Nine families and foundations have pledged $405 million for climate solutions over the next decade, marking the largest philanthropic contribution to fight climate change in Canadian history.
The Climate Champions initiative will provide funding for innovative projects to drive climate action and the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy, the partners said in a joint statement.
“The time to act is now,” said Sylvie Trottier, board member for the Trottier Family Foundation, which pledged $150 million to the initiative.
"The climate crisis is the defining challenge of our time, and requires bold, collective action," Trottier said. "That's why my family is proud to step up with our multi-year commitment, our largest ever."
The initiative also received $100 million from the Peter Gilgan Foundation and a $100 million recommitment from the Ivey Foundation.
The announcement coincides with ongoing U.N. climate meetings in Baku, Azerbaijan, where scientists continue to warn about accelerating global warming. Canada has particularly struggled to reduce its climate emissions since 2005 and faces challenges in transitioning from fossil fuels.
"Climate change is impacting our lives more than ever,” said Luke Gilgan, board member for the Peter Gilgan Foundation. “We are proud to be a part of this historic effort and invite all Canadian philanthropists to join us in stepping up to support climate solutions."
Additional donors include the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation ($18 million), the Chisholm Thomson Family Foundation ($15 million), and $10 million from Kirsten Anderson and David Keith, who sold his company, Carbon Engineering, last year.
The Sitka Foundation pledged $6 million, along with $5 million from the Vohra Miller Foundation, and $1 million from philanthropist Allan Shiff.
Climate lens
The group said the initiative is a major boost for climate-focused philanthropy, which accounts for just 0.9 per cent of total philanthropic giving in Canada, well below the global average of 1.6 per cent.
Climate Champions aims to triple climate philanthropy in Canada to over $300 million annually by 2030.
“There is no issue today that climate change doesn’t touch,” Eric St. Pierre, Executive Director of the Trottier Family Foundation, told Canada’s National Observer.
“We cannot afford to continue doing ‘philanthropy as usual’ without adopting a climate lens,” he said in urging more Canadian families to drive action on climate change.
The initiative is coordinated by the Clean Economy Fund, a charitable foundation that works with the philanthropic community to support climate action.
The partners bring diverse strengths and expertise — from energy policy to sustainable city planning — and the flexibility to fund and de-risk solutions to attract broader investment, St. Pierre said.
While each organization will implement its own commitments, the nine partners agreed to collaborate through the initiative to maximize their collective impact on climate solutions.
"Philanthropy is critical for unleashing Canada's progress on climate change and supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy," said Eric Campbell, Executive Director of the Clean Economy Fund.
Comments
Great, but exactly what will they do with this money? It's for lobbying, basically, isn't it.
Don't get me wrong, every time I see an uber-wealthy philanthropist I think "We should have just taxed that money off the bastard". But when I look at all the defeats of the movement to save civilization aka stop climate change, those defeats have happened because the bad guys have masses of lobbyists. I have to admit that at a tactical, realpolitik level, having a few gajillion dollars for counter-lobbyists of our own would be exactly what we need.
Maybe, if you could ante up election war-chest bux, and promise lucrative board appointments after retirement from government.
I am happy to know, from another comment, that I am not the only one sporting a puzzled look.
$400M is a lot of money but I admit to being completely mystified as to what ‘climate philanthropy’ actually means. It’s not as though we need any as yet undiscovered technologies. What is needed is bold – i.e. sufficient -- gov’t action; minimally, this would include regulatory interventions and ‘incentive-based’ (read ‘conditional’ outlays of cash and other contributions) partnerships with the provinces (and perhaps others) and some social engineering (i.e. mass behaviour change).
If, in fact, “Canada has particularly struggled to reduce its climate emissions since 2005 and faces challenges in transitioning from fossil fuels”, then let’s characterize the “struggles” and “challenges” and deal with them, rather than languish in pathetic self-pity. Some parochial, recent-ish evidence to the contrary, I’m fairly certain their existence is not because we Canadians are all idiots. I am absolutely certain that, should we soon find ourselves actualizing the plot of a favourite, post-climate-apocalypse novel, we won’t be lamenting, “If only those danged Westons had handed over another 50 large!”
So, won’t someone please tell me how this philanthropy will lead us to the promised land of an enlightened society that actually recognizes that the needed outcomes do not jibe with our ridiculously consumptive, waste-generating, collective lifestyle?
???
Count me amongst the "puzzled" regarding "Canada has particularly struggled to reduce its climate emissions since 2005 and faces challenges in transitioning from fossil fuels."
My immediate reaction was not puzzlement, but a silent comment "Bollocks!"
My take is that Canada has struggled to find occasional, outlier "experts" to commend its barely there and almost completely useless attempts. And they didn't even try to do that till "Promise the Sky" Trudeau came into power, and revealed ... well ... that he's a Grand Liar.
Maybe what's needed to reduce consumption is lower income for some people. I notice that some of the very people decrying the "high cost of daycare" also fly away to foreign climes 2-3 times a year, and like to take their kids to the Disney venues, on cruises, etc.
Meanwhile, many of the grants and price-reduction schemes are taken up by the well-heeled, who for the most part could have made the changes without government contribution, instead of providing grants to those who'd make energy-saving retrofits in a heartbeat, if they could afford the up-front costs.
This is positive news.
Kudos and thanks to the foundations for caring enough about our planet to share your wealth.
Only good can come from your initiative.
I look forward to updates on how and where the money will be channelled and the progress (yes progresses is difficult) that is made.
You appear to know how this philanthropy will advance Canada towards a position of climate champion; an understanding that completely eludes me.
Please share your knowledge!
Thanks.
It is good to hear that some wealthy people are on the right side of this fight!
But I wonder how many of them will forego vacations in their private jets.