The Alliance for Climate Protection d/b/a The Climate Reality Project

Our key goals on the path to achieving our mission are to mobilize a critical mass of activists, accelerate a just transition in the US, and support international cooperation for increased ambitions. Our primary activities consist of the following:

- Train thousands of new climate activist each year through virtual trainings to effectively advocate for the climate and build a global and diverse network pushing for change.
- Mobilize our trained activists in three core advocacy campaigns, including supporting federal climate advocacy, advocating for climate justice, and opposing petrochemicals.
- Work with governments, businesses, and universities to support renewable energy, including just transitions to 100-percent renewable energy.
- Support a growing number of local chapters and our international branch offices.

Climate Reality believes that the key to action is convincing a critical mass of people that climate change is urgent and mobilizing them at the grassroots level to advocate the necessary changes in policy. The challenge is: first, how to turn enough people in the US into activists ready and willing to demand action on climate from their leaders, and second, how to build the support necessary to succeed in other key nations in which we work.

With the original trusted messenger on climate, former US Vice President Al Gore, at our helm, Climate Reality’s greatest asset is our convening power. Al Gore has an unparalleled knowledge of both the climate and the environmental justice movements, a constant hunger for new information and new ways of reaching people, and an ability to connect with people from all walks of life – to date over 34,000 people have attended one of our trainings specifically to learn from him.

Our greatest strength, and the reason behind our track record of success in fostering effective climate advocacy at all levels of society, is our ability to seed and support conversations, relationships, networks, and broad-scale collaboration among those we convene. Our approach has empowered student activists to revolutionize their universities’ energy consumption, emboldened community members to take on powerful fossil fuel interests in the heart of coal country, supported coalitions in the Southeast in rendering pipeline construction bureaucratically unviable, and so much more.

-We have trained over 30,000 Climate Reality Leaders worldwide over the past 15 years. A recent highlight from our trainings in 2019 comes from Atlanta, where nearly 2,000 trainees came together for a powerful convening moment between the climate and environmental justice movements. The climate and environmental justice program has catalyzed important cross-movement conversations, collaboration, and activism in a region where communities of color are enduring a disproportionate health and economic burden from climate impacts.
-Our 133 chapters are powered by more than 15,000 members. Some recent accomplishments include: The government of Larimer County, Colorado enlisted our Northern Colorado chapter to help craft the county’s climate action plan. 13 chapters in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia are fighting petrochemical buildout across the Ohio River Valley. In New Orleans, our chapter pressured the city council pass a resolution in March 2020 calling for the city’s public utility, Entergy, to develop a renewable portfolio standard of net-zero by 2040.
-In 2019, our 7 New York chapters formed a coalition. Along with other groups, the Coalition enlisted activists from across the state to use letter writing campaigns, local events, and social media to encourage state legislators in Albany to pass the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which requires the state to reach 100-percent clean energy by 2040 and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
-Our 100% Committed campaign has secured 168 commitments to transition to 100-percent renewable electricity from cities, universities, and businesses worldwide. Inspired by this campaign, in 2019 our Los Angeles area chapter mobilized its members and joined over 18 coalition partners to push the Los Angeles Unified School District – the largest energy consumer in Los Angeles County – to transition to 100-percent clean, renewable electricity by 2030 and energy by 2040.
-The Charlotte Chapter works tirelessly to put climate justice and general justice issues at the forefront of their work. Recently, the chapter spearheaded a food and toy donation program for vulnerable communities in coordination with the local chapter of the NAACP and United Neighborhoods of Charlotte.
-Our 11 international branches are helping countries implement and stay accountable to the emissions reductions commitments from the Paris Agreement. In 2019, our Africa Branch, which is based in South Africa, celebrated the country’s passage of a carbon tax. The branch’s advocacy efforts were focused heavily on getting the carbon tax passed.
-Our Call it a Crisis campaign called on television networks to elevate the urgency of their climate coverage and call the climate crisis exactly what it is. We developed this initiative with other stakeholders and together generated nearly 100k petition signatures.