Our Work
Catalyzing pragmatic solutions for climate change
Our task is to reduce climate change by applying an overwhelming amount of force to some of the biggest levers to reduce carbon and other climate-warming emissions.
Through technology innovation, policy change, and thought leadership, Clean Air Task Force drives impact to prevent catastrophic climate change through pragmatic solutions.
Our Focus
We focus on decarbonizing the energy system
As a technology-agnostic and evidence-based organization, we are a catalyst for change and a source for deep knowledge. We know that in order to address the climate challenge in time, we must ask some difficult questions: How do we decarbonize the sectors that electrification is unlikely to reach? What do we need to do to reach net-zero emissions in heavy industry sectors like steel and cement making, and in transportation sectors like marine shipping, trucking, and aviation? When it comes to electrification, what policies and technologies besides wind and solar do we need to transform the current electricity grid to become carbon-free on a global scale? And most importantly, what infrastructure do we need to build in the next 30 to 40 years to support these actions and take the required steps to reach decarbonization?
CATF’s team of technical and policy experts is well-positioned to advance the policies and technologies necessary to decarbonize the global energy system.
We can only transition to a zero-carbon energy system if we focus on some of the hardest to decarbonize sectors – electricity, transport, and industry; and we can’t do that without the appropriate infrastructure.
Electricity
Decarbonizing the electricity sector is essential to limiting emissions and transitioning to a carbon-free global economy. While we must reduce emissions from the energy sector, we must also accommodate rapid population growth — which will require more access to energy, not less. To meet these dual challenges, we must be prepared to provide a wide range of zero-carbon energy options.
Transportation
The transportation sector accounts for 16% of global carbon emissions, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Pursuing the advancement of both electrification and zero-carbon fuels like hydrogen and ammonia is imperative to maximizing impact at scale and affordable cost. CATF’s research and advocacy work is helping drive forward technology innovation and policy advancements like the development of a zero-carbon fuel standard forward.
Learn more about our efforts to decarbonize the transportation sector:
Industry
Addressing the climate challenge is directly connected to decarbonizing heavy industry like cement, steel, and glass, which account for about 20 percent of the planet’s CO₂ emissions. These sectors are unlikely to be decarbonized through electrification and will likely require the advancement of carbon-free technologies like zero-carbon fuels, carbon capture, and advanced nuclear energy.
Infrastructure
Transitioning to a global zero-carbon energy system requires us to address the limitations of our current infrastructure. Our current system is not equipped to meet the demand for increased capacity. We need to look at new kinds of power generation (both renewable and thermal), bigger volumes of electric power transmission, pipelines to move CO₂ and hydrogen, and storage for the carbon dioxide that is extracted from industrial processes. At CATF, we work in concert with stakeholders and partners to tackle challenging questions and envision a path forward for the infrastructure we need to have 30 years from now — and work with them to turn that vision into reality.
Explore these resources and learn more about our efforts worldwide:
Policy & Innovation
We’re trying to change a global energy system in a very short period of time
With a deep understanding of policy, science, and technology innovation – we’re driving implementable solutions that can truly make a difference.
Our Areas of Work
Examining all options with an open mind
and clear vision
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Advanced Nuclear
Create a global research and development, commercial, regulatory, and social ecosystem in which we can tap into the myriad carbon-free benefits of nuclear technology.
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Bioenergy & Land Use
Redirect the production and use of bioenergy so that it contributes to–rather than undermines– decarbonization and climate stability.
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Carbon Capture
Accelerate the adoption of carbon capture technologies to prevent CO₂ emissions from power generation and industrial sources.
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Energy Access
Reorient energy strategies to better support the rapid expansion of modern, cost-effective power in Africa and beyond.
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Power Plants
Ensure the adoption of U.S. emission standards on U.S. fossil power plants to zero-out power sector carbon emissions by 2050.
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Super Pollutants
Catalyze deep, global reductions in methane and black carbon emissions to help stave off the risk of irreversible changes to our climate.
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Superhot Rock Geothermal
Superhot rock geothermal energy is a visionary technology deserving of investment, and yet almost entirely unrecognized in the decarbonization debate.
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Zero-Carbon Fuels
Advance zero-carbon fuels like hydrogen and ammonia, which have the potential to decarbonize hard-to-electrify sectors and could unlock opportunities across the energy system.
Our Expertise
CATF is a group of climate and energy experts with decades of collective knowledge and experience
We are scientists, engineers, MBAs, policy experts, lawyers, and communications professionals who achieve impact through technology innovation, policy advocacy, and thought leadership.
Latest resources
Make an impact
Our independence from corporate influence and our willingness to resist popular thinking keeps us grounded in reality and focused on the changes that can truly make a difference. Support our work to safeguard against the worst impacts of climate change and become a donor today.
