We are building a movement that makes the impossible inevitable.
Climate Emergency Fund relies on evidence-based proof that nonviolent disruption fuels and scales movements, maximizing funder impact.
Protest movements create change by building narrative power, pressuring political leaders, generating public support, and fundamentally changing political conditions.
Interrupting business-as-usual forces politicians and the media to pay attention, and forces members of the public to choose a side. Multiple studies have found that disruptive protest benefits the entire movement, allowing brave activists to directly exert power in a way that no other tactics can.
Fact
For every dollar invested in Just Stop Oil 27.3 tons of CO2e stayed in the ground.
Just Stop Oil raised and spent approximately $6.3 million, between its launch in April 2022 and their victory in July 2024 when the new Labour government upheld their promise to ban new oil and gas in the North Sea, keeping 1.7 billion tons of carbon in the ground. We estimate each dollar spent on Just Stop Oil resulted in at least 27.3 metric tons of CO2e remaining in the ground. To put that into perspective: the top-rated climate charity identified by Founders Pledge, Clean Air Task Force, yielded just 0.1-1 ton of carbon emissions reductions per dollar spent at the height of the climate movement in 2018! Climate Emergency Fund is proud to have seed funded Just Stop Oil.
Our case statement digs into facts like this and more, demonstrating how our strategy ensures your donation creates societal change.
Fact
Studies and polls keep showing that protests increase public concern about the climate crisis.
Public polling in the UK by YouGov (Smith, 2019) found a 12% increase in those naming the environment as one of the top three issues facing the country immediately after Extinction Rebellion UK’s wave of protest in April 2019.
A study in Germany by Brehm and Gruhl (2024) found the public 1.2% more likely to report concern about the climate 14 days after a climate protest event, with the increase driven by people moving from “not concerned” to “concerned,” showing that protests broadened overall public concern for climate rather than ‘preaching to the choir.’ Major dry spells or heat wave events only led to a 0.5-0.8% increase in concern for climate (Hofmann et al, 2022).
Our literature review summarizes studies on the power of disruptive protest, helping us support the campaigns most likely to win.
Fact
Movements resisting fossil fuel projects are highly effective.
An analysis of several hundred cases of movements directly resisting fossil fuel projects by Temper et al. (2020) found they were highly-effective at stopping fossil fuel projects.
In the cases they studied, movements succeeded in canceling or delaying 28% of coal power or mining projects; movement demands were met in 18% of cases opposing oil and gas extraction; 26% of opposed fracking projects were canceled; and 39% of opposed pipeline projects were stopped, suspended, or lost key investors.
Our literature review summarizes studies on the power of disruptive protest, helping us support the campaigns most likely to win. That’s why our biggest grants program is dedicated to fighting fossil fuels.
Want a deeper dive?
Our case statement shows how donors create transformational change.
Want to see the proof?
Our literature review illustrates the power of disruptive protest.