The Climate Institute is an environmentalist advocacy group that promotes climate-related policy towards adopting net-zero carbon emission goals as well as replacing conventional fuels with environmentalist alternatives including solar and wind. ^{1 2 3}

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}

1. “Climate Education.” Climate.org, Accessed May 19, 2025.  https://climate.org/project/climate-education/
2. “Tax Exempt Organization Search Details: Climate Institute.” IRS. Accessed May 19, 2025. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/details/.
3. “Publications.” Climate Institute. Accessed May 19, 2025. https://climate.org/reports/publications/.
4. “History & Timeline.” Climate Institute. Accessed May 19, 2025. https://climate.org/about/history-timeline/.
5. “Climate Institute.” ProPublica. Accessed May 19, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521492178.
6. Climate Institute. Return of an organization exempt from taxation (990) 2018 Part I.
7. Climate Institute. Return of an organization exempt from taxation (990) 2021 Part I.
8. “Board of Directors and Staff.” Climate Institute. Accessed May 19, 2025. https://climate.org/about/board-of-directors-and-staff/.
9. “Philip Johnson.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 19, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-johnson-6a741a5/.