Who Really Funds the Climate Agenda?

President Trump’s efforts to dismantle parts of the Biden administration’s climate-policy framework have exposed just how much money and institutional power had become attached to it.

Mark Keenan | July 18, 2026

President Trump’s efforts to dismantle parts of the Biden administration’s climate-policy framework have exposed just how much money and institutional power had become attached to it.

Renewable-energy companies, financial institutions, advocacy groups, labor organizations, and state governments are now fighting over subsidies, tax credits, regulations, and investments worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

Whatever one thinks of President Trump's policy reversals, the controversy raises a more fundamental question: who built and financed this sprawling climate-policy system in the first place?

Most people assume climate policy emerges through the normal democratic process. Scientists publish research, governments consult experts, legislators debate proposals, and elected representatives decide the direction of public policy. Yet across both Europe and the United States, a vast network of philanthropic foundations, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, advocacy groups, and financial institutions also plays an important role in shaping climate policy and public opinion.

Lobbying itself is neither unusual nor inherently improper. What deserves closer examination is the scale, funding, and influence of the organisations promoting today's climate agenda — and where their funding originates.

One organization that has attracted increasing attention is the European Climate Foundation (ECF), established in 2008 and headquartered in The Hague. Although headquartered in Europe, many of the foundation's largest financial supporters are major American philanthropic organizations, illustrating the increasingly transatlantic nature of climate advocacy.

Dutch science journalist Marcel Crok recently examined the foundation's role in European climate policy, arguing that it has become one of Europe's most influential climate-focused philanthropic organizations while remaining largely unknown outside specialist circles.

His investigation raises important questions about how modern climate advocacy is financed and organized.

According to publicly available information cited by Crok, the ECF received approximately €275 million in funding during 2023. Among the listed supporters are several major American philanthropic organizations, including Bloomberg Philanthropies, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, alongside a number of European charitable........

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