Climate Institute

“Carlos diaz leal and luis roberto acosta have a family relationship.”

“The organization does not have any committees with authority to act on behalf of the board.”

“The form 990 was prepared by the outside accountants and reviewed by senior management. The board received a copy of the 990 before it was filed with the irs.”

“The organization regularly and consistently monitors and enforces compliance with the conflict of interest policy. In connection with any actual or possible conflict of interest, an interested person must disclose the existence of the financial interest and be given the opportunity to disclose all material facts to the directors when considering the proposed transaction or arrangement. After disclosure of the financial interest and all material facts, and after any discussion with the interested person, he/she leaves the board meeting while the determination of a conflict of interest is discussed and voted upon. The remaining board members decide if a conflict of interest exists. If a more advantageous transaction or arrangement is not reasonably possible under circumstances not producing a conflict of interest, the board determines by a majority vote of the disinterested directors whether the transaction or arrangement is the institute's best interest, for its own benefit, and whether it is fair and reasonable. In conformity with the above determination it makes its decision as to whether to enter into the transaction or arrangement. If the board has reasonable cause to believe a member has failed to disclose actual or possible conflicts of interest, it informs the member of the basis for such belief and afford the member an opportunity to explain the alleged failure to disclose.”

“The organization's day-to-day activities are managed by a non-compensated, volunteer board.”

“The organization's governing documents, financial statements, its conflict of interest policy, document retention policy and whistleblower policy are made available to the public upon request.”

“In 2009, the board approved an annual salary of $120,000 for the president, but he has voluntarily foregone that salary from 2009 through 2018. His salary was not accrued and he received no compensation in 2019. Nasir a. Khattak, the institute's chief operating officer, is also a voting board member. He receives compensation only as part of individual project funding. In 2019, he received no compensation from the institute. Michael maccracken, the institute's chief scientist, is also a voting board member. He works pro-bono and received no compensation for his work in 2019. Brian fowler, assistant secretary/treasurer, is also a voting board member as of december 2019. He received a compensation of $12,000 in 2019 for work on updating the institute's website.”

“7. In 2018, the climate institute continued as an active member of the indigenous peoples climate change working group and worked closely with tribal colleges on climate related issues. In september 2016 it participated in the 10th anniversary meeting of the working group held at haskell indian nations university. At that meeting, the institute made an award to the working group's founder, professor daniel wildcat, then climate institute board member since 2008. In november 2013, celt, the institute's educational arm, played a key role in organizing a three-day conference of the working group in hanover, new hampshire hosted by dartmouth college. That conference focused on both climate related displacement of indigenous peoples and alternative energy efforts on tribal lands. The summer 2014 issue of climate alert entitled climate related displacement and relocation in the u.s. And abroad built on these discussions. In 2014, celt, working with indigenous leaders, began to build a tribal sustainability partnership initiative encouraging celt students and faculty at colleges and universities, including tribal colleges and universities, to collaborate in designing alternative energy and anticipatory adaptation responses to challenges faced by indigenous communities. In 2015 this work included two clean energy projects and one project studying potential of drip irrigation on tribal lands in the us southwest. In 2019 the institute began to explore how its climate justice efforts might be melded with a generational equity focus. Central to this strategy is empowering vulnerable communities to be innovators in climate response and matching twenty something interns and fellows with senior advisors in an intergenerational collaboration. 8. Continued activity to identify opportunities to remove barriers to energy recycling, thus realizing savings to industry and consumers while also reducing radiative forcing climate change with some success in lowering such barriers within the southeastern us. This activity involved publication of a major paper on the topic, time to rethink climate policies, in the edition of climate alert disseminated at cop-16 in december 2010 and then widely disseminated in the following years. In 2018 the institute continued public advocacy in this area. In 2019 in submissions to legislative branch lec1ders the institute identified ways public policy might reduce regulatory impediments to such change. 9. Continued coordination of the global sustainable energy islands initiative (gseii), including expansion of this effort to encompass ten island nations-seven in the caribbean, two in the pacific and one in the island ocean. In 2016 the institute modified this website to contain information on clean energy transformation in other island nations. This work continued in 2018 and 2019 on a limited basis, with some hope if resources can be generated, of reinvigorating this initiative.”

“10. The climate institute in 2018 continued to work with its mexican partner organization, climate institute mexico y americana latina, sc, in support of its efforts to perform greenhouse gas monitoring at the world's highest greenhouse monitoring station, the sir crispin tickell high altitude climate observatory. That observatory, at over 15,000 feet above sea level in mexico's state of puebla, opened in january 2009 and sends measurements throughout the year to noaa's earth systems research laboratory in boulder, colorado, for incorporation in global greenhouse monitoring data sets. 11. Work continued in 2018 to assist our mexican partner to develop plans to build a tickell interactive network for climate awareness and response to connect the tickell observatory and the growing cluster of climate outreach centers in mexico with information resources to enable the visitors to those centers to become involved in climate problem solving. 12. Continued compilation of a set of problem solving tools and climate education games in english, spanish, portuguese, chinese and french for use both on the institute website www.climate.org - and by interested climate outreach centers, museums and science centers throughout the world. The development of the arctic survival challenge game is a part of this effort. 13. Speeches, articles, op-eds, and television, radio and print media interviews of climate institute staff and board members on a wide range of topics concerning scientific, economic, policy and ethical aspects of climate protection. 14. In 2019 the institute continued a major transformation of its website to make it more user-friendly and attractive. The website managed to greatly increase its daily visitorship. 15. Use of social media, including facebook and twitter, to expand institute presence.”