Our Approach

Our Mission

The mission of C4S is to accelerate the translation of research findings into practical climate solutions, to test innovative technologies though high-impact pilot projects, and to rapidly scale promising solutions to the national and global level.

Our Approach

We are developing a transformational vision and mission, not only for California's role in climate change, but also a vision for the future of the state is a rapidly transforming world. Now is the time to lead the world in climate solutions and unleash the California model to other states, nations and the entire planet. The mitigation goals to bend the warming curve are the following:

Achieve Climate Stability

Within three decades (preferably) to four decades (essential), make the planet carbon neutral (zero net emissions of CO2) and reduce atmospheric concentrations of short-lived climate pollutants (methane, HFCs, tropospheric  ozone  precursors, and black carbon) by 50% (for methane) to 100% (for black carbon and HFCs). In addition, reduce emissions of nitrous oxide from agriculture as much as possible.

Take Out Existing Carbon Dioxide

Take out the CO2 that we emitted beginning 2018. During the 3 to 4 decades transition to carbon neutrality, we would have emitted another 500 billion to one trillion tons of CO2 which has to be taken out of the air. The massive amount of CO2 that is taken out has to be sequestered in soils, forests and the oceans; if feasible it would be better to repurpose some of the CO2 for commercial/industrial uses.

Our Story

Meet Our Co-Chairs

Ram

Veerabhadran Ramanathan

Co-chair

Professor of Atmospheric Sciences
Director, Center for Atmospheric Sciences
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Benjamin Houlton

Co-Chair

Professor of Global Environmental Studies
Director, John Muir Institute of the Environment