History

As the successor to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) builds on an exceptionally strong foundation.

Founded in 1998 with the support of The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Pew Center was widely recognized in the United States and abroad as a credible, independent force for pragmatic climate action. Named by the University of Pennsylvania the world’s top environmental think tank in 2011 and 2009, the nonpartisan Center was a valued source of information and analysis, an effective bridge between diverse interests, and an established leader in catalyzing constructive business engagement.

Among its many accomplishments, the Pew Center:

• Produced nearly 100 peer-reviewed reports on climate science, economics, policy and solutions.
• Testified before Congress 30 times and worked closely with key members on bipartisan legislation.
• Advised the State of California, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the Western Climate Initiative, and other state and regional efforts.
• Convened ministers and negotiators from top countries to help advance international climate talks.
• Counseled CEOs, executives and Boards of Directors of Fortune 500 companies on climate and energy issues.
• Engaged more than 100,000 people in 16 states and the UK through Make an Impact, a program that helps businesses empower employees and communities to save energy and money.
• Appeared frequently in major media, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, Time, Newsweek, Politico, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and National Public Radio.
• Established a strong social media presence through the Climate Compass blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

As part of its transition from a private foundation to a public charity, The Pew Charitable Trusts has largely phased out its grant-giving to outside organizations, including the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. In November 2011, the Pew Center was reestablished as the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. A nonprofit, tax-exempt organization under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3), C2ES is supported by a wide range of philanthropic, corporate and individual contributors.