Climate Pathfinders Foundation

Climate Pathfinders Foundation, also known by the legal name Climate Pathfinder Foundation, LLC, is an incorporated subsidiary of the Missouri-based Rio Vista Foundation. 1 2 It operates as a grantmaking organization, donating to organizations that advocate for government funding of businesses that remove carbon and methane from the atmosphere under the banner of environmentalism. 3 4

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3), Fiscally Sponsored Project, Organization
Issue Areas: Environmental Policy, Energy Policy
Website: www.climatepathfinders.org
Formation:

2020

Co-Founder:

Remi Bouteille

Parent Organization:

Rio Vista Foundation

Location: St. Louis, MO View on map

Contents

    Background

    Climate Pathfinders Foundation was formed as a limited liability company in June 2020 by Rio Vista Foundation as Climate Pathfinders Fund, LLC. 5 In July 2020, Rio Vista Foundation registered Climate Pathfinders Foundation as a fictious name under which it would operate. 1 In October 2020, it filed to change its name to Climate Pathfinders Foundation, LLC, and amended 2 its articles of organization to be a tax-exempt organization. 2

    Climate Pathfinders Foundation’s website states, “Effective August 12th, 2022, the Climate Pathfinders Foundation program is no longer active and is not reviewing new grant opportunities.” 6 As of May 2023, it is still listed as an active entity by the Missouri Secretary of State. 7

    Partnerships

    Climate Pathfinders Foundation is listed as a “funding partner” of ClimateWorks Foundation. 8 ClimateWorks Foundation is a nonprofit grantmaking organization that gives to environmentalist advocacy organizations that lobby for carbon taxes, eliminating use of conventional energy, as well as environmentalist international trade agreements. 9

    Research Corporation for Science Advancement lists Climate Pathfinders Foundation as a supporter of its “Scialog” cohort. 10 Scialog consists of “early-career scientists from multiple disciplines and institutions” within the United States and Canada. It hosts an annual meeting going over the findings of its research, which it uses alarmist language to advocate for “decarbonize the global economy” and the funding of businesses that use environmentalist technology to remove carbon from the atmosphere. 11

    Spark Climate Solutions’ website states that Climate Pathfinders Foundation and the Primordium Foundation funded its inception. 4 Spark Climate Solutions develops technology to remove methane from the atmosphere to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere under the guise of environmentalism. 12

    In May 2021, the United Kingdom-based nonprofit Treebeard Trust announced Climate Pathfinders Foundation as a trustee of the organization. In the announcement, Treebeard Trust states that it seeks to hold its partners accountable for the carbon emissions that occur as a result of their activities, despite that it also states it does not live up to the expectations it seeks to set for other groups. 13

    Rio Vista Foundation

    Rio Vista Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was formed in 2016 in Missouri and in 2019 reported over $16 million in revenue and $12 million in assets. 14 15 For 2019, it also reported Spending a total of $525,000 in grants, including a $250,000 grant to WePower and another to Concordance Academy, as well as a $25,000 grant to Missouri River Relief. 16

    Leadership

    Remi Bouteille is a cofounder and strategic advisor for Climate Pathfinders Foundation. Bouteille is the co-founder of Spark Climate Solutions, a grantee of Climate Pathfinders Foundation, and is the CEO of Quadrature Climate Foundation, one of the five funders listed for Spark Climate Solutions. He also worked for JPMorgan Chase for 20 years. 17 18

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    References

    1. Missouri Secretary of State. Registration of Fictious Name.2020.  Rio Vista Foundation. https://bsd.sos.mo.gov/Common/CorrespondenceItemViewHandler.ashx?IsTIFF=true&filedDocumentid=123802106&version=2
    2. Missouri Secretary of State. Amendment of Articles of Organization. 2020. Climate Pathfinder Foundation, LLC. https://bsd.sos.mo.gov/Common/CorrespondenceItemViewHandler.ashx?IsTIFF=true&filedDocumentid=124287053&version=3
    3. Research Corporation for Science Advancement. “SCIALOG® – Negative Emissions Science.” Research Corporation for Science Advancement. Accessed May 7, 2023. https://rescorp.org/scialog/negative-emissions-science.
    4. About Us. Accessed May 7, 2023. https://www.sparkclimate.org/about-us.
    5. Missouri Secretary of State. Articles of Organization. 2020. Climate Pathfinder Fund, LLC. https://bsd.sos.mo.gov/Common/CorrespondenceItemViewHandler.ashx?IsTIFF=true&filedDocumentid=123735038&version=2
    6. “Climate Pathfinders Foundation.” Climate Pathfinders Foundation. Accessed May 7, 2023. https://www.climatepathfinders.org/.
    7. “Missouri Business Filings.” Missouri Secretary of State. Accessed May 7, 2023. https://bsd.sos.mo.gov/BusinessEntity/BusinessEntityDetail.aspx?page=beSearch&ID=4294401.
    8. “Our Funders.” ClimateWorks Foundation, October 27, 2021. https://www.climateworks.org/about-us/funding-partners/.
    9. “A Reaganite Entrepreneur’s Flawed Philanthropy – Capital Research Center.” Accessed May 8, 2023. https://capitalresearch.org/article/a-reaganite-entrepreneurs-flawed-philanthropy/.
    10. [1] Research Corporation for Science Advancement. “SCIALOG® – Negative Emissions Science.” Research Corporation for Science Advancement. Accessed May 7, 2023. https://rescorp.org/scialog/negative-emissions-science.
    11. “Eight Projects Win SCIALOG: Negative Emissions Science Funding.” Research Corporation for Science Advancement. Accessed May 7, 2023. https://rescorp.org/news/2021/01/eight-projects-win-scialog-negative-emissions-science-funding.
    12. Spark Climate Solutions. Accessed May 7, 2023. https://www.sparkclimate.org/#about.
    13. Treebeard Trust. “Funder Commitment on Climate Change: One Year On.” Treebeard Trust. Treebeard Trust, May 1, 2021. https://www.treebeardtrust.org/post/funder-commitment-on-climate-change-one-year-on.
    14. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Rio Vista Foundation. 2019. Part I, Line 12.
    15. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Rio Vista Foundation. 2019. Part II, Line 16.
    16. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Rio Vista Foundation. 2019. Part XV.
    17. About Us. Accessed May 8, 2023. https://www.sparkclimate.org/about-us.
    18. “Roadmapping Scientist, Natural Systems Response - Spark Climate Solutions.” - Spark Climate Solutions. Accessed May 8, 2023. https://www.sparkclimate.org/jobs/roadmapper-natural-systems.