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2024 Annual Report

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2024 Annual Impact Report

profile photo of al gore profile photo of phyllis cuttino

Dear friends,

As we reflect on 2024, it’s hard not to view the year through the lens of the elections that took place around the world and the full-scale assault on climate science and policy that has happened since. In many locations, climate ambition is flagging as the US recklessly withdraws from its commitments.

And still, the public’s awareness and support for climate action is accelerating. 

At The Climate Reality Project, we work to produce the political will necessary to drive robust policy change all over the world, despite shifts in the political environment. And while we know we must be nimble in the months ahead, our model remains strong and effective – and a powerful means of driving the change we want to see in this new and challenging environment.

To rebuild and strengthen commitment to climate progress in the US and around the globe, it is imperative that our network of determined and informed climate advocates continues to grow and be supported and activated. When policymakers are backing down, people all over the world must stand up.

Our 2024 Annual Impact Report tells the story of how Climate Reality’s 3.8 million-strong network did exactly that.

We pushed schools and communities to commit to clean energy. We secured state and national policy victories in countries across the globe. We pressured financial institutions to increase funding for climate finance and created a swell of support for strengthening the annual UN climate conference (COP). And so much more! 

We are under no illusions about the scale of the challenge we face. The fossil fuel industry and their allies in government are determined to try to slow and attempt to stop the transition to clean energy everywhere.

But market forces and public opinion are on our side, and, with your support, we can make a real difference in the days ahead, even at a time of grave uncertainty.

Thank you for being part of our movement.

Al Gore
Founder and Chairman

Phyllis Cuttino
President and CEO

Expanding and diversifying a global movement

From elections in over 60 countries to a major climate conference in Azerbaijan, 2024 was a year of global conversations and pivotal decisions about the future we want.

Last year, Climate Reality focused on expanding our network of “super activists” to be prepared for whatever outcomes emerged, bringing new voices into the movement: Parents living with petrochemical pollution. Business leaders pursuing sustainable solutions. Local officials seeing the opportunities of clean energy.

People from all walks of life came together to join the Climate Reality Leadership Corps at three major in-person and online trainings in the US and Italy. As a result, thousands more people are equipped to drive real change in their communities, industries, and countries in the critical years ahead.

Visualizing our Global Network
3.8M
network
192
countries and territories
100
US chapters
11
Branches
map of climate reality's global network

Climate Reality Leadership Corps Trainings

Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Southern Europe US Virtual

Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regional Training

April 2024

The Northeastern US and New York City have become key actors in the US energy transition, particularly in the face of federal inaction and hostility, developing innovative approaches to reducing emissions in housing, transit, and other areas that have proven models for other cities and states.

At the same time, petrochemical and gas pipeline expansion in the region threatens both community health and many of these gains.

The New York City training offered a chance for advocates from across the state and surrounding region to learn from local and state successes and strategize new approaches to fighting fossil fuel infrastructure and advancing a just transition to clean energy.

Training impacts:

  • Expanding and diversifying the movement: Nearly two thirds of newly trained Leaders were from the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Approximately 39% of trainees identified as people of color and 38% were 30 or younger. We also strengthened our ties with the faith community through the Faith and Climate Justice Luncheon.
  • Inspiring immediate action: The training empowered Leaders to take thousands of actions onsite, ranging from calling for an end to fossil fuel subsidies to pushing to stop petrochemical expansion.
  • Growing local and state networks: Hundreds of new Leaders joined Climate Reality chapters or one of the training’s 40 partner organizations to help advance climate action. In addition, Leaders formed 10 new US chapters following this training.
  • Fueling state climate action: Climate Reality’s New York state chapters coalition, boosted in capacity by the training, helped build momentum for the passage of the Climate Change Superfund Act last December, along with other climate legislation.

Southern Europe training in Rome

June 2024

Southern Europe and the Mediterranean are warming faster than any other region in the world. Seemingly annual lethal heat waves are visibly affecting key economic sectors - agriculture and tourism - raising public awareness and adding to urgency.

Despite this fact, countries there have a mixed record on prioritizing climate change, and fossil fuel companies hold outsized influence over politics, the economy, and media.

Climate Reality held a training in Rome, Italy to call out greenwashing and build up the number of dedicated Climate Reality Leaders in a region in need of stronger citizen-led activism. With the US now withdrawing from global leadership on climate, Europe will be even more critical to advancing climate action in the coming years.

Training impacts:

  • Fighting against fossil fuels: Hundreds of Rome attendees joined a visibility action outside the headquarters of Eni – Italy’s largest oil and gas company – protesting its expansion plans.
  • Mobilizing collective action: Attendees sent 650+ letters to members of EU parliament urging stronger climate commitments.
  • Fueling action in Southern Europe: Newly trained activists are supporting partner organization Legambiente’s organizing efforts against fossil fuel companies in Italy.
  • Growing our European branch network: Hundreds of new Leaders joined Climate Reality Europe to support campaigns focused on a just transition, climate finance, national climate plans, and more.

US Virtual Training

October 2024

With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the US became a global test case of the belief that energy transition could drive large-scale economic revitalization.

By any metric, it delivered – and then some – contributing to 646 new clean energy projects proposed or advanced in just two years, which could lead to over 334,000 jobs. On the consumer side, the law helped 750,000 families install home solar and 250,000 families purchase emissions and energy-saving heat pumps just in 2023.

But with fossil fuel interests attacking renewable projects nationwide, we felt real urgency to build support for clean energy policies at national, state, and city levels to ensure progress continues – no matter the status of the IRA.

At such a critical time for the US, we hosted our signature leadership training online to strengthen civic engagement and build a base of advocates with the tools and network to advance the clean energy future already underway across the nation.

Training impacts:

  • Expanding our US network: Participants joined from 47 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, with roughly 44% now in one of our US chapters, adding capacity to our volunteer network at a key moment.
  • Inspiring global action: Nearly 9,000 online actions were taken during the training, including urging G20 and World Bank leaders to stop funding fossil fuels and accelerate clean energy transition.
  • Driving state advocacy: Many newly trained leaders joined chapters in California, boosting successful advocacy efforts around a citizen ballot initiative, Proposition 4, that will allocate billions of dollars for climate resiliency measures.
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Who is a Climate Leader

Advocating for climate change curriculum in schools
minna xu
Minna Xu

"Climate Reality's Leadership Academy has taught me not only how to plan an effective campaign but also how to grow into a passionate and empathetic leader. As a teenager in high school, I was initially worried whether people would take my advocacy efforts seriously. However, the supportive community of changemakers I met during the Leadership Academy gave me confidence, encouragement, and the tools I needed to make a real impact."

SEE MORE ▼
  • Trained in 2024 in New York City.
  • In 2024, joined Climate Reality’s first Campaign Leadership Academy cohort, which trains young people to plan and implement local climate campaigns.
  • Secured an agreement from her school administration to incorporate climate change into school curriculum.
Driving municipal and state climate policy in Ohio
cathy cowan becker
Cathy Cowan Becker

“Climate Reality training is fundamental to all my work as a climate advocate, whether working to increase renewable energy or decrease fossil fuels. I have trained or mentored again every two years to keep up with the latest information and new perspectives. I now have a full-time job in climate advocacy, thanks in part to Climate Reality.”

SEE MORE ▼
  • Trained in 2015 in Iowa and served as a mentor at subsequent trainings.
  • Finance Campaign Director at Green America.
  • In 2017, successfully advocated for the City of Columbus, OH to create the largest clean energy aggregation program in the Midwest.
  • In 2023, co-founded Save Ohio Parks to protect public lands from oil and gas extraction.
Pushing for national action on climate and health in Japan
Tomoaki Ota
Tomoaki Ota

"I am deeply inspired by how other Climate Reality Leaders in Japan are tackling climate change from their own areas of expertise and positions. Their passion and creativity continually motivate me and strengthen my own commitment to raising awareness about the connection between climate change and health as a physician."

SEE MORE ▼
  • Trained in Tokyo in 2019.
  • A doctor who uses his platform as a physician to raise awareness about the intersection of climate change and human health.
  • Board member of Green Practice Japan, which addresses climate change from a health care perspective.
  • In 2024, helped move Japan to join the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate Change and Health (ATACH), committing to climate resilient health systems.
Driving toward a strong COP agreement at COP 30 in Brazil
Alice de Moraes Amorim Vogas

"Climate Reality significantly accelerated my connection and networking with the players in the climate movement ecosystem in Brazil."

SEE MORE ▼
  • Trained in Rio de Janeiro in 2014.
  • A lawyer and expert in climate politics who has dedicated her career to solving the climate crisis.
  • Programs Director in the COP30 Presidency Team.

Driving action through
three global campaigns

Over the course of nearly two decades, your support has helped us train and build a large, global, and wide-ranging network of climate advocates. Combined with the leadership and voice of our founder and chairman, former US Vice President Gore, we’ve become an unstoppable force for driving climate action in countries everywhere.

Recognizing the pivotal need for action this decade, Climate Reality leveraged our unique organizational model, including our 100 US chapters and 11 branches around the world, around three areas critical to solving the climate crisis:

icon of two people passing a flag to show international cooperation

International Cooperation →

icon of person holding a scale

Financing a Just Transition →

icon of a no factories sign

Reducing
Emissions →

Strengthening international cooperation

COP 29 in Azerbaijan was another example of the world’s most vital climate talks taking place in a petrostate with a highly conflicted COP president.

Over and over, the COP process has been hijacked by the fossil fuel industry and its allies among governments with the goal of stalling progress. Not surprisingly, given these challenges, COP 29 largely failed to yield the necessary results on climate finance goals and other critical issues.

Climate Reality works to expose these conflicts of interest and strengthen the COP process so it can be the vehicle for the ambitious climate action the world needs.

We start with education. Our trainings and communications highlight conflicts of interest at COP and how everyday people can push back. Climate Reality branches trained young people in climate science and negotiations, with select participants attending COP 29 as delegates or observers.

At the same time, we’re focused on advocating for solutions to make the process better. We’ve undertaken months of research and engaged in key conversations with experts and advocates focused on enhancing the COP’s credibility, transparency, accountability, and effectiveness.

To help advance these goals in 2024, Climate Reality convened nearly 200 Climate Leaders, government officials, and advocates for a special event in Baku at COP 29 – Raising Climate Ambition – to discuss the importance of renewed global climate leadership and ensuring COP works like it was designed to do. The event featured a powerful conversation with former Vice President Gore, Global Witness CEO Mike Davis, Power Shift Africa Founder and Director Mohamed Adow, and Colombia Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development Susana Muhamad.

We’re already seeing increased public attention on why and how we must strengthen the COP process to make it “fit for purpose,” thanks to Vice President Gore’s amplification of this issue. Calls for changes to limit fossil fuel influence exploded after COP 29’s disappointing results and have only grown in the months since, despite the US withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and COP process. Now a mainstream issue among prominent civil society leaders and governments, safeguarding and strengthening the COP is a key priority for Climate Reality as we move toward COP 30 in Brazil in 2025, the first COP in several years hosted by a country supportive of climate action.

0
increase in media mentions of strengthening the COP process from COP 28 to COP 29.
0
joined our campaign to call on world leaders to phase out fossil fuels.
7
BRANCHES DEPLOYED GRASSTOPS LEADERS AT COP 29 with direct access to decision-makers and COP negotiators.
0
ATTENDEES AT RAISING CLIMATE AMBITION, an in-person event at COP 29 in Baku, and hundreds more watched online.

Financing a just transition

The climate crisis demands a new approach to energy – and to the finance behind it. At Climate Reality, our global network pushes multilateral development banks (MDBs) like the World Bank to end fossil fuel financing and support clean energy projects with grants and fair financing that enable nations to develop without debilitating debt.

Thanks in part to this pressure, we saw MDBs increase direct climate finance and mobilization by 25% for 2025, greatly exceeding earlier projections. And in November 2024, the MDBs estimated that they would provide $120 billion annually in climate finance to developing countries by 2030. While the US is now pressuring the World Bank to reverse this trend, the bank is upholding job creation as a priority and key to economic development – and green jobs can be a powerful tool to help countries develop and prosper.

Our approach last year was to democratize climate finance, using education as a foundation for action, and create pressure for critical reforms.  From the African Climate Reality Project’s Fair Finance School to our Leadership Corps trainings, we gave advocates the skills to press for policy reform and accountability at major financial institutions – including the World Bank.

Marches and demonstrations with attention-grabbing banners at World Bank headquarters brought public attention to the bank during high-profile spring and annual meetings.

And an innovative climate finance tracking tool developed by Climate Reality’s Africa and Philippines branches – which they presented at COP 29 – helped advocates monitor climate finance flows within their countries and report project progress to donor institutions. Climate Reality Philippines also held a training to equip our branches to launch climate finance tracking projects of their own, which the Indonesia branch plans to do in 2025. 

The end result: Increased climate finance from major financial institutions, with steps toward a more transparent and trustworthy system.

0%
PROJECTED INCREASE in direct climate finance and mobilization from MDBs.
0
BILLION DOLLARS ESTIMATED ANNUALLY IN CLIMATE FINANCE by MDBs by 2030.
0
SIGNATURES DELIVERED TO WORLD BANK EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS and President Banga during the Annual Meetings.
11
BRANCHES SENT LETTERS TO WORLD BANK GOVERNORS demanding increased climate funding and transparency.
3
COUNTRIES LAUNCHED INNOVATIVE FINANCE ACCOUNTABILITY TOOLS.

Reducing Emissions

2024 was the hottest year on record, and the cause is clear: fossil fuels. But we also know the solution: Rapidly reduce emissions and accelerate the transition to affordable clean energy.

At Climate Reality, we organize our 3.8 million-plus supporters to pull on the levers of power at every level to slash emissions and speed the clean energy transition.

Last year, our global branches pushed for ambitious national climate action plans, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), that orient both private investment and public policy toward a clean energy future. From climate cafes in Indonesia to Climate Reality Latin America’s Our Common Challenge campaign, our advocates helped advise governments and bring civil society into the process.  

National climate plans need strong state and local policies to support them. In the US, our chapters are deeply engaged in driving solutions to the climate crisis in their communities, including by collaborating across chapters on regenerative agriculture and IRA implementation. Leaders and chapters also helped drive the passage of state laws and policies in California, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington state. In Brazil, our branch helped advance a new state law that introduces climate education into the curriculum of state schools in Ceará - the first Brazilian state to implement such a measure.

At the local level, Climate Hubs in Canada successfully worked with municipal governments to adopt city climate action plans that are helping Canadian cities reduce emissions and transition to clean energy. The Australia and the Pacific branch trained energy champions across four municipalities to be leaders in clean energy activism. And chapters in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts stopped fossil pollution at the source by mobilizing communities to prevent poisonous petrochemical facilities from breaking ground.

Together, these victories and countless others from across our global network are helping move the world closer to the clean energy future we need.

763
TONS OF EMISSIONS PER YEAR PREVENTED thanks to two victories against petrochemical companies.
1
major national climate law in South Africa.
4
US state climate laws and policies enacted.

Stories from across our global network

Across all our global campaigns, Climate Reality Leaders, global branches, and US chapters are driving real climate progress...

...In our schools

SEE HOW

...In our communities

SEE HOW

...In our cities and states

SEE HOW

...In our national governments

SEE HOW
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...In our schools:
parents with students in a school group photo

In India, the Climate Reality Project India and South Asia's Green Campus Programme works with educational institutions to conserve water and biodiversity, improve energy efficiency, manage waste, and educate about climate change and sustainability. Last year, they trained more than 2,980 teachers and worked with 151 schools to implement local climate solutions. These schools are models of climate action and sustainability, not only cutting emissions on campus but also educating members of the community in how they can reduce emissions too. Since the program’s founding, they’ve prevented 287+ tonnes of waste from going into landfills and installed solar panels at 17 schools.

In the US, the Green Schools Campaign helps young people develop the leadership, advocacy, and grassroots organizing skills to transition their schools to 100% clean energy. This program launched in 2024 with 10 new teams starting local campaigns, and they are already seeing results. In December, the Broward County, Florida Green Schools Campaign team received unanimous support from the Broward County School Board for a resolution supporting a transition to 100% clean energy in their public schools.

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...In our communities:
group photo in brazil

Climate Reality Brazil’s Climate Rights Charters program engages Indigenous and Afro-Brazilian communities in creating a Climate Rights Charter to push for tangible policy outcomes. In two years of the program, the branch has helped 10 communities launch charters outlining their key climate demands. Not only have they used their charters to engage with local officials, but the branch presented demands from the charters at COP 29, amplifying the voices of Brazilians most affected by the climate crisis in key international negotiating spaces.

In the US, after over a year of fierce resistance, community members in Point Township, Pennsylvania defeated a billion-dollar proposal to build a so-called “advanced recycling” plant in their town. This victory owes much to the incredible efforts of our Susquehanna Valley chapter members, who teamed up with local residents and organizations to form Save Our Susquehanna (SOS). The facility would have taken plastic waste and converted it to toxic chemicals, while pumping millions of gallons of water from the Susquehanna River and posing a serious contamination threat.

Spearheaded by chapter chair, Climate Reality Leader, and Green Ring Award winner Dr. Sandy Field, the chapter and the coalition behind SOS were instrumental in mobilizing neighbors to oppose the plant. Energized by the victory, the chapter immediately started sharing what it learned with other communities fighting similar facilities – including with residents of Templeton, Massachusetts, who unanimously voted to oppose waste plastics incineration in the town last December.

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...In our cities and states
two people holding climate investment signs

On February 20, 2024, the city of Chicago made headlines by launching a lawsuit against six of the world’s biggest oil and gas companies, along with the American Petroleum Institute. The lawsuit accuses these fossil fuel giants of conspiring to mislead the public about the dangers of their products and their contributions to climate change.

Behind the scenes, members of Climate Reality’s Chicago Metro Area chapter played a crucial role in laying the groundwork for this lawsuit. Starting in July 2022, inspired by ongoing legal battles across the country, it began to build a compelling case to present to the city's leadership with help from the Center for Climate Integrity (CCI). Building off of their success, the Chicago chapter is now focused on other opportunities to make polluters pay, including advocacy around a potential climate superfund law.

When a ballot initiative was proposed in Washington state that would have effectively repealed the state’s carbon tax and cap and trade program, climate activists immediately stepped into action. For months, Climate Reality’s Washington chapters joined with other climate advocates and organizations in a full court press to stop the measure from passing. They tabled at local fairs and farmers’ markets, distributed informational pamphlets, wrote editorials, and more to raise awareness about the measure. In the end, voters resoundingly rejected it – with more than 60% voting in opposition.

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In our national governments:
speaker giving presentaiton in the philippines

In South Africa, a years-long struggle over the impact of fossil fuel development on local communities ultimately led to a new climate change bill that will help the country chart a new course for climate action. Organizations and coalitions within South Africa – including the African Climate Reality Project – worked tirelessly for its passage for nearly a decade by meeting with decision-makers, commenting on drafts of the bill, and joining in letters from coalition partners. When the Presidential Climate Commission, an independent body focused on a just transition, was launched in 2020 by South Africa’s president, advocates had a new opportunity to not only shape climate policy but also to position youth voices in formal dialogue with government. In every conversation with decisionmakers, advocates emphasized the importance of a people-centered governmental strategy for approaching climate change and its impacts. With the law now passed, the branch is focused on implementation, including pushing for strong NDC targets and climate funding from public finance institutions.

Electricity rates in the Philippines are among the highest in Southeast Asia largely because of an energy system dependent on importing fossil fuels. Today, that’s beginning to change, thanks in part to efforts from Climate Reality Leaders. The Philippines branch is partnering with the government to help businesses take advantage of the Green Energy Option Program (GEOP) and switch to clean energy. The program is driving significant financial and environmental gains, achieving an impressive 98% retention rate in 2024. With companies benefiting from lower electricity costs and reduced carbon emissions, GEOP is proving to be a game-changer in the country’s transition to clean energy.

THANK YOU

On behalf of former US Vice President Al Gore and everyone at The Climate Reality Project, we extend our gratitude to the generous individuals and organizations who have offered their time and resources to support our work.

To the Climate Reality Leaders and volunteers across our network: Thank you for working alongside Climate Reality to collectively increase our impact and advance climate solutions. Your dedication to a clean energy future makes our work possible.

We also express our sincere thanks to our generous donors, whose support enables us to mobilize our network to raise climate ambition at all levels – even in challenging and uncertain times. We would not be where we are today without your partnership.

Thank you for being part of our movement.

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