Report and Tool Show How Private Capital Could Drive Greater Impact across Science-Based Solutions
One Earth, a global network of climate strategists and storytellers driving science-based action, today released Minding the Gaps, the most rigorous analysis to date of U.S. funding to a detailed science-based climate solutions roadmap. Powered by data from the new One Earth Solutions Finance Tracker, Minding the Gaps brings unprecedented clarity to how private capital is – and is not – supporting the science-based solutions needed to confront climate change and biodiversity loss.
Developed in partnership with Vibrant Data Labs, Minding the Gaps presents insights from the One Earth Solutions Finance Tracker, a powerful new tool that maps how climate funding is flowing to 75 solution pathways across three pillars of action – Energy Transition, Nature Conservation, and Regenerative Agriculture – needed to limit global warming, and build a just and vibrant future.
It was built by combining Vibrant Data Lab’s widely respected open-source system which tracks nearly $400 billion in private investments and philanthropic grants across more than 10,000 U.S.-based companies and nonprofits with One Earth’s Solutions Framework, which is rooted in peer-reviewed science and backed by a global climate model. This is the first time we have had an integrated view of how both philanthropic and investment capital are flowing to detailed climate solutions, offering a holistic view across philanthropy, business and the climate movement.
The findings expose critical gaps that need to be filled:
- 89% of capital flows tracked go to energy, while only 4% supports nature conservation. This is not nearly enough to protect, restore, and reconnect approximately 50% of the Earth’s lands and oceans needed to stabilize the climate and safeguard biodiversity, as identified in One Earth’s Global Safety Net.
- Less than 6% of philanthropic capital reaches Indigenous-led land tenure, despite its proven centrality to protecting ecosystems.
- Regenerative agriculture receives only 7% of total climate finance, with nearly half of that funding going to just three solutions.
“Momentum is growing around climate solutions, with large-scale investment and so many funders trying to do the right thing,” said Justin Winters, Co-founder and Executive Director of One Earth. “What this data shows is where gaps exist, and where investment could be deployed more powerfully. Minding the Gaps is the start of a conversation – data that can drive collaboration between funders, mobilize action, and help build a more effective movement.”
Transparent, updateable and repeatable, the One Earth Solutions Finance Tracker is designed to empower philanthropists, investors, policymakers, and activists to align capital with the most impactful solutions. Unlike other frameworks and climate finance reports, it integrates both philanthropic and investment flows and ties them to climate solutions, providing a dynamic, open-source tool that will be updated regularly.
Discover the latest trends and insights—explore the Business Insights Journal for up-to-date strategies and industry breakthroughs!
