Climate Institute

Activities

The Climate Institute was founded in 1986 and has promoted policy towards adopting net-zero carbon emission goals as well as replacing fossil fuel consumption with green alternatives sources of power including solar and wind. ^{1 2 3} The Institute claims to have organized the first major conference on discussing climate change in North America in 1987, while claiming to have helped organize a similar conference in the Middle East in 1989. The group also claims it was involved with co-authoring the United Nations’ first Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report. ^{4 2 5}

IRS records indicate that since 2021 the institute has been filing the e-Postcard tax return, declaring less than $50,000 in annual revenue. ^{2 6}

Finances

According to its 2021 tax return, Climate Institute reported $31,951 in revenue, of which the entire amount stemmed from contributions and grants. It had $18,556 in expenses, of which $11,316 was allocated to printing and publishing materials, and no money was allocated to salaries or compensation. It ended the year with a surplus of $13,395, though with $34,348 in net liabilities. ^{2 7}

Background

The Climate Institute advocates left-of-center policy towards achieving “climate justice” to address what it claims is human-created climate change. ¹

Additional left-of-center environmental policy solutions recommended by the Institute include a 100 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to achieve “net zero” and development of weather-dependent energy sources to replace fossil fuel consumption including solar and wind. ¹

Leadership

Phillip Johnson is the CEO and board chair of the Climate Institute.  ^{8 9}