In a growing response to the escalating climate crisis, The Rockefeller Foundation has joined over 60 philanthropic organizations across five continents as part of the Adaptation and Resilience Collaborative for Funders.
Formed just a year ago, ARC is a coalition aimed at coordinating global efforts to combat the severe impacts of climate change through increased funding and strategic collaboration.
ARC’s establishment follows a Call to Action issued at the UN climate change conference last year in Dubai, urging the philanthropic sector to take bolder steps in supporting climate adaptation measures—especially crucial as 75 percent of the world’s population experienced extreme heat over the past year.
Under the leadership of ClimateWorks Foundation, ARC members have pledged to mobilize resources, share data transparently, and develop strategies targeting climate resilience.
“Every fraction of a degree matters in a world where communities already face outsized impacts from the climate crisis,” said Jess Ayers, CEO of Quadrature Climate Foundation. “We are proud of what ARC has achieved in a year and look forward to driving transformational change through COP29 and beyond.”
Critical milestones from ARC’s first year include completing a landscape assessment, revealing that $600 million was provided in annual funding in 2023, with projections to reach at least $700 million in 2024.
This funding will tackle critical needs, including extreme heat and climate-driven migration, focusing on reducing the 90 percent funding gap in adaptation efforts for developing countries.
In addition to funding, ARC has convened sessions for funders to enhance their understanding of climate migration and extreme heat. These sessions are intended to inspire more informed and impactful investments, underscoring philanthropy’s role as a source of funds and a catalyst for further public and private investment.
ARC has mobilized $50 million in response to a recent United Nations call on extreme heat adaptation.
Helen Mountford, president and CEO of ClimateWorks Foundation, emphasized the urgent necessity of these investments. “Adaptation to the tragic impacts of the climate crisis is an economic and social imperative,” she said. “As climate events test the limits of a livable world, investing in climate adaptation is essential for safe communities and resilient economies.”
With the climate adaptation finance gap projected to reach nearly $400 billion annually in developing countries alone, ARC’s members, including The Rockefeller Foundation, are bridging that gap.
