CFR Launches New Climate Realism Initiative to Advance Climate and Clean Energy Policy
By experts and staff
- Published
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) announces the launch of the Climate Realism Initiative, which will reimagine U.S. foreign policy to confront the threat of climate change, compete in the shifting global energy landscape, and build a pragmatic agenda that advances American interests.
The initiative is led by Senior Fellow for Energy and Climate Varun Sivaram, who served as managing director for clean energy and senior advisor to Secretary John F. Kerry, the U.S. special presidential envoy for climate.
“The effects of climate change, from extreme weather to sea level rise, will be felt by every country,” said CFR President Michael Froman. “Through the Climate Realism Initiative, CFR will identify ways the U.S. can leverage technology and finance to address the challenge of climate change – and to do so in such a way that spurs U.S. competitiveness.”
The Climate Realism Initiative launches today at a high-level, multi-part event in Washington, DC, headlined by a keynote address from former U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest J. Moniz.
- Navigating the Geopolitics and Risks of a Warming World will provide U.S. policymakers actionable recommendations on how to grapple with the grave climate consequences that will arise over the course of this century.
- Accelerating Clean Technology Innovation and U.S. Competitiveness will develop strategies to win the global competition in clean energy technologies such as next-generation batteries and zero-carbon power systems to meet future energy demand growth from electric vehicles and artificial intelligence.
- Averting Catastrophic Climate Change will highlight the political, economic, and scientific tools the United States and other countries can use to still prevent the worst-case consequences of climate change.
“Climate Realism will draw inspiration from sound arguments that have bipartisan appeal, while jettisoning misguided proposals championed by partisans on the left and the right,” said Sivaram, in a new essay titled “Our Approach to Climate Policy Has Failed. It’s Time for Climate Realism”. “It represents a dramatic departure from how the United States has historically approached climate, refocusing America’s strategy to advance U.S. competitiveness, resilience, and geopolitical advantage—and in so doing, could force the world to much more dramatic action to confront the climate quandary.”
In addition to Sivaram, the initiative is supported by a number of CFR experts including Alice C. Hill, David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment, and David M. Hart, senior fellow for climate and energy.
To learn more about the initiative, visit https://www.cfr.org/initiative/climate-realism.
To watch the launch event, visit CFR.org.
For more information, please contact the Global Communications and Media Relations team at [email protected].