Spark Climate Solutions

Overview

The Giving Green Fund plans to award a restricted grant to Spark Climate Solutions (Spark) for its enteric methane mitigation program, which aims to reduce methane emissions from ruminants like cattle and sheep. Spark is a US-based organization with US and international workstreams. It accelerates emerging climate mitigation strategies, with a current focus on short-lived climate pollutants like methane.

Spark’s work falls within our philanthropic strategy of reducing food sector emissions.  While we believe reducing meat consumption can have a bigger impact on cutting food sector emissions than focusing only on enteric methane, we still think efforts to reduce enteric methane are worthwhile. They offer a backup in case global meat demand does not decrease significantly, and the opportunity to reduce emissions from any remaining meat demand. Please see Giving Green’s deep dive report on food sector emissions for more information, including risks and potential co-benefits, recommended sub-strategies, theory of change, funding need, and key uncertainties.

Last updated: October 2024

What is Spark Climate Solutions?

Spark was founded in 2021 to speed up progress in emerging, high-impact climate mitigation strategies. It focuses on reducing the risks of near-term warming by cutting emissions of short-lived climate pollutants. Its core programs are enteric methane mitigation and methane removal research. It is also developing programs to reduce agricultural nitrous oxide emissions and understand methane emissions from permafrost thaw and tropical wetlands. Spark fulfills a unique role as a field builder in these neglected sectors by mobilizing resources and coordinating efforts to drive innovation forward. Its activities include coordinating policy advocacy efforts, mobilizing industry actors, supporting the path to market for new innovations, and regranting to fill research gaps.

What are we funding at Spark, and how could it help reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

The planned grant is restricted to Spark’s enteric methane mitigation program, which provides strategic support and leadership across the field to accelerate technical, market, and policy solutions. Specifically, Spark plans to use our grant to develop its Global Enteric Methane Industry Association (GEMIA), which will coordinate work among stakeholders, including solution providers, livestock producers, retailers, and funding bodies. By aligning industry bodies to a shared strategy, we believe Spark could streamline work that would accelerate R&D, advance policy, and strengthen the path to market for enteric methane solutions.

Why do we think Spark will use this funding well?

We think political advocacy, coordination, and coalition building could be powerful levers to amplify governmental and industry support for enteric methane mitigation. We think Spark is well-positioned to fill gaps in the field because of its strong connections to the sector, technical expertise, and strategic approach. 

We have been impressed by Spark’s leadership in the nascent field of enteric methane mitigation. For example, it advocated for the introduction of the US’s bipartisan EMIT LESS Act for enteric methane mitigation. It also helped to establish, and now actively supports, the program strategy of the Global Methane Hub’s $200 million Enteric Fermentation Accelerator as coordinator of its science oversight committee. In addition, Spark organizes the only annual conference dedicated to enteric methane emissions. 

GEMIA is still in its early stages but has thus far been well received, with non-binding commitments from 20 influential sector leads to participate in the coalition. Spark is fundraising to expand its enteric methane team to accommodate new workstreams, including GEMIA and a US livestock methane policy coalition. 

For more on the difference between the grantees of the Giving Green Fund and our Top Nonprofits, please see this blog post on the Giving Green Fund. This is a non-partisan analysis (study or research) and is provided for educational purposes.