Sequoia Climate Foundation

Sequoia Climate Foundation had the opportunity to kick-start London Climate Action Week 2024 with a reception that brought together climate leaders from the public sector, private sector and civil society. We were fortunate to be joined by two inspiring keynote speakers: Shirley Rodrigues, London's Former Deputy Mayor of Energy and Environment, and Emma Howard Boyd CBE. Shirley shared the story of London's success in halving roadside emissions in just 7 years through innovative and well-planned public policy. Emma offered reflections from her deep experience working at the intersection of climate, finance and policy. Thank you both! You have been vital catalysts for climate progress in London and further afield. We look forward to seeing many of you at New York Climate Week in September. #ClimateWeekNYC #LCAW #climatechange #energytransition

Wealthy nations pledged $11 billion to boost The World Bank climate and development lending. While a step forward, it's still a small fraction of the estimated $2.4 trillion annual need for developing countries to transition to green energy. The announcement came at the end of the annual Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, where ministers met to discuss just transitions away from oil and gas at an event hosted jointly by the World Bank and Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA). COP28 delivered a clear signal on the need to phase out fossil fuels — including oil and gas — to accelerate a just and equitable energy transition. Currently, there are no dedicated funds to support oil and gas-dependent economies that want to start planning for a transition. BOGA is working to change that, and we are announcing a doubling of the BOGA Fund, to $20 million over the coming 3 years—this catalytic support to countries is intended to help unlock public and private finance needed to support these transitions. — Christie Ulman, President of Sequoia Climate Foundation Decisive action is needed to align finance with the climate crisis and national commitments. Reforming the financial system's rules and incentives is key. #climatechange #energytransition

As I wrap up my inaugural #WBGMeetings during my first month as CEO of the Climate Investment Funds, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all our partners for their invaluable contributions and meaningful exchanges throughout this week and to our dedicated staff for their proactive efforts in amplifying our mission.    I applaud all individuals actively engaged in elevating our #climateaction ambitions, reducing emissions, and transitioning to #cleanenergy sources aligned with the 1.5-degree Celsius target of the Paris Agreement.   Now, more than ever, we must be bold and courageous, targeting financial innovation, mobilizing #privatecapital and new sources of funding for climate action, integrating new technologies for the highest emitting sectors, and most of all, providing critical funding for the most vulnerable who need us most. Kevin KARIUKI, Tomas Anker Christensen, Christopher MacLennan, Ana María Ibáñez, Juan Pablo Bonilla, Matias Bendersky, Ambroise Fayolle, Barbara Buchner, Rene van Hell, Christie Ulman, Hannah McKinnon, Kate Hampton, Ana Toni, Dirk Meyer, Tomoyoshi Yahagi, Josué Tanaka

Over the past decade, we've witnessed remarkable advancements in climate technology deployment and net-zero policies globally — but there's always more we can do. Our recent discussions as part of the 17 Rooms Initiative, supported by The Rockefeller Foundation and The Brookings Institution, have highlighted crucial barriers to achieving a swift and widespread climate transition. As we enter the ‘Decade of Deployment,’ it's clear that we need to address the social dimensions of deploying solutions rapidly and at scale. It's time to recognize the systems change that a just and equitable energy transition will have across many arenas including agriculture, education, and health — and build a future where people are the center of the energy transition. “To achieve the Paris ambitions, and embrace the reality of technological progress, a people-centered approach that prioritizes trust is key and processes must be inclusive.” At Sequoia Climate Foundation, we recognize the disproportionate impacts of the climate crisis on underserved communities and at-risk global populations in this and future generations. We're proud to prioritize solutions that meet fundamental human needs, cultivate trust, engage communities, and ensure clean energy benefits all. #climatechange #peoplecentered #cleanenergy

On 6 December at #COP28 India Pavilion, the Ministry of Power of India, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Mission Efficiency, Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE) and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) organized a session - "Advancing Energy Efficiency to support Global Energy Transition." The gathering aimed to foster collaboration among key stakeholders, leveraging collective efforts to implement India's energy efficiency program and drive progress toward global energy transition goals. 🇮🇳 During the session, Abhay Bakre, Director General of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, highlighted the Voluntary Action Plan based on the 'Strategic Plan for Advancing Energy Efficiency Across Demand Sectors.' This plan outlines priorities for advancing energy efficiency by 2030, emphasizing the crucial role of the building sector in doubling energy efficiency. The President of the Sequoia Climate Foundation Foundation, Christie Ulman underscored the significance of financing projects dedicated to advancing energy efficiency. Brian Dean, Director, Energy Transition, at Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) said that there was a need for increased energy efficiency in India, emphasizing its significant contribution to a more energy-efficient world. The session included a compelling discussion on the role of regional and international platforms in promoting knowledge exchange, establishing robust monitoring systems, reporting mechanisms, investment mobilization strategies, and the importance of capacity-building programs. Alvin Jose Seema Paul Bishal Thapa CLASP Jean-Francois Gagne Satish Kumar Brian Motherway International Energy Agency (IEA)

As we enter the second week of COP28, we are adding our voice to this statement calling for a 1.5°C-aligned outcome here in Dubai, including: 1. a just and equitable phase out of all fossil fuels 2. a tripling of renewable energy 3. a doubling of energy efficiency 4. the financing needed to deliver We join hundreds of leaders across civil society, and the public and private sector, echoing calls from around the globe to deliver the ambition required to avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis. #cop28 #cop28uae #climatechange

Earlier this week at COP28, Sequoia Climate Foundation, along with our partners, announced a $450M joint commitment to mitigating super pollutants. The funding will support diverse initiatives to accelerate the reduction of super pollutants, including by governments that have already announced plans to phase-down super pollutants, by helping with implementation. It will assist countries in expediting national actions and help catalyze ambitious economy-wide nationally determined contributions (NDCs) that incorporate all climate pollutants. "I would emphasize [the commitment] is a floor and not a ceiling. This is not the total amount that will be spent. A commitment creates momentum and it raises the priority of a set of topics…and near-term warming should be prioritized," said Christie Ulman, president of Sequoia Climate Foundation. COP28 marks the conclusion of the Global Stocktake to assess progress under the Paris Agreement. Now is the time for countries to act by setting clear, high-ambition pathways for how gaps exposed by the Stocktake will be closed ahead of the next round of NDC submissions by 2025. “Every tenth of a degree matters. Obviously, it’s important to delegates sitting here in Dubai, but it’s more important to vulnerable communities and future generations that don’t have a voice," Christie shared with Michael Kavate at Inside Philanthropy. #SuperPollutants #ParisAgreement #NDCs #COP28

My #COP28 trip culminated with my most important engagement in the event titled “Advancing #EnergyEfficiency to Support Global #EnergyTransition” jointly hosted by Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE), Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and International Energy Agency (IEA) It was great to be amongst the #energyefficiency heavyweight organisations represented by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (ऊर्जा दक्षता ब्यूरो) Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) International Energy Agency (IEA) Clean Energy Ministerial Sequoia Climate Foundation CLASP sharing their views on the pivotal role played by #india during its #G20 presidency that made the 2x energy efficiency and 3x renewable energy pledge supported by more than 120 countries possible. All the speakers thanked Mr. Abhay Bakre, DG of BEE for his stellar leadership during the breakthrough year for energy efficiency globally and especially for global South countries. But India’s work is not done and it would be critical to carry forward the momentum during #Brazil #G20 presidency all the way to #cop30 that will also be hosted by Brazil. With some strong tailwind behind us, it was fitting that there was a call for action for all the energy efficiency organisations and professionals to work together intensively over the next two years under #MissionEfficiency to continue to prove that energy efficiency and renewable energy must go hand in hand if we have to #decarbonise our planet. Mr. Abhay Bakre, Brian Dean Alvin Jose Christie Ulman Brian Motherway Jean-Francois Gagne Seema Paul Bishal Thapa

Today at COP28, climate philanthropies came together to commit $450 million to combat non-CO2 super climate pollutants over the next 3 years. The new commitment designates the majority of the funding to cutting methane emissions and the remaining funds will support the phase-out of fluorinated gasses, nitrous oxide, black carbon, and ground-level ozone. The philanthropies involved in this pledge recognize the need to deepen investments in super climate pollutants and rapidly increase focus on measures that can prevent warming in the short term. "Governments have an opportunity here to strengthen their targets and goals to ensure they address the mitigation and funding levels climate science demands," said Christie Ulman, President of Sequoia Climate Foundation. "Including all GHGs as part of the Paris NDCs would be a step in the right direction. Stronger targets combined with a renewed focus on implementation are critical — it's the only way we will see our climate goals realized.” Every tenth of a degree of warming matters, and it matters most to vulnerable communities on the frontlines of climate change. Now is a pivotal moment for collective action! Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) Pisces Foundation Bloomberg Philanthropies High Tide Foundation Bezos Earth Fund Ballmer Group Quadrature Climate Foundation William and Flora Hewlett Foundation MacArthur Foundation Lars Lam Climate Foundation #cop28 #superclimatepollutants #climatechange

Christie Ulman, President and Seema Paul, Program Director, Sequoia Climate Foundation met Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and Scientific Secretary Dr (Mrs.) Parvinder Maini to deliberate on the future science agenda for climate change, addressing both global and Indian contexts. The meeting was also joined by Dr. Monoranjan Mohanty, Adviser, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.