How philanthropy can unlock action on climate and nature in this critical decade

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified the scope of work covered by Philanthropy Asia Alliance.

It was the American scientist Eunice Newton Foote who in 1856 first documented in a short scientific paper the extraordinary power of carbon dioxide gas to absorb heat – the driving force of global warming. She made her discovery on the eve of the Industrial Revolution arriving on American shores. She and her peers would not have predicted how these technological advancements to our manufacturing processes would lead to copious amounts of carbon dioxide being expelled into the atmosphere, thereby warming the planet.

Interestingly, many of the traits of modern, organised philanthropy can also be traced back to the Industrial Revolution. In that period, a number of industrialists amassed great fortunes and set up philanthropic enterprises (John D. Rockefeller was in high school when Foote made her discovery), which pioneered a systematic approach to the work of improving social conditions, the main focus of philanthropy in those days.

Undeniably, the Industrial Revolution has brought prosperity and a rise in living standards to many across this planet – but it has also led to increased pollution, a decline in natural habitats and a warming planet due to the steep rise of greenhouse gas emissions. Coming full circle, it might be philanthropy that holds the key to unlocking the pace and scale required for action on climate and nature in this decisive decade.

However, a recent report by ClimateWorks Foundation reveals that, despite the pioneering efforts of philanthropic leaders in the climate and nature space, global philanthropy at large is not putting its muscle behind addressing the dual climate and nature crises. While overall giving in the sector has grown significantly and an increasing number of philanthropic institutions are making climate commitments, especially in the past few years, the share of total global philanthropy dedicated to climate mitigation remains under 2% annually: Of the approximately $810 billion of total philanthropic giving in 2021, only about ~$7.5-12.5 billion was earmarked for climate mitigation. Giving for climate adaptation, just and equitable transitions, or for nature protection or restoration, is even less.

These figures are striking, and the inevitable conclusion is stark: The state of giving to climate and nature is nowhere near commensurate to the seriousness of the crises faced by our Earth systems, and the many species relying on them.

However, philanthropy might be the unsuspecting actor who can play a transformational role in catalyzing action and accelerating impact to reduce human emissions and reverse nature loss. The capital philanthropy can deploy can be truly catalytic thanks to six unique characteristics:

There is a significant gap between stated climate and nature ambitions and pledges, and the capital made available to reach those objectives. Transitioning the planet to an equitable climate- and nature-positive future by 2050 will require total funding of $100+ trillion over the next three decades to engender systemic shifts, from how we grow our food to how we power our lives and transport goods to how we build our cities and communities. Most of this financing will need to come from businesses and governments. However, if philanthropy and a broader spectrum of global giving actors, including family offices, corporate philanthropies and ultra-high net worth individuals (UHNWIs), were to raise their giving, and deploy these resources in a manner that, for example, de-risks investments or helps to develop the policy frameworks that factor in the risks of not doing so, then we could begin to mobilize the trillions of public and private investment needed, giving us a decisive edge in turning the tide in preventing the looming climate and nature breakdowns.

Fortunately, we can learn from and stand on the shoulders of pioneers in this field. There are already excellent initiatives, including:

While all these efforts are critical and importantly can serve as inspiration and as a source for transferrable knowledge, we need to coordinate and collaborate to do more, faster. Despite all our efforts, the emissions gap keeps growing and rates of nature and biodiversity loss remain high.

With that in mind, the World Economic Forum is launching at its Annual Meeting this month a call to action for GAEA (“Giving to Amplify Earth Action”): an initiative to harness public, private and philanthropic partnerships (PPPP) to catalyze equitable climate- and nature-positive solutions. Working with public, private and philanthropic leaders over the course of the next 12 months, GAEA’s process will involve four activities:

We are encouraged by the leadership we see in the field, and are driven by the conviction that there is, in the words of Per Heggenes, CEO of the IKEA Foundation, a tremendous opportunity of leveraging the untapped global philanthropy to be targeted in a catalytic manner for the benefit of climate and nature.

We realize that there are many important causes around the world, so this work is not intended to scale climate and nature giving at the expense of existing good causes supported by philanthropic efforts, which often make life or death differences to people’s lives. That said, as recently noted by the Rockefeller Foundation’s President Rajiv Shah: “Climate change poses a singular threat to humanity, and to The Rockefeller Foundation’s 109-year mission of promoting its well-being throughout the world. To meet our mission today, we must directly confront climate change, even as we redouble efforts in our traditional program areas: health, power, food, and equity.” Failing to limit temperature rise to acceptable levels and safeguard Earth’s intricate natural systems will also make it impossible for philanthropies to alleviate causes across those realms in the future. It will undo our past progress and foreclose future success.

The word "philanthropy" derives from the ancient Greek word philanthropia, which means "to love people". The lives and livelihoods of people – and the fate of so many other species on this planet – depend on us looking after our planet, which in Greek mythology is embodied by Gaia (also spelled Gaea), the goddess of Earth. One can’t be done without the other.

The World Economic Forum stands ready to deploy its convening and curating power to bring philanthropic leaders together with its public and private partners to scale, coordinate, and target giving to high-impact, high-leverage uses in this decisive decade for protecting people and planet.