Who we are

Institute for Climate and Society (iCS) is a philanthropic organization that supports projects and institutions that aim to strengthen the Brazilian economy and the geopolitical positioning of the country, in addition to reducing inequality by tackling climate change and providing sustainable solutions.

The Institute embraces its mission with practical and strategic work, bringing to Brazil resources from major international funders – and raising support from Brazilian funders – to support various local agents who fight for Brazil in order to avoid the negative impacts of global warming. Much more than a financial intermediary, iCS promotes dialogue between the sectors, adds knowledge and establishes networks of information, intelligence and cooperation, aiming to achieve the well-being of the population.

Mission

To strengthen the conditions that leverage lasting practices of mitigation and resilience to climate change.

Vision

Brazil carbon neutral with economic growth and social justice, compatible with 1.5 ºC.

iCS and its grantees are dedicated to:

Build technical and scientific evidence that qualifies the debate and guides decision makers.

Promote advocacy and communication campaigns.

Enable spaces for debate between different actors and sectors.

Apply legal tools that guarantee the compliance with rules, policies and commitments.

Promote the exchange of knowledge and experience regarding climate change between Brazil and the rest of the world.

In general, we work towards three types of outcomes:

Political and economic commitments with a greater climate ambition and social justice

More effective governance and control mechanisms for policies that have an impact on the climate

More robust ecosystem to combat climate change, with a strengthened civil society and better interaction between sectors

Evaluation

Evaluation is an essential part of the work of iCS. It is the key to the learning and improvement in our operation. It is essential to have the clarity and evidence of what we are – or are not – achieving.

Transparency in our evaluation is also fundamental in order for us to establish and maintain a relationship of trust with those who support us.Because we work in a complex and multifaceted reality, we approach evaluation in two ways: deductively and inductively.

On the one hand, we compare what we have achieved with our previously established goals. On the other hand, we seek to identify several important outcomes, which received some contribution from us or from our grantees. Consequently, we capture a wide range of effects that bring us closer to our mission and vision, and we are also able to perceive any gaps and points that require improvement.

The main outputs produced by us and by our grantees, as well as the main outcomes that we contributed to achieve them, are published in our annual reports, website, newsletter and social networks.

See the Annual Reports

Areas of Operation

The work fronts of iCS reflect the social, economic and political challenges that are present in the fight against climate change. They all seek to contribute, in some way, to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and to the improvement of the quality of life of society through a development that is sustainable, socially fair and environmentally friendly.

Transport

Climate Policy

Energy

Climate and Law

Land Use and Food Systems

Low carbon economy

Communication and outreach

Timeline

iCS started its activities in 2015, the same year as the approval of the Paris Agreement and an important time in the debate regarding the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

iCS concluded the structuring of its governance and organized its programmatic area into three portfolios – energy, urban mobility and climate policies. At the same time, it approved the strategic plan for the five-year period of 2016-2020.

iCS significantly strengthened its institutional presence and expressively expanded the number of its partners, in addition to adding economy as a new portfolio. In partnership with the German Embassy, ​​iCS created the series of events known as the Sustainable Future Dialogues. These are international meetings about key subjects for the exchange of experiences, practices and knowledge involving local and global goals related to the climate.

In the midst of a time of strong political polarization, iCS began a more segmented phase of operation with the creation of the E+ Institute, with the objective of identifying barriers and seeking trends for the consolidation of an energy sector with low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Brazil.

The Kigali Project is also started, with the purpose of creating a work network for the ratification of the Kigali Amendment and to encourage a change in the energy consumption of air conditioners.

At a time of increasing illegal activities in the Amazon, iCS remained active in several actions of resistance and mobilization. The action front focused on Land Use and Food Systems is added to the other portfolios and the Climate and Law program is created. The growth of the programmatic area results in an increase in the team and advances in the achieved outcomes. The Institute also promoted the presence of Brazilian society at COP 25, in Madrid, which was a year when Brazil had no official representation at the event.

The expansion of the support for iCS, with the engagement of new partnerships and the regional expansion of grants, contributed towards the containment of the setbacks involving climate and environmental policies in Brazil.
Due to the impacts caused by the pandemic, iCS provided emergency funds of R$ 1.16 million in order to guarantee food security and health preservation through 35 organizations that work in peripheral and socially vulnerable communities in Rio de Janeiro and in the Amazon region.

The consolidation of the climate agenda in the national debate and international representativeness gained even more prominence, especially at COP26. As part of this movement, iCS expanded its programmatic department to seven portfolios, with the arrival of Communication and Outreach and the expansion of the Climate and Law work. Climate litigation, the coordination of subnational governments and the leading role of organized civil society were highlights in the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic. Maintaining its pragmatic and purposeful aspect, iCS supported, for the second time, the broad participation of civil society at COP 26, in Glasgow, achieving high visibility for the Development and Climate proposal, which was the result of the combined work of around 300 institutions.

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