Doris Duke Charitable Foundation

Climate Change

The global climate is changing at a rate that jeopardizes our environmental, economic and social welfare. The choices we make now about how we generate and use energy can either dramatically worsen the situation or
set the stage for a sustainable future. Recognizing
global climate change as one of the great challenges of our time, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation made a commitment to help build a clean-energy economy and,
in early 2007, launched its five-year Climate Change Initiative. (Photo courtesy of USFWS)

Goal

To help build a clean-energy economy.

Strategy

The Climate Change Initiative supports analytical work that informs technology innovation policies. These are the domestic and international policies that are needed to help foster innovation in the energy sector and accelerate the emergence of new clean-energy technologies.

Current funding is focused on understanding and improving:

• The energy technology innovation system in the
  United States (i.e., the complex of incentives, regulations, markets, and public and private institutions within which the development, demonstration, early adoption, and diffusion of new energy technologies takes place);
• Mechanisms and institutions that support clean-energy technology development and deployment around the globe (including finance mechanisms).

Future Grants

The foundation will invite organizations to submit proposals for grants under the Climate Change Initiative.

Areas Not Funded

The Climate Change Initiative does not support:

• Political organizing, "constituency building" or public education campaigns on climate change;
• Marketing efforts to promote particular "green" or clean-energy businesses and industries;
• Basic or applied science or research related to technology development;
• Technology demonstration projects.

Background & Rationale

In 2005, the foundation’s board challenged the staff to identify a compelling and urgent need that fit the mandate of Doris Duke’s will, and for which a well-timed and large infusion of the foundation’s resources (above and beyond its normal grant-making activities) had the potential to make a significant positive impact for society.

The Climate Change Initiative grew out of that challenge and reflects insights that the foundation gleaned over the course of 18 months. During that time, the foundation's staff and consultants conducted extensive literature reviews and interviews with more than 75 distinguished scientists, economists, environmental leaders, investors, energy industry representatives and public policy experts.

In particular, foundation staff came to understand that:

1. Market forces and carbon pricing – although essential – will not on their own induce the technological change needed to reduce emissions at the scale and scope required to avoid catastrophic climate change.
2. If long-term infrastructure – especially buildings and power generation facilities – continues to be built at today’s inadequate efficiency and emission standards, we will “lock in” decades of emission levels that will negate progress on other fronts.
3. Economy-wide and industry-specific policies are needed now to correct market failures and other barriers to technological innovation, as well as to provide incentives for a shift to clean-energy technologies.
4. Strategic and targeted philanthropy can accelerate the development and adoption of key policies and, in turn, accelerate needed technological innovation.

These insights informed the development of the DDCF's multi-million dollar Climate Change Initiative, which launched in early 2007.