Review: Review: Philanthropy as a strategic partner in the energy transition

by Tamunoimim Kalada-Green

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Philanthropy is often viewed narrowly as a source of funding. In this seminar, however, Rebecca Collyer challenged that assumption, presenting philanthropy instead as a distinct and strategic actor alongside government, business, academia, and think tanks. Drawing on her experience, she argued that philanthropy’s value lies not simply in financing projects, but in shaping narratives, enabling rigorous analysis, and accelerating systemic change where markets and institutions are slow to move.

Rebecca is Executive Director of ReNew2030, a global coalition hosted by the European Climate Foundation (ECF) focused on scaling wind and solar energy. She leads the international programme at the Pooled Fund on International Energy (PIE). She moved into philanthropy in 2008, after a decade shaping energy policy in the UK and at the European Commission, bringing a policy-grounded perspective to her current work.

The seminar opened with a reminder of how recently climate science began to influence energy decision-making. As late as 2006, Rebecca noted, the implications of climate risk for the power sector were still poorly integrated into planning and investment. Progress since then, she argued, has not come from government action alone, but from collaboration across sectors, with philanthropy playing a critical role.

A central theme of the seminar was the identification of gaps. Rebecca described philanthropy as particularly effective in areas where institutional funding, political attention, or analytical capacity has not yet coalesced. In such spaces, philanthropy can act quickly, support experimentation, and absorb political or reputational risk that other actors cannot. This framing set up the core of the seminar, which was structured around three illustrative stories from the UK, Europe, and the global energy system.

The first case examined the UK’s transition away from coal. Rebecca revisited the proposed Kingsnorth coal-fired power stations, which at the time posed a defining question for a coal-reliant economy: whether new coal capacity could still be justified in light of emerging climate science. While policy consensus was limited, philanthropy funded research that assessed both the impacts of the proposed plants and alternative pathways. Think tanks such as Green Alliance, E3G, and the Institute of Public Policy Research, alongside academic institutions, were supported to generate evidence and analysis. Combined with campaigning and public engagement, this work contributed to the eventual cancellation of the project. Rebecca situated this national intervention within a wider international shift, pointing to initiatives such as the Powering Past Coal Alliance, launched by the UK and Canada at COP23, and later the Coal Asset Transition Accelerator at COP26. These initiatives illustrate how philanthropy-backed efforts in the UK can help support broader global change.

The second story moved to the European level. In 2008, the EU Emissions Trading System was in place, and a 2020 decarbonisation target had been set, yet there was no concrete roadmap for how the power sector would meet longer-term climate goals. As Power Programme Director at the ECF, Rebecca commissioned a multi-scenario analysis outlining pathways to a cleaner European power sector by 2050. This work closely aligned, both in structure and conclusions, with the clean power roadmap later released by the European Commission a year later. Follow-on philanthropic funding supported analysis of policy implications, reinforcing philanthropy’s role in shaping system-wide reform.

The global example focused on the push to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030. Rebecca highlighted the importance of independent data and insights platforms such as Ember, which philanthropy supports to remain free from business or government influence, particularly amid heightened geopolitical tensions. Years before the tripling goal gained political traction, Ember had already mapped potential global renewable pathways to 2030. This analysis helped lay the groundwork for a new advocacy coalition. Previously fragmented wind and solar industries aligned, leading to the creation of the Global Renewables Alliance as an umbrella body representing both sectors. Philanthropic support enabled this coalition to gain visibility and legitimacy in global energy forums.

An additional example came from Pakistan, where falling solar prices briefly enabled a zero-tariff policy and spurred innovation in consumer-led renewable finance. Against a backdrop of power system fragility and gas supply disruptions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, philanthropy supported a local NGO, Renewables First, to engage in policy support. This case underscored the importance of locally grounded philanthropic action in emerging markets.

Looking ahead, Rebecca pointed to scenario analyses converging around a 35% electrification target by 2035. She framed this as a pragmatic and ambitious focus for philanthropy, balancing climate mitigation, energy security, and affordability. Priority areas for future philanthropic engagement include countering disinformation, supporting politically stable investment pathways in emerging markets, and enhancing grid flexibility. She highlighted the Global Grids Catalyst and its partnership with Integrate to Zero as examples of philanthropic investment in demand-side solutions.

The Q&A session reinforced key themes. In response to questions about whether philanthropy risks replacing public institutions, Rebecca emphasised humility, describing philanthropy’s role as illuminating gaps rather than filling them permanently. One question focused on Oxford’s philanthropy-funded Climate Leadership Research Centre and how visible leadership from figures in sport, business, and politics can influence climate behaviour. Rebecca noted that philanthropic engagement in such communication depends on risk appetite, with some leaders willing to be publicly associated with advocacy while others prefer quieter support.

Overall, the seminar offered a compelling account of philanthropy as a patient, nimble, and strategic partner in the energy transition. It provided a valuable lens on how non-state actors can enable change by pulling the right levers at the right time.