Pew Center on Global Climate Change
Encyclopedia
The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) transitioned from the Pew Center on Global Climate Change in November 2011 under the leadership of its president, Eileen Claussen
. The Pew Center was established in May 1998 as a non-profit, non-partisan, and independent organization dedicated to providing credible information, straight answers, and innovative solutions in the effort to address global climate change
. The Pew Center was led by Eileen Claussen, the former Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
. Its board of directors included Theodore Roosevelt IV, the new board chair of C2ES, and Klaus Topfer
.
Highlighting the broad mix of approaches required to tackle the climate challenge, the Pew Center produced nearly 100 peer-reviewed reports and a broad collection of white papers and briefs by noted climate experts covering a range of critical topics including economics
, environmental impacts
, policy
, science
, business
, technology
and solutions. The Pew Center regularly testified before the United States Congress
and met with other key stakeholders to share innovative ideas for addressing climate change. The Pew Center also was actively engaged with governments and business in exploring options for a post-2012 international climate agreement
The Pew Center's Business Environmental Leadership Council (BELC) became the largest U.S.-based association of companies committed to advancing both policy and business solutions to climate change. The Council started with 13 members and includes more than 40 mainly Fortune 500
companies with combined revenue of over $2 trillion and nearly 4 million employees. The Council now operates as the C2ES Business Environmental Leadership Council. The Pew Center also served as a founding and active member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), an influential business-NGO coalition calling on Congress to establish a mandatory national climate policy.
The Pew Center has also partnered with several companies, including Entergy
and Alcoa
, for the Make an Impact program. The program is designed to help individuals take action to reduce their carbon footprint
s and includes a custom-built carbon calculator.
The 2009 Global Go To Think Tank Rankings, a global survey of hundreds of scholars and experts conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, named the Pew Center on Global Climate Change as the world's "top environmental think tank."
A nonprofit, tax-exempt organization under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3), the Pew Center was supported by a range of individuals and charitable organizations, primarily the Pew Charitable Trusts.
Eileen Claussen
Eileen B. Claussen is the President of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing credible information and developing innovative solutions in the effort to address global climate change...
. The Pew Center was established in May 1998 as a non-profit, non-partisan, and independent organization dedicated to providing credible information, straight answers, and innovative solutions in the effort to address global climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
. The Pew Center was led by Eileen Claussen, the former Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
The Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs is the head of the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs in the United States Department of State...
. Its board of directors included Theodore Roosevelt IV, the new board chair of C2ES, and Klaus Topfer
Klaus Töpfer
Klaus Töpfer is a German politician and environmental politics expert. From 1998 to 2006 he was executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme ....
.
Highlighting the broad mix of approaches required to tackle the climate challenge, the Pew Center produced nearly 100 peer-reviewed reports and a broad collection of white papers and briefs by noted climate experts covering a range of critical topics including economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, environmental impacts
Environmental degradation
Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife...
, policy
Policy
A policy is typically described as a principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome. The term is not normally used to denote what is actually done, this is normally referred to as either procedure or protocol...
, science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
, technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
and solutions. The Pew Center regularly testified before the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and met with other key stakeholders to share innovative ideas for addressing climate change. The Pew Center also was actively engaged with governments and business in exploring options for a post-2012 international climate agreement
The Pew Center's Business Environmental Leadership Council (BELC) became the largest U.S.-based association of companies committed to advancing both policy and business solutions to climate change. The Council started with 13 members and includes more than 40 mainly Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
companies with combined revenue of over $2 trillion and nearly 4 million employees. The Council now operates as the C2ES Business Environmental Leadership Council. The Pew Center also served as a founding and active member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), an influential business-NGO coalition calling on Congress to establish a mandatory national climate policy.
The Pew Center has also partnered with several companies, including Entergy
Entergy
Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. It is headquartered in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana.-History:...
and Alcoa
Alcoa
Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
, for the Make an Impact program. The program is designed to help individuals take action to reduce their carbon footprint
Carbon footprint
A carbon footprint has historically been defined as "the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person.". However, calculating a carbon footprint which conforms to this definition is often impracticable due to the large amount of data required, which is...
s and includes a custom-built carbon calculator.
The 2009 Global Go To Think Tank Rankings, a global survey of hundreds of scholars and experts conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, named the Pew Center on Global Climate Change as the world's "top environmental think tank."
A nonprofit, tax-exempt organization under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3), the Pew Center was supported by a range of individuals and charitable organizations, primarily the Pew Charitable Trusts.