Foundation Commits $100-Million to Curbing Global Warming

By Brennen Jensen

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, in New York, has pledged $100-million over five years to speed the development of new energy technologies that can

ALSO SEE: Photograph by Brendon O'Hagan/Bloomberg News/Landov AUDIO: Listen to an interview about the new global-warming program.

reduce the threat of global warming.

"In our view the debate over global warming is settled," says Andrew Bowman, director of the new grant-making effort. "We now need to apply resources on how we are going to build a new, clean-energy economy. This is where philanthropy can be involved."

The majority of the foundation's money will be used to explore ways that government policy can help spur the development and adoption of clean, climate-friendly energy sources, increase conservation, and lessen the demand for traditional fuels, such as coal.

"What we are really talking about is rewiring our entire energy system," Mr. Bowman says. "It needs to be done at a scale that is far beyond our $100- million. In our view the best way to leverage these resources and have an impact would be to help get sensible policies in place to drive these markets the way they should be."

For example, the foundation said it might finance efforts to examine whether governments should offer companies new tax credits for conducting research and development of alternative fuel sources or persuade localities to adopt new building codes that emphasize conservation and energy efficiency.

"Like all foundations, we need to be careful to never cross a line into any sort of lobbying work," Mr. Bowman says. "We will never support a particular piece of legislation, but we want to make sure that these ideas are developed."

Extra Spending

The $100-million program is the largest the foundation has undertaken since it started making grants 10 years ago. The foundation was created by the tobacco heiress Doris Duke, who died in 1993 (The Chronicle, December 11, 1997).

The foundation said it was increasing its spending to pay for the effort, not cutting the amount it awards to any of its other grant-making efforts, which focus on the performing arts, wildlife conservation, medical research, and the prevention of child abuse. The foundation has about $1.9-billion in assets, making it one of the 30 wealthiest grant-making institutions in the United States.

Mr. Bowman says the decision to focus on climate change has been percolating at the foundation since 2005 when its board asked the staff to identify causes the organization did not support that "cried out for significant investment."

"What rose to the top was global climate change." Mr. Bowman says, noting that it can threaten wildlife and natural habitats, which the foundation has so far spent more than $130-million to preserve.

"The board quickly came to realize that if we are also worried about health and child welfare, especially in places like Africa, that climate change is going to have a huge impact in these areas as well," Mr. Bowman adds.

The foundation expects to start naming grant recipients in June. For more information, go to the foundation's Web site.