative meetings. Both forums invited opportunities for Fellows to reflect on the specific ways in which climate change was addressed within the Fellowship programs. Atlantic Fellows who participated in the process focused on aspects relating to how Fellows’ specific inputs on cohort curriculum change should be contributed and any environment-friendly practices that could be incorporated into the logistics of organizing events and programming. A sample of 37 Fellows engaged with us on this process, with a total of 42 inputs from Fellows gathered from the consultative meetings and the survey. This sample does not represent the entire Atlantic Fellows community; it represents a pool of self-motivated Fellows who are aware of the historical contexts, are active in this work already and see value in the Atlantic Institute taking a proactive approach to addressing climate change in the long term. (a) Open Consultative Meetings with Atlantic Fellows The open consultative meeting included three sessions with a total of 11 participants engaged in an in-depth discussion session. This section summarizes the critical reflections and recommendations toward the development of a Climate Action plan for the Atlantic Institute. Participants reflected on how more funding could be made available to grassroots groups working on climate change, and discussed the increasingly acute need for material support to lead initiatives and advocacy campaigns in many climate change-related struggles. Several Fellows reported being part of internal, intentional discussions on local environmental issues, their impacts and the importance of climate resilience. One proposal was that the Atlantic Institute should explore the issue of climate resilience and apply relevant aspects to the programming/curriculum content offered to Fellows. Some Fellows said they had been active participants in key international gatherings related to climate change over the last few years. Participants reflected that there is no set forum currently within the Atlantic Institute ecosystem to provide feedback to the community, share analyses and report back the outcomes of some of the ongoing, important international negotiations. Related to this, participants said that the Atlantic Fellows community could benefit from regular structured and intentional discussions explicitly reflecting on climate change. One Fellow said they had received a grant for a waste management project, interrogating the role it can play in improving community resilience. In their case, they suggested a focus on international gathering should be balanced with
providing the space to profile, support and build capacity for Fellows working on the ground, who may not be very involved in broader structural debates on a regular basis. Participating Fellows agreed that in the few climate change-focused Atlantic fellowship programming sessions they had attended, there was a sense that the “capacity in the room” from other Fellows was underutilized. Where clear opportunities exist, they would like to see a shift toward co-creating session materials, workshops and the planning of sessions. How to pitch the sessions at the point of registration was also viewed as an important factor as while climate science may be a highly technical field, there are ways of discussing its impacts and severity in accessible ways that are not reductive. More resources should be set aside to ensure the most appropriate approach. The participants said there is not enough appreciation of the damaging impacts of climate change on populations living in the Global South. Some Fellows shared their experiences of difficulties where limited resources combined with severe weather events restricted their ability to go to work, access reliable electricity (and the internet), which hindered their level of participation in Atlantic Fellowship programming. One participant from South Africa shared that they had been trapped without internet access for a full week, which threatened their livelihood and ability to connect with local and international communities. There are potential barriers to full participation and regular engagement between the Atlantic Fellows community and the Atlantic Institute and these need to be considered with care and factored in the new measures proposed in the forthcoming Atlantic Institute Climate Action Plan.
The grant scheme offered by the Atlantic Institute needs to be responsive to the importance of building climate resilience alongside the important need to reduce carbon emissions. This is especially true in the context of a disaster: support measures should work as safeguards, cutting to the heart of the issues framed around the “loss and damage” climate debates. One participant went further to say that the Atlantic Institute should consider playing a coordinating role to gather support for the Loss and Damage Facility launched at COP27, an initiative which has had a slow response to its call for material donations. A small list of philanthropists
and foundations have made pledges, but more could be done to ensure that the principles of justice, which are intended to underpin the idea of the fund, should be supported by the international community. It should be noted that The Atlantic Philanthropies was a philanthropic foundation that funded the Institute and the programs; the Atlantic Institute is not a funder itself. Introducing climate change modules into cohort curriculum packs for local programs, and inviting expert speakers was seen by many participants as important, low-hanging fruit to be explored. Another suggestion was to explore ways in which existing themes and issues of interest could intersect with the topic of climate change impacts. Several Fellows suggested that in developing its climate policy, the Atlantic Institute could identify some “win-win” collaborations with other peer organizations. New platforms or joint forums could give Global Atlantic Fellows access to wider audiences for their important campaigning and advocacy work which is currently underway. The potential for a climate change thematic convening could help draw up a roadmap for action for the Atlantic Fellows network. Interested Fellows could co-design and develop climate change-focused materials, leveraging the expertise of other Fellows in the global network. Figure 3, 4 and 5 on the following pages summarize key participant responses to the following prompts: ● ●
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Figure 2: If you were a part of Fellows-only discussions on the impacts of climate change, which issues would come up? Figure 3: Do you have any general reflections on the impacts of climate change which you think future support and iterations of your Fellowship program should address? Figure 4: What intervention would tangibly support the work you do?
(b)Survey Results The consultative Atlantic Institute climate policy survey was circulated among the Atlantic Fellows community and received a total of 31 responses. The responses were evenly distributed across programs and comprised cohorts 2018-2021 (as shown in Figure 2). Over 74% of participants felt that climate change was inadequately addressed in their Fellowship programming (locally, globally or both) (listing ratings of <4 as shown in Figure 3)
Figure 5: A chart representing the spread of cohort participation in the survey after participants were asked which Atlantic Fellows program they had participated in.
Figure 6: A figure illustrating the extent to which participating Fellows felt climate change was adequately addressed in the Atlantic fellowship local programming.
Figure 7: A figure illustrating the extent to which participating Fellows felt that the Atlantic Fellows local programs logistical planning is aligned with environment-friendly planning practices.
Over 80% of participants suggested that the Fellowship’s local program’s logistical planning for in-person meetings was inadequately aligned with environmental practices. Areas of existing good practice and practical suggestions for improvement for logistics (shown in table 2 and table 3 in the following pages) focused on issues relating to flight choices, convening locations and the management of waste during in-person gatherings. Significantly more calls from Fellows for changes to the curriculum incorporating adjustments in the design of the in-person meetings themselves and suggestions for the coordination of new opportunities for the Atlantic Fellows community (shown in table 3). Out of the 31 respondents, 16 wished to be contacted directly about the climate policy development process and feedback sessions to discuss research for the Climate Action Plan. The preliminary findings of this report were presented during the open consultative meetings.
Table 2: The key survey responses to a question asking participants to share a story of how climate change was addressed in the program.
Recommendation: Fellowship Design & Curriculum:
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I expected climate change to be treated as a module; unfortunately, this wasn’t the case. I am hoping that we include conversations about the environment in our learning objectives. [3 other similar comments] As part of my year-long Fellowship and leadership journey, we were aligned to form an affinity group called the Environmental Justice Group with a host organization. Our mandate as a group was to implement a Social Change Initiative aimed at addressing climate change in our respective fields of advocacy. Our focus was food, water and waste. Our initiatives were aimed at promoting a circular economy, greening the health sector, community empowerment and climate smart approaches. Kate Raworth’s economic model “Doughnut Economics” was part of the program content, and it was so helpful as a reframe for social and economic issues. I heard more about it in the Thailand convening more than in my program area. Perhaps other countries are doing more with climate change than the United States. I would like to see that climate change is addressed by implementing economic interventions within planetary means. A great session with Jason Hickel and Kate Raworth on planetary boundaries and degrowth. Other than that, not sure it came up much as few people in the Atlantic Institute and only several Fellows were working on this. A presentation by a Global Atlantic Fellow, who was working within the climate and health space, was arranged during one of our modules. Coverage of the social determinants of health, food security and the environment did touch on the impact of climate change as a contributing factor. There were opportunities for Fellows who were experts in this field, but it did not get implemented well. We had a Fellow who has studied environmental racism. Some of us had an opportunity to engage with her and learned about the new concept. My story of climate change in my program looks at the logistics during my Fellowship year. Our one and only in-person convening, thanks to COVID-19, was climate change-conscious. There were alternatives like biodegradable plates during breakfast and lunch. This is something that I appreciated. The program gave us reusable coffee cups and lunch boxes on day 1 to reduce our plastic waste.
Table 3: Key recommendations from participating Fellows in the online survey for future climate change interventions in the Atlantic Fellows programs.
Recommendation: Fellowship Design:
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Cohort Curriculum:
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More conversations to encourage Fellows to think of climate change alongside issues they are addressing in their communities and the world. The Atlantic Institute needs to uplift climate change equity as the #1 priority. There is no social, racial, economic nor health equity on a dead planet. Address climate change by centering frontline communities and the impact of poverty and racial inequities. Climate change should be much higher on the agenda as a topic as its links to equity and its urgency are so clear. Probably some capacity development around the issue for the Atlantic Institute and program staff could be useful and maybe also workshops for Fellows on integrating climate equity into their work. The path to solving all our shared issues is to integrate them so that nothing is considered in an atomized fashion. With so many programs dealing with health, the Atlantic Institute could take on making health care greener and more focused on global health instead of specialized interventions available only for the elite of wealthy nations. Health and climate change are not just about the health issues that arise due to climate changes but anticipating the necessary health threats and health services delivery threats from the impacts of climate change. I humbly suggest that we do futures thinking on climate and health to guide the actions for today. Once actions are identified, start the innovative solutions process development with funding support from the Atlantic Institute since climate change is such a global issue. There could be a position on climate mitigation adopted for the Atlantic Institute and within fellowship programs. With regards to existing knowledge, attitudes, practice and work could be mapped to plan for addressing knowledge gaps and locating synergies for collaborative efforts. Putting out a call for thematic interventions with climate change as the main theme. There are two main levels which must be addressed: Research, Policy and Institutional; and the second one of Grassroot Agency, Voice and Activism. Embedded climate change within the modules to include climate change and health, climate change and mental health/climate anxiety and resilience, climate change and gender, global green and healthy hospitals, the role of the health sector/health professionals in leadership, mitigation, and adaptation initiatives, and climate and
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Global Atlantic Fellows:
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energy justice. Include case studies on air quality/air pollution in India and South Africa and energy policies in the Global North and South. Climate change is a high priority issue and it should be mainstreamed as well as have a specific strand of work. Prioritize the careful selection of speakers, experiences, readings of successful Indigenous-led sustainability programs and practices. More exposure to an intersectional approach of understanding the implications of climate change for community health outcomes. Improve the curriculum to discuss new economic ideas and social policy which is shaping the international debates on climate change. Improve curriculum content to include big debates on climate change which are at the forefront of economic discussions in the North and in many places in the South. Provide the opportunity for convening around climate change. The focus of such initiatives should be directed toward Fellows who are already practising and implementing innovative approaches addressing climate change, especially those from the health care sector as it is at the center of any just transition and climate resilience. Create more opportunities for learning between Fellows who work on climate change. Create opportunities for Fellows to meet and learn from one other to discuss climate change issues specifically. There needs to be a change in the practice and policy of travel, and whilst some in-person gatherings should continue, we need to try to find ways of gathering using a more sustainable and targeted approach. The sustainable approach should also be applied to the choice of venues, local contractors and the use of plastics and other harmful materials). We were flown Business Class, which from a climate impact perspective contributes 2.6 - 4.3 times more emissions. I don't think this is justifiable from either the perspective of climate or a good use of funds. The choice of flights could be improved. We should also consider where convenings are held and question who is due to benefit. Incentivise programs to take climate change more seriously and discourage climate-unfriendly practices. For example, our program gave each Fellow a giant pack of taxi vouchers, which discouraged us to travel sustainably, even in cities with excellent public transport. Reduce waste during contact sessions.
(c )Fellows’ feedback sessions on an advanced draft of the report On July 12, 2023, an advanced draft of this report was presented to the Atlantic Institute Governing Board as part of an Ethos session. The session did not include feedback from the board; however, its findings and the process were received with enthusiasm and requests to continue to completion. During October 2023, the draft was circulated to the Global Atlantic Fellow community and we invited the submission of written comments as well as two open call feedback sessions for interested parties to attend. Attending Fellows received the report positively and appreciated that the Atlantic Institute has embarked on a process to expand and coordinate its support for work addressing climate change. Several concerns were raised on the apparent lack of urgency in the process for supporting climate change work. Fellows emphasized the importance of leveraging the convening power of the Atlantic Institute to both highlight important issues in the international arena and increase visibility of ongoing work taking place within the community. Several Fellows who have experience in the climate funding sphere urged that attention be given to ensuring we incorporate racial equity and justice frames to climate change-centered programming. They said it should avoid being introduced in an ad hoc fashion. Key questions included: ● ● ● ● ●
How do we build capacity for those Fellows not directly working on climate change? How can we facilitate cross-pollination around themes? How can we support learning from different theoretical approaches? How can we improve the understanding of the different language and terminology used in climate change-focused public policy? What are the outcomes and outputs that can be shared with others?
Recommendations Overview This section outlines the recommendations to the Atlantic Institute Governing Board, building on an analysis conducted in the inception phase of this research process that reflects on broader trends in climate philanthropy. The voices and experiences of Fellows were invited through a consultation process that formed the backbone of a collective analysis process. Early findings from the inception phase were discussed in dialogue with the Fellows’ experiences (from cohorts across the 2018-2021 period). Recommendations were collected from open consultative meetings and an online survey of Global Atlantic Fellows and consolidated in section 4 of this report. It is evident from the growing number of civil society organizations focused on climate justice sprouting across the globe that, despite years of development of climate, energy and environment justice work, the inter-related issues of social, political, and economic inequality and inequity are still being marginalized by politicians and decision-makers. Climate change is not a short-term crisis, but rather a multi-scale, long-term shift, which requires that all systems change and development work needs to be interrogated to appropriately re-contextualize and reorient itself. From within the Atlantic Fellows community, there are important opportunities to develop climate leaders from marginalized groups, support entrepreneurs in resource-constrained environments, encourage transformative thinking and raise awareness of the intersectional impacts of the climate crisis. The Atlantic Institute should start a mapping process to identify what work is already being done by some Fellows that highlights some of these critical aspects. Acknowledgement of the climate emergency has precipitated calls for philanthropic actors to step up and scale up support for efforts to address the impacts of climate change. The Atlantic Institute is well-positioned to initiate and foster a dynamic conversation and facilitate connections and exchanges in response to the ongoing climate crisis and a lack of sufficient global action at governmental levels. The Atlantic Institute and the Atlantic Fellows programs have the structures, content and resources to step in this space if priorities are clearly defined and resources adequately allocated. Developing these priorities should not be an overnight, top-down endeavor, but instead a multi-year process which develops a clear, concise, actionable and measurable climate strategy to develop with Fellows and partner organizations that have their own spheres of influence. To take this process forward, the Atlantic Institute Governing Board will need to take a leadership position and set the target for the climate action plans for the Institute. Once high-level ambitions are clarified, the question of where to concentrate effort and direct resources for optimal impact can begin to frame how we pursue a long-term strategy.
Are we enabling or inciting action?
Going forward, it will be critical to think about how the Atlantic Institute is enabling or inciting action on climate-related issues. There is a need to test the plan internally with key stakeholders to determine the appetite for driving a broader institutional position, rooted in a defined analysis of the climate crisis. Otherwise, we play a more responsive facilitation role, elevating the agendas of targeted stakeholders. When looking at initiatives conducted by the Fellowship, programs and philanthropic organizations, there are three questions that emerge quite clearly around how to address the climate crisis from this organizational standpoint: ● ● ● ●
Who do we aim to influence? What outcomes are we aiming to achieve? What actions are necessary to achieve these outcomes? How do we intend to monitor and evaluate our actions?
The Atlantic Institute could consider a process by which we can assess the appetite of relevant internal stakeholders for driving a particular agenda; as opposed to playing a more responsive, neutral role, elevating the agendas of targeted stakeholders. The rise in international civil society efforts to respond to the climate crisis has resulted in a steady increase in philanthropic support. Fellowships have been a key mechanism for the support for leaders. Key opportunities for Fellowship programs in this area include: ● ● ●
Leadership development — Particularly within Black, Indigenous and People of Color and LGBTQIA groups. Support for "visioning" activities to imagine and advocate for alternatives. Mainstreaming awareness of the intersectional impacts of the global crisis among leadership cohorts across different sectors.
The proposed framework for climate action rests on four pillars (see Figure 8 in following pages): ● ● ● ●
Mainstreaming climate justice across the institution. Climate-focused programming and funding. Taking an institutional stand on climate change. Developing strategic peer-to-peer relationships
The proposed Atlantic Institute climate action framework outlines the proposed approach for the process over the next three years to help develop a climate action plan with SMART objectives. The framework commits to mainstreaming climate justice through various means. This could include internal and external messaging, driven by a process that integrates climate justice into the Fellows’ curricula for future active cohorts. Furthermore, the Fellowship programs could aim to incorporate climate-related programming through activities such as site visits, lectures and the choice of guest speakers. To engage the Global Atlantic Fellows community, there could be targeted grants, workshops with an intentional focus on bringing together Fellows who work directly on climate change with others who work in high-risk areas of impact (for example: gender equity, health and racial equity). In line with the agreed ambitions to be set by the Atlantic Institute Governing Board, there is the potential for adopting institutional stances on climate-related issues. The Institute can also learn from the case studies of other organizations funded by philanthropic foundations that have taken a positive stand on climate debt and divestment from fossil fuels. It is recommended that the Atlantic Institute considers joining philanthropic coalitions, peer networks, or donor affinity groups that specifically address climate change. Some examples of this are highlighted in section 3. Coalitions supporting the need for a global Loss and Damage facility have surfaced as possible issues which both receive comparatively little international support and are well suited for championing by the Atlantic Institute given its explicit commitment to social, economic, racial and health equity.
Table 4: A proposal for a three-year plan to build toward a climate strategy for the Atlantic Institute. By beginning to mainstream awareness on the impacts of climate change and taking stock of all the climate work taking place in the community already, the Atlantic Institute can build momentum toward creating a strategy with significant buy-in from champions of transformational action within the community.
Action
Sphere of Influence:
Year 1: Climate Change Mainstreaming ● Develop direct climate-focussed curriculum interventions. ● Develop communications that clearly link climate change to issues that need to be addressed across the Fellowship programs, notably racial inequity and Indigenous rights. ● Develop climate-sensitive policies around the planning and logistics of programming. ● Launch the first convening related to climate for Global Atlantic Fellows. ● Introduce a standing agenda item on the Atlantic Institute Governing Board that reports on the status of climate-focussed initiatives. ● Set up virtual and in-person workshops on reflecting on urgency of the global climate crisis, spotlighting important fellow work towards addressing its impacts.
Current Fellows and Global Atlantic Fellows
Year 2: Consolidation & Peer-to-Peer Relationship Building on Climate Change Interventions. Current ● Incorporate lessons learned from year 1 into the Atlantic Institute’s project Fellows and planning ahead of year 2. Global Atlantic ● Deepen existing initiatives. Fellows ● Develop initiatives to give Fellows access to advisory and funding networks ● ●
within peer organizations (where feasible). Develop a communications strategy to highlight the work by Atlantic Fellows that is addressing the impacts of climate change. The leadership of the Atlantic Institute needs to identify key peer organizations (e.g., Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundation, etc.) to have bilateral meetings to share learnings on efforts to address climate change and explore the potential for joint participation in upcoming campaigns, funds or initiatives.
Peer organizations
Year 3: Announce Five-Year Atlantic Institute Climate Change Action plan ● ● ● ●
Develop SMART objectives for a plan identifying the Atlantic Institute’s five-year strategic vision to address climate change. Incorporate lessons learned from Years 1 & 2 in the framing of the strategic plan. Deepen existing initiatives. Launch the Atlantic Institute Climate Strategy Plan at a climate-focused convening for Global Atlantic Fellows in the lead up to COP31 (September-November 2026).
Current Fellows and Global Atlantic Fellows peer-to-peer organizations; The wider public