Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Rocky Mountain Institute and Carbon War Room merge

Two of the world’s leading not-for-profit organizations championing low-carbon solutions for tackling climate change are joining forces.

RMI and CWR launched its first joint program, the Ten Island Challenge, earlier this year, with the aim of boosting the use of renewables on Caribbean islands.

RMI and CWR launched its first joint program, the Ten Island Challenge, earlier this year, with the aim of boosting the use of renewables on Caribbean islands.

The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), which was co-founded by pioneering energy expert, Amory Lovins, is to merge with Carbon War Room (CWR), set up by billionaire Sir Richard Branson, with the aim of accelerating the uptake of ‘market-based' solutions for tackling climate change.

Sir Richard Branson said: 'For the past five years, CWR has punched well above its weight, leveraging the creativity and convening power of fellow entrepreneurs to tackle climate challenge. By marrying Rocky Mountain Institute’s analytical rigor and energy-system expertise with CWR’s bold and agile entrepreneurial approach, together we can go further, faster'.

Amory Lovins, RMI co-founder, chief scientist, and chairman emeritus added: “For more than 32 years, RMI had partnered with industry and business with significant successes in transforming energy use across the transportation, buildings, industrial, and electricity sectors. Now, we can capitalize on Carbon War Room’s proven ability to engage and excite corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and investors to rally around innovative ideas and take action.”

'Private-sector organizations like RMI and CWR have the independence and flexibility to convene the right players in the right markets.'

Earlier this year RMI and CWR’s launched its first joint program, the Ten Island Challenge. It is laying the groundwork to shift Caribbean island energy systems from dependence on expensive, dirty imported diesel to economies powered by clean, efficient, and renewable sources. Already under way in six countries—Aruba, Colombia, the Bahamas, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Turks and Caicos—the Ten Island Challenge will also demonstrate that entire economies can adopt low-carbon solutions while boosting private investment, enhancing and diversifying the local job market, and opening greater socioeconomic development opportunities.

Current RMI CEO Jules Kortenhorst will lead the alliance, while current CWR president José Maria Figueres will chair a single, combined Board of Trustees.

Figueres said: “Private-sector organizations like RMI and CWR have the independence and flexibility to convene the right players in the right markets. The real barrier is slow adoption rates, not inadequate technologies or lack of opportunities. The alliance can expand pockets of innovation and rapidly bring them to scale.”

In addition to joint efforts in the Caribbean, RMI and CWR are also jointly working on projects to tackle energy efficiency in buildings, improving fuel efficiency in the freight and trucking sector, and creating a global market for fuel-efficient ships.