The Solutions Project Publishes Impact Report and New Research
The climate crisis is not an unsolvable challenge. In fact, with validating evidence emerging, frontline communities are effectively addressing the climate crisis alongside interconnected crises in public health, affordable housing, economic security, racial justice.
2023 IMPACT REPORT
The Solutions Project proudly presents its 2023 impact report, showcasing the remarkable impact achieved by grassroots groups and movement accountable intermediaries like us when philanthropy follows through on equity commitments.
In 2023 alone, our mission to fund and amplify grassroots climate justice solutions meant:
- Over 23 million people benefited from The Solutions Project grantee policy achievements, spanning clean energy, air, and water
- $16 million was awarded to 127 core grantee partners and 119 additional grantees through the collaborative ecosystem funds we administer
- 13 billion views estimated in press/online coverage for The Solutions Project and our Narrative Communications-supported grantee partners
In addition to incredible outcomes in 2023, The Solutions Project embarked on a first of its kind impact research effort to understand what was achieved across the grassroots network of climate justice “solutionaries” we support. From 2021-2023, The Solutions Project provided $42 million in funding to climate justice groups, resulting in over 20 climate policy or campaign wins with significant reduction in carbon emissions, benefits for over 100 million people, and $350 billion unlocked in public funding for climate solutions.
Three new impact research reports demonstrate how frontline climate groups—especially those led by women and people of color—are securing climate policy wins and developing clean energy projects that can dramatically reduce carbon emissions and benefit millions of people.
FRONTLINE SOLUTIONS IMPACT ASSESSMENT
Partnering with Frontline Solutions, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of our grantee partners’ achievements over the past three years with the support of our ecosystem approach. Our impact extends far:
- Community-Led Solutions: Our approach supports complex systems change strategies, championing impactful policies at local, state, and federal levels.
- Blueprint for Change: The report underscores the importance of investing in community-led solutions for a Just Transition, offering a blueprint for philanthropy and government.
- Raising Resources: Overall, surveyed grantees leveraged our early funding to raise nearly $70 million in additional philanthropic and public funding for their organizations over the last three years.
Since 2021, The Solutions Project has deployed more than $42 million in funding from the Bezos Earth Fund, Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation, The JPB Foundation, and others to more than 350 frontline climate justice groups.
“Our organization would not exist without the guidance, encouragement, and alignment of The Solutions Project. The combination of connection to rigorous, thoughtful partners, grounded in our shared vision of a future with reciprocal relationships, and the freedom and support to dive fully into the complexity of the work has been essential.”
— 2023 Impact Assessment Grantee Survey Respondent
JUST SOLUTIONS COLLECTIVE IMPACT ANALYSIS
The Solutions Project enlisted the Just Solutions Collective, to assess a subset of our grantees’ policy achievements and how people’s lives are improved by our grantees’ approach to policy change. This report showcases the impactful policies at local, state, and federal levels resulting from the tireless work of frontline environmental justice communities and organizations supported by The Solutions Project over the past three years.
The report finds:
- Transformative Achievements: Our grantees’ efforts have the potential to benefit 106 million people nationally and over 43 million people locally, unlocking $350 billion in public investments for climate justice solutions.
- Community-Led Success: The report underscores the effectiveness of our movement accountable grantmaking model, offering a roadmap for future philanthropic action.
Frontline communities have the lived experience, the knowledge, and the expertise to bring about meaningful, systemic change in a way that moves everyone towards a better climate future. To address both the opportunities and challenges of this moment, environmental justice and climate justice leaders need long-term and transformational levels of support and resources to build and sustain movement-wide policy capacity and power.
PSE FOR HEALTHY ENERGY CO2 EMISSIONS IMPACT ANALYSIS
The Solutions Project commissioned physicians, Scientists, and Engineers for Healthy Energy to assess the climate benefits of three grantee partner campaign wins in New York, documenting the emissions reductions achieved by frontline organizations as part of a more holistic approach to making change.
- A successful 2023 campaign to replace a natural gas generating station with offshore wind power in Long Island City, Queens is expected to cut nearly one million metric tons of carbon emissions per year, the equivalent of taking nearly 200,000 cars off the road
- Additionally, the another campaign to ban natural gas in all New York State buildings, modeled after the 2022 NYC campaign victory, is expected to reduce 160,000 metric tons of CO2 annually – equivalent to taking 35,000 cars off the road
- Grantee partners secured a commitment for all-electric schools in New York City, reducing carbon emissions by 91,000 metric tons per year – equivalent of taking 20,000 cars off the road
All of these projects will reduce 1.15 million metric tons of CO2 emissions per year – the equivalent of removing 255,000 combustion-engine vehicles from the road. With the movement infrastructure built and invested in by The Solutions Project and NY Renews, we can predict these victories will be adopted at the state level which will lead to a reduction of 26.5 million metric tons of carbon emission per year.