FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Recognizing and responding to the
threat of climate-amplified extreme weather

Public awareness is growing rapidly about the connections between climate change and the increasingly frequent, intense, and dangerous extreme weather events. Since emissions reduction focuses on slowing down the long-term overheating, not on cooling, we seek to refocus our climate goals to near-term cooling that can back us out of the danger zone created by sustained surges for five types of extreme weather that began between 2002-2010 and have been sustained (not a black swan).

Should they collapse the global economy or overwhelm governments with urgent disaster relief, it will be much more difficult to later mount a Big Fix Project and sustain it. That is why we treat this quickly narrowing window as a climate emergency. The threat has changed but our strategy has not.

We anticipate funding projects which:

● Increase public education about the connections between extreme weather and climate change;

● Update those already working on climate with the need to reframe the nature of the problem;

● Facilitate effective response strategies to climate-exacerbated disasters.

Grantmaking Focus Areas:

Organizations engaged in the following activities are encouraged to apply.

● Advocacy: Effective advocacy and coalition-building.

● Awards: Producing awards programs (for instance, recognizing especially effective journalism and other types of public communications).

● Conferences: Convening emergency managers, scholars, scientists, and legislators.

● Education: Effective public communication and education programs on preparedness for and responses to climate-exacerbated extreme weather.

● Journalism: Leading on reporting and journalist training connecting extreme weather to climate change.

● Legislative and Regulatory Frameworks: Analysis and research on the policy landscape of extreme weather linked to climate change, and disaster response that integrates mitigation priorities.

● Scholarship: Scholarly work on the connections between climate change and extreme weather.

Process:

Consider a brief video conference to talk over your ideas (use email below to propose time), then submit a letter of inquiry (LOI). We may ask for a full application by December 1.

About the CO₂ Foundation:

With this funding opportunity, the CO₂ Foundation is initiating its first call for proposals. This round of funding will conclude December 15, 2021; future calls will expand to include additional Foundation program areas, so check back.

We welcome your questions and feedback; please start a conversation by emailing grants@co2foundation.org.