The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation announced the creation of a $100-million Climate Change Initiative last week, which aims to help develop new energy policies and create energy-efficient technology.
The foundation plans to award the $100 million in grants over the next five years to universities and various research and nonprofit institutions around the country.
The initiative has three main parts, said David Williamson, a consultant to the foundation. It seeks to establish policies that will set prices for carbon dioxide; focus on creating new efficiency regulations, which could potentially affect everything from housing codes to light bulbs; and help society plan for inevitable climate change.
"We see this as a great addition to the field at just the right time," said Eric Heitz, president of The Energy Foundation, a consortium of companies doing work in energy policy. "It's creating a portfolio of policies that's going to create vibrant markets for new technology. Doris Duke did a fantastic job of reaching out to the field and seeing where the important places are to invest."
The initiative is also unique because it has an international component, Williamson said.
"Part of the policy we'd like to see is the adopting of [building code] standards in China, India and probably Brazil," he said.
Prior to the development of the initiative, the DDCF spent 18 months consulting experts in the climate and energy fields, including some Duke professors, to see where the initiative could make the most difference, Williamson said.
"I recommended that they focus on technology policy that would complement the greenhouse gas regulatory program," said Tim Profeta, director of the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions.
Profeta said he was contacted because of his involvement in shaping climate legislation.
"I [also suggested] not that they ignore the need to reduce emissions, but that they think about the technology policies that have to go along with the reduction in emissions," he added.
Richard Newell, associate professor of energy and environmental economics at the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, was also consulted by the foundation concerning the initiative. He said he helped direct DDCF's discussions concerning carbon pricing.
The foundation will begin reviewing grant applications for allocation of the money in several weeks, Williamson said.
Robert Jackson, professor of biology and environmental science and faculty director for the Center on Global Change, said the Nicholas School is planning to apply for a grant, but is still evaluating the best combination of people and research ideas for the proposal.
"This has the potential to really make a difference in U.S. policy, and the world overall," Jackson said.
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