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:
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.
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:
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
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:
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.
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.
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.